In the old books they wrote – offer a gift, and when the Ancient One comes, name your wish and ask how you will have to pay. It was time to speak, but Virita seemed to lose her tongue under the intense blue gaze. Only her hands froze, her cheeks burned, and the shame rolled in more and more painfully – as if she was doing something wrong, but she didn’t know what it was. And at that moment, when the silence became completely unbearable, the Ancient One suddenly appeared next to him, took him by the chin, raised his head, and looked into his eyes. His fingers were hard and hot, his touch was careful, and his gaze was heavy and dark, like basement vaults.

“They came to me for power.” For wealth. For luck. Even for women, although this is stupid. But I don't see what you're asking. What do you want from me, mortal child?

“Help,” Virita squeaked.

– It is clear. Which one? What do you want?

– I do not want to get married! – the girl sobbed. – For the one whom the father chose! He's scary!

– Scarier than me? – The Ancient One laughed, and the forest responded with a booming echo, the hooting of owls and, it seemed, a distant rockfall. “What mortal man are you more afraid of than me?”

Here, probably, it was necessary to either get completely scared and go into a life-saving faint, or start humiliatingly apologizing. But Virita seemed to have a rope under her tail!

– Marriage is, you know, for life! – she blurted out. – With you, they write books, we can come to an agreement, and even if not, it won’t be any worse.

– What kind of books are these?

– Diaries… Notes from my great-grandfather, the noble Reyas del Bornio.

“Oh, this…” The Ancient One laughed again, but now his laughter seemed to ring with the sound of a stream over the stones and the clatter of horses’ hooves. – OK. So you want to change your betrothed – right?

“Y-yes…” Virita wanted to say “probably”, she herself didn’t know whether she wanted another betrothed or even freedom from a frightening marriage, or maybe something else, vague, not completely clear to her. But in some unknown way it turned out that the answer could only be “yes” or “no.”

– How will you pay?

And again I wanted to answer “I don’t know”, to ask what kind of payment would suit the Ancient One, but it came out against my will:

– Anything!

Blue eyes flashed with triumph.

“Leave,” the Ancient One ordered. – All will be.

She herself didn’t understand how Virita woke up in the saddle – and barely had time to be surprised, as soon as an overwhelming thought flashed in her empty head: “What have I done!” – as Kashtan neighed wildly and took off at a gallop, perhaps by the grace of the Great, not bumping into the brothers-in-law. Rushing along, not making out the road, the frightened horsewoman could only hold on with her last strength. Suddenly, in the impenetrable darkness of the night forest, a light flashed, not even light – a barely noticeable reflection. And Virita, afraid that Kashtan would carry her past and in the end would simply break his neck in the windfall, screamed desperately:

– Save-ee-ee!!!

Stupid. Of course, no one saved her, but Kashtan seemed even more enraged, although much more so! And why was she brought to this Ancient One?! What kind of nonsense has hit my head! Virita was sure that she was living her last moments when the lathered horse carried her out… somewhere. The bulk of a dark tower flashed from the side, moonlight reflections shone ahead, like ripples on a pond, although there was definitely no water there, and Chestnut fell, wheezing, into these reflections, throwing off the rider.