Bruno licked his lips and leaned a little closer as if sharing his darkest secret:

"But you know, there was another uninvited witness in the room. One of the prince's advisers, taking advantage of the moment, also could not resist and hid behind a wide velvet curtain, watching everything with the same greed as I did. And then something happened that I could never have imagined. At the prince's command, two servants brought a golden cage into the room - not a bird cage, but a heavy square grate made of gold. The cage was intended for a person: the strong bars left no doubt that only a strong and dangerous prisoner could sit in it..."

I had to interrupt Bruno's story for a moment to clarify for my friends and everyone who was tensely listening to his leisurely story.

"Gold, both in our world and here, has a special magic," I said, looking at those around me. "It not only captivates the eye, excites the mind, and arouses greed, but also has powerful properties. In Orkvalia, gold is used as a means of control: it suppresses magical powers and can restrain those with abilities superior to mere mortals."

"Now it is clear why the giants in Abdomin's caravan wore gold chains," Bruno interrupted me, realizing what he had heard. He looked at me with slight surprise and returned to his story:

"I did not know this then. For me, the cage seemed like an expensive decoration, a tribute to luxury and wealth.

When the prince and his strange guest began to talk, they spoke almost in a whisper. It was hard to hear, and I listened intently, trying to catch at least something. Soon their voices became louder, the prince was especially angry. His words echoed throughout the hall: he shouted that no one dared tell him what to do and how to do it in his castle, that he decided who would be safe and who would not. The name of the guest was mentioned several times in his tirade - Arian."

Bruno squinted, remembering that tense atmosphere.

"That name meant nothing to me. Suddenly, I heard numerous footsteps behind me. They were guards, and in fear that I would be caught eavesdropping, I jumped back from the door. So I missed the scene that could have revealed everything. I did not see what was hidden in the bundle that the strange guest carried on his shoulders.

But suddenly a scream came from the chambers - a terrible, almost inhuman cry of pain and horror. The guards, like animals, rushed into the hall, pushing me away. I slipped behind them and saw the prince lying in a pool of blood.

The guardsmen immediately realized that the guest was their only suspect. He was standing next to the prince's body, holding a bloody dagger in his hand, and nearby lay an open package that turned out to be empty.

Deciding that they were looking at a murderer, the guards rushed toward him, hoping for numerical superiority and strength. A fight ensued... No, not even a fight. The guest only waved his hand a few times, and the bravest warriors immediately sank to their knees, stricken with wounds, as if from an invisible weapon. Cries of pain and horror rang out throughout the hall.

At that terrible moment, someone pulled the prince's unfortunate adviser out from behind the velvet curtain. His face was deathly pale, his eyes wide open with horror. He was shaking all over like an aspen leaf, and it seemed he had completely lost his mind. Completely maddened, the adviser began to stutter and tremble, repeating:

"Not guilty! Not guilty! Not guilty!"

I repeated the same words, holding my breath - I don't know why I was succumbing to that dark, unbearable tension.

"What happened next?" asked Michel, not hiding his interest. It seemed that this story had captivated him to the depths of his soul.

Bruno sighed deeply as if preparing to relive those events.

“The guest somehow escaped from the castle and vanished like a shadow in the sun.

And I, as a simple guardsman suspected of justifying the murder of Prince Almarin, was interrogated countless times. First, Captain Gregor, the commander of the guard, was brought to me.

But the main interrogation was carried out by the prince’s heir, his son Asir. Upon learning of his father’s death, he immediately interrupted the hunt and returned to the castle, angry and suspicious.

He felt surrounded by enemies and was sure that the entire castle was mired in a conspiracy. They interrogated me tirelessly, asking if I knew this mysterious murderer and why if I did not know him, I tried to justify him in front of the entire court.

Asir stared at me, waiting for me to give up something more. I told him everything I had seen and heard, but it was not enough to dispel his suspicions. In the end, they drove me out of the castle like a dog, without honor or pay. So I lost my job and earned a bad reputation.

Now I was seen as a useless gnoll, ready to bite anyone who came too close, who asked too dangerous a question.

It went on like this for a long time. I was hired to escort caravans and guard the homes of rich people - but always at half price. People did not trust me, thinking that I would do a better job if I did not pay full price for the job.

And all this time I thought about that mysterious guest, because of whom I lost my honor. I wanted to see him again, to find out what he had hidden in the package and what happened to the prince.

When I met you, it did not even occur to me that I was escorting the one who was to blame for my misfortunes. You saved me from an armored rhinoceros - and then you introduced yourself as Oris, right?

"Yes, Oris is my middle name," I agreed, smiling slightly. Bruno's story touched me.

"When the herald at the fair called your name - Arian - it was like a needle stab. I stood there, not believing my ears, expecting a trick or a mistake. Could someone accused of murdering the prince show up to the competition so calmly?

I froze, not taking my eyes off you until the end of your fight with Gregor.

Then I watched as you and your friends were taken away to the castle. I admit, inside me, there was a burning hope that everything would finally become clear, justice would prevail, and I would be acquitted. I thought that they would talk to you in the castle, sort everything out, and at least explain themselves to me.

A day passed, then another - silence. I was constantly in sight, sending greetings to Gregor, hoping to attract attention. But no one called me, no one was in a hurry to explain themselves to me. Time passed, and I was not given a single answer. It seemed that the castle had simply forgotten about me and my story.

When I finally met Gregor, it immediately became clear to me that this was no coincidence. He was always cold and arrogant, but here he grinned smugly and offered me service under his command, promised a position with a dozen guards. ***His words seemed to plunge a knife into my flesh:

“You served Almarin, but you got involved with his killer. Now that everything is finally clear, I can put in a good word for you. The young prince will always be glad to see such a brave man as you.”

“What? Oris… that is, Arian confessed to killing Asir’s father?!” I asked, stunned, and the words echoed in my mind like an icy wave.

"The truth has finally come out. The Prince had to resort to the Mirror of Truth," Gregor confirmed indifferently as if it were a normal thing.

"But in the final duel... you were on top, he was almost lying on the arena. Why didn't you finish the fight? What happened?"

Gregor leaned towards me, smiling conspiratorially:

"I'll tell you a secret: I had a special task - to weaken him. I disguised a thorn with poison as a glove, and pricked him a couple of times... that's why he fell. And I simply underestimated my strength and jumped too abruptly from the platform."

I was shaking from his confession:

"Why all this? Wouldn't it have been easier to arrest him right on the lists?" I asked, fighting nausea, but I needed to hear the rest.

"We had to take him without bloodshed, so we were cunning. We lured him into a competition that he had no right to refuse. We hid the name before the battle began - otherwise, he could have escaped. I immobilized him and prepared him for arrest. But he was interrogated by Prince Asir. In my opinion, he interrogated him too softly. He asked questions and used the Mirror of Truth. I would have broken every bone in his body! "

Gregor clenched his fists, and there was obvious hatred in his voice.

"Is such anger just because of defeat?"

To continue the conversation, I asked what happened to you and your friends.

And then Gregor roared:

"They escaped! And nine cows and a bull have been promised for Arian's head! "

But I was no longer interested in his words. The hope of acquittal turned to dust.

After talking with Gregor, the last hope of returning to the castle, to which I clung so much, melted away. Hearing about his betrayal and Asir's insidious plans, for the first time I truly wanted to run away, to hide away from these people and their contempt."

Bruno stood up, clearly intending to leave. I suddenly felt a weight on my soul for all my doubts and the testing I had put him through.

I stood up and squeezed his hand tightly, meeting his eyes full of hurt and disappointment, and said:

"I'm sorry, Bruno! It was a test, you understand? With such a reward on my head - nine cows and one bull - I couldn't just trust a good guy with whom I had been accompanying a caravan for several days. There are still a few unanswered questions in this story. I thought you would clarify some of them. But as I have seen, you know no more than I do. If my words hurt you, I apologize. I want you to come with us, to be our faithful guide."

"Let's drink to the success of our return!" Pete exclaimed, and his voice echoed throughout the hall.

Hearing this, my cheerful friends perked up, their eyes sparkled, and Bruno's long story sobered them up a bit. The host, anticipating wealth, ordered a couple more jugs of wine to be brought.

I, having grasped his intentions, turned to the squires:

"If you want to go to the white mountains, let's finish the feast and start packing!"

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

But the future travelers were indignant - Bruno's story had whetted their appetites.

I insisted again:

"Haven't you heard? A reward has been set for my head - nine cows and one bull! That's a fortune! Let's get out of here before Gregor and his soldiers arrive."

"But you said that you had agreed with Asir?" - Michel was surprised.

"I looked closely at the stranger. Seeing the wary looks of my companions, he immediately rushed to justify himself:

"Calm down, I just wanted to ask. Is this your thing?" - he pointed to my left wrist.

"This watch belonged to my younger brother. I lost him."

"So it was you the stranger in the cave was talking about. Sit down and listen to me," the man took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. His face, weathered by the Astyarian sun, was covered with deep wrinkles, and his neat beard and mustache shone silver. There was wisdom in his eyes and, perhaps, a hint of anxiety.

"I'll say this: if I hadn't heard your companions call you Arian, I would have simply passed by. But there's a little story connected with that name. I'm in the business of searching for trade routes. A couple of years ago, I tried to find the pass separating Orkvalia from Astiaria. I was heading to the White Mountains. These aren't just any mountains: if you look at them from afar, they seem like a massive, impregnable rock. But inside, there are many narrow canyons, cold gorges, scree, and even sources of poison gas. The mountains, like frozen giants, guard their secrets. If you go straight north, you'll be stopped by a deep canyon. The only way through it is to enter the lands of Astiaria. The inhabitants of that country are friendly, but they warn you that the White Mountains are fraught with danger. The path through the lands of Astiaria is long, but there's no other choice because the canyon separating Orqualia from Astiaria is impassable."

"To establish new trade routes, we sought a safe passage into the mountains. We took with us a dozen experienced warriors - people willing to take risks to break through the impassable canyon. But as soon as we reached the remote gorges, we were surrounded by a strange tribe. Creatures resembling people with dog heads, endowed with wild cunning and extraordinary strength. They saw us as enemies, and soon the battle turned into a massacre. Our warriors fought with desperate fury, but this tribe turned out to be merciless and unyielding.

When the attacks came with renewed vigor, we had no choice but to retreat and hide in one of the deep caves to wait it out - but did we know then that you can't hide from them even underground..."

I sighed impatiently, making it clear that I was not too interested in the story of the strange visitor. The squires, on the contrary, listened attentively to his every word, as if trying to catch the hidden meaning.

I even suspected that this man could have been sent by Gregor and that perhaps he was dragging out the story, waiting for reinforcements.

But… how could he know about the watch that belonged to my brother? The captain of the “lions of Asyr” had never seen it on my hand.

Trying to suppress another dissatisfied sigh, I nevertheless decided to listen to the rest of the story, hoping that it would soon come to an end.

"The cave narrowed to a narrow passage, but remained passable," the narrator continued. - "Fleeing from pursuit, we lit the way with Orkvalia lamps. At some point, we heard a quiet voice. It came from somewhere above, from a small crack in the wall.

"People! Help! Save me!" - the voice was muffled and hoarse.

"Who are you and what are you doing in this stone bag?"

The stranger's face remained hidden, but his voice was desperate:

"Find the magician Nix and give him this package, please." - a thin, exhausted hand squeezed through the crack, holding out a small package to us. - I am Arian's brother. There is an underground prison here."

That's all the stranger managed to tell us. The voices of our pursuers echoed nearby. We left him, continuing to run, although the savages fell behind, and the thought of returning did not even arise.

My friend took the package from me, hinting that he knew where to find the magician Nix. I am now sure that my friend was able to fulfill your brother's order, considering the item on your hand and your name, Arian."

"Your friend, unfortunately, is dead," I said. "He managed to deliver the package to its destination. Sorry to break the news."

I was shocked by this information, but the questions didn't end there.

"You never told us anything about your missing brother," Michel said with a displeased frown. I probably should have feigned guilt, but I just managed a hesitant smile.

"When we were sitting in the forest village," he continued, "didn't you mention your missing brother in a single word? Didn't tell us what happened?"

"I didn't know that he had disappeared here," I answered. "It was only when his watch was given to me that everything became clear. He went with me on our last journey. But after the transition to Orkvalia, my brother was nowhere to be found. At first, I thought that he had stayed in our world, but he was not there either. The watch was the first clue as to where to look."

"What are you going to do now?" Nikos asked me, waiting for a ready-made solution.

"I don't know yet," I answered, feeling the thought growing heavier. "Until this moment, I imagined his life as happy: berries, fishing. But you heard yourself how unhappy he was there..."

I looked again at the strange runes on the note in which the watch was wrapped. The meanings of the runes, it seemed to me, did not match what was supposed to be.

I remembered Viper's words before the start of the city competition. He, too, had once moved from our world to the world of Orkvalia.

Viper had mentioned that his first year in this world had given him unprecedented powers, but then, as if someone's hand had cleared his memory, making him forget everything that had happened before. A thought flashed through my mind: perhaps this had happened to my brother too...

I couldn't concentrate on my thoughts because of a push on my shoulder. Basil grabbed my hand, looking at me expectantly:

"Destiny tells you to go to the White Mountains and join us in searching for your brother. Will you come with us?" he asked, patting my shoulder.

"Let him answer my question first," Michel intervened, wiping his drunken eyes. "This question has been bothering me for several days. You said that you spoke with Asir and told him the name of the killer. Is that so?"

"Yes," I replied, nodding.

"But after our meeting, after the battle with the forest bandits, you said that you were Almarin's killer. Explain to me when you lied and when you told the truth."

"I did not kill Almarin! I did not stab him with a dagger. That is true. You listened carefully to Bruno's story. I delivered the package with the killer to the palace and allowed the prince to act as he wished. At the crucial moment, when the prince unpacked the package, I stood aside, as if it were harmless. So I indirectly aided and abetted the killer. Asir does not know my reasoning, and what happened in the palace lies on the killer's conscience, if he has one. Is that clear?"

"No more questions," Michel's face took on a satisfied expression.

"Now will you come with us?" Basil half asked half confirmed my intentions. "All together, in a large group of people. Let's take this uncle with us."

"Indeed," said Pete, supporting him. "We have nothing to lose by going to the White Mountains. We have a good team, and we know where we are going. We can take another guide."

"You remember the way, right? Can you tell us where you met Aryan's brother?" Pete asked the storyteller.

"No," the stranger, who turned out to be a kind uncle, decisively refused the offer. "I have a lot of things to do without traveling. Besides, the places there are not safe. Due to age and shock, I hardly recognize this place. Set off on your journey without me."

"How many people were in your team?" I looked at the old man.

"Two dozen. And all of them, as if hand-picked. Desperate brave men and skilled swordsmen."

"And how many savages were there?" Bruno asked.

"A lot," the old man sighed heavily. The memory of that meeting still weighed on his soul. "I didn't count, I just saw that we couldn't handle them."

After these words, a deep silence reigned in the tavern.

"We need to get ready," I said without joy in my voice, after a short silence.

The picture painted by the elderly storyteller saddened me. It is still possible to somehow come to an agreement with people. But with savages?

In the meantime, several merchants of various goods approached our table without waiting for an invitation. Without introducing themselves, they spoke almost simultaneously:

"I heard you are going to the White Mountains, and I have warm woolen capes. It is cold in the mountains at night."

"These Orkvalia lamps will not take up much space in your travel bags, and there is no such thing as too much light."

"With my lammules, your journey will be half as short."

Well, and a few more offers to buy a lot of unnecessary junk in the form of portable tents and boilers, some harnesses, and long-term storage products.

This made me think. Of all that was offered to us, the most useful were, of course, lammules - Astiarian horses.

We often encountered such animals on the roads of Orkvaliа. It would have been long and tiring to travel by oxen.

We had already bought everything else at the fair or had left over from when we left the forest village.

We had a long haggle with the lammul merchant because he was a stingy man with red, bulging eyes.

The lammul, which combines the endurance of a mule with the grace of a llama, was an excellent animal for long journeys. Thanks to the endurance of a mule and the ability of a llama to overcome various types of terrain, lammuls easily cope with long treks through various terrains, be it mountains, steppes, or forests. They serve people as reliable and stable means of transportation for explorers, travelers, or caravan traders.

Lammul [https://i.imgur.com/S8xaiaC.jpeg]