The next morning William was awakened by a ray of light streaming in through the wooden windows which were still tightly closed.
All the events of the past few days filled his mind. From the death of his mother, the bloody battle by the river, his separation from Muriel, and finally his journey north. His anger once again filled his heart once he remembered that he had to leave his village, which he now realized could have happened because of his fault.
It shouldn't be like this. He should have been more careful.
Then suddenly he remembered what Rogas had said when they left.
"Life changes, at some point, whether we like it or not."
The guy was annoying, but often right.
He turned. Rogas was no longer on his couch.
Where did he go?
William hurried out of the hut. Root's backyard was full of rotten wooden boxes that were all empty. These are boxes commonly used to store or ship fish. He thought earlier, Rogas might be relaxing outside, but apparently not. William hurried across the courtyard and through the small street that separated the two wooden houses in front of him. At the end of the road, William turned to the left. On his porch Root was sitting in a rocking chair.
The old man smiled when he saw William. "You're awake. Come here, sit next to me. I have tea, and also some bread."
"Thank you." William complied with Root's offer. Not bad, even though the dry bread was almost tasteless on his tongue, it was able to cover his hunger. Taking a sip of his hot tea he asked, "Sir, did you see Ro—Uhm, I mean, my brother?"
"Oh, your brother? He … what's his name?"
"Dall." William tried to remember. "Yes, Dall. That's his name."
"He asked where Taupin's house was. Then he left."
"Why didn't he invite me?" William asked annoyed, more to himself. "He can wake me up."
"I asked that too. He said let you rest first." Old Root chuckled. "Don't worry, there's no need to be upset. You can catch up later. Whoever comes first, is not necessarily the luckiest. That's what I know, son, every time I've been going to the river to fish for decades."
The old man showed the direction to Taupin's house. William walked away. Unlike most people's houses in Orulion, Taupin's house is located across the Ordelahr River. To get there William had to ride a raft guided by two people. The two men pulled the long rope over the river, and the raft moved across without fear of being carried away by the current.
The raft is quite wide and strong and was made of large tree trunks that were sturdy and waterproof. In William's calculations, the raft could carry up to twenty people, if there were no horses or other items on board.
After crossing the river, he followed a winding road. Finally, he arrived at the courtyard of the house located at the foot of the hill. The courtyard was wide and flat, and there was a crowd there. Dozens of people gathered, all men, sitting in a circle, cheering.
William was surprised because in the center of the circle Rogas stood in his most arrogant manner. His left hand is on his hips, while his right hand holds the hilt of a sword whose tip is resting on the ground. In front of him, a young man lay down clutching his stomach.
William stared. What else did Rogas do? There was no visible blood splattered, so most likely the young man was just bruised, but William was still annoyed. Did Rogas just do the next stupid thing, by showing off like this?
A loud voice brought all the cheers to a halt, from a man sitting on the other side of the circle. The man was thin, and his hair was gray. His clothes were simple, but his countenance was firm and dignified. Without a doubt, it must be Taupin, the village head.
"Our new friend seems to be a great soldier," said the village head, which was immediately greeted by cheers from everyone on the edge of the field. "Five people have already lost. Does anyone else dare to challenge him?"
William shook his head in annoyance. Rogas apparently couldn't help but show his arrogance once the opportunity came! He was a mercenary, of course, his skills were higher than the villagers. But what was the need for him to do this? Rogas has caught the attention of a lot of people! After this, word of this incident would spread everywhere, maybe even to the south, and be heard by Mornitz. William and Rogas would not be able to hide anymore. Then what's the point of them going north?
"Come on!" exclaimed Taupin challengingly. "No one else dares?"
Dozens of people let out mumbling sounds like bees. No one dared to raise their hand. Rogas smirked, while the young man he had defeated earlier shuffled away and joined the others.
Taupin's gaze then reached William. "You, the young man who just came to my yard," said the village head, pointing. Everyone immediately turned their heads following his gaze, including Rogas, whose face suddenly turned pale. "I just saw you today. What's your name?"
"Wil—I mean, Tuck. My name is Tuck!"
"Tuck, you are tall and well built. You seem like a strong young man. You don't wanna try it, kid? You want to fight Dall?"
William's heart skipped a beat. He swallowed, then shook his head. "No." Not sure if the answer reached Taupin's ears, he repeated it louder, "No!"
But suddenly he realized, maybe that was not a wise answer. What if the village head finds it rude? He then said again, "Excuse me, may I ask you a question first? What for?"
"What for?" The village head smiled broadly and was greeted by laughter from everyone. "I'm making an army! I need a strong and brave man who can help me lead the army as my deputy. You can try it if you dare. So, do you dare? Against this man?"
William looked at Rogas. The frustration that had been piling up came back again. "Sir, do you think I am afraid to fight him?"
Taupin chuckled. "Are you afraid?"
"I am not!"
"So, why did you say no?" Taupin laughed.
The people around him laughed too.
William was furious. He suddenly forgot about his intention to hide and was provoked to do his most basic wish: beat up Rogas and teach him a lesson.
"I will fight him!" he exclaimed.
He walked forward to the center of the courtyard, and the people blocking his path moved away. As soon as he arrived beside Rogas he smirked. "I'll beat him with pleasure if I'm allowed. Do I have to use a sword?"
"We're not barbarians like the Hualeg people," said Taupin. "I don't want anyone to get hurt before the real battle. Use that sword." He pointed at the sword lying on the ground, which the young man had used earlier. "The tip and sides of the sword have been dulled. So you'll only hurt a little if you get hit." He laughed as he watched William take the sword. "Are you ready?"
William stood up straight facing Rogas. "I am ready."