The Mist and the Lightning. Part II - стр. 19
Orel smiled. "Hm, why not. Do you have cuffs for him?"
Lis took out the cuffs, tossed them to Orel. Orel came up to Squint-Eye.
"Give me your hands, my friend, and no shit."
Squint-Eye, without looking up, put his arms behind his back and let Orel chain him to the table leg.
Lis leaned to him.
"So, now we won't need to worry about our mad dog."
Squint-Eye turned away.
"Why are you turning your nose away?" Lis laughed. He took Squint-Eye's chin and tried to turn his face towards himself. Squint-Eye backed away from Lis.
"Why are you resisting, look at me! You, shitty suicidal!"
Squint-Eye jerked back sharply trying to get up and move away from Lis but only hit the back of his head against the table. Everyone laughed.
"Lis, stop picking on him," Orel said laughing. "Time to go."
He got up, took his mask from the table and put it on hiding his bandaged face. Lis and Nikto followed his example covering their faces.
"Tell Asa not to hurt our boy," Orel said to Nikto.
Nikto passed his words to Asa. She just cursed in reply, as usual. They left locking the door behind them.
Orel, Nikto and Lis come to the military camp.
Orel has a meeting with commanders. He discusses the present situation with them and plans their further actions.
Since Enriki won't be able to participate in battles in the nearest future, Orel decides to dismiss his detachment that is left without its commander.
But the commoner in command of the detachment, Enriki's right-hand man – Dick Nedwill – convinces him to postpone this decision. He assures Orel that he will manage to command and lead them. Orel gives him a chance.
Orel's troops plan to start the attack. Orel is risking a lot but his soldiers believe in him, they don't doubt their master's strength and power. Mercenaries also believe in the strength and power but not those of the prince – but of the one they think their true master. The all need those rich territories in the southern part of the city.
Tol, Asa and Squint-Eye join them.
Thanks to a clever attack plan made by Lis who took into consideration all the weak points of the enemy's defense and all the characteristics of the location, the vanguard detachment consisting of the best Orel's soldiers and mercenaries make an unprecedented at its bravery dash into Black Bey's rear catching him off guard.
Bey's main forces are located at the borders with Orel's territories. He calls for some troops from the borders to help his weak and scanty detachments in the rear.
It gives Orel the opportunity to break through Bey's impregnable defense at the border and advance. Lis's and Tol's detachments close the ring from the west, the detachments of Squint-Eye and Dick do the same from the east. Bey is surrounded. He flees. His streets are conquered.
Despite his initial wish, Squint-Eye couldn't let his enemies kill him.
They have won.
Chapter 5
In the Garden
They sat in Orel's garden resting and watched the city that spread below. Enriki, very pale, with his arm bandaged and his eyes dim with medicines and pain was sitting in the armchair.
Near to him, hugging each other tenderly, Tol and his faithful Asa were sitting. Tol hadn't removed his sign of mourning for her and the paint was slowly fading by itself. Now a half of his face was dirty grey but it didn't bother him at all. His wounds had practically healed and he was quite perky. The same thing couldn't be said about Asa: she, on the contrary, looked very tired. It was one of the rare cases when she was in a dress – a beautiful black dress with exquisite embroidering. In her hair made into a high hairdo there was a wonderful adornment given to her by Lis. But her face was haggard, her eyes sunken; expensive things made for noble ladies didn't suit her. They just increased the contrast between the luxury of her outfit and her exhausted face with irregular, rough features; it was an attractive face but still a face of a commoner and a half-blood. The sparkling of the jewelry didn't suit her misted eyes; Asa looked ridiculous in this outfit.