The girl slowly woke up from a nightmare that haunted her every night as soon as she closed her eyes.
Opening her eyes and looking at the ceiling, the girl tried to drive away the memories that haunted her every night.
Where she lived with her parents in one of the villages on the border with the Avel forest, her parents, like her, were mortals without talent for magic.
Her father once served in the city guard, with age and the wounds he acquired in the service, he was sent into retirement and given a house with small land.
Arriving in the village and gradually getting to know the villagers, he met the girl's mother. They complemented each other and over time they performed the wedding ritual.
And a few years later she appeared, she was named after her maternal grandmother Lualia, her father affectionately called her Luli for short.
The girl took the best from her parents, as the neighboring adults said. From his father, his strong character and self-confidence, from his mother, his attractive appearance and talent for finding a way out of different situations.
Her family, like everyone else in the village, had a farm where they raised animals and sold both meat and what the animals provided.
One day, when she was sixteen years old, she was helping her mother clean up the animals, and the sounds of approaching horsemen were heard.
The girl's mother frowned when she heard the sounds; the girl heard from her parents that the baron was raising the tribute higher and higher.
But as a child who did not yet understand why someone had the right to demand tribute from her parents, all she could do was watch and watch.
- Luli let's go to the house, there's enough food for the animals today, it's not enough for you to get sick. - The gentle voice of the mother was heard calling the girl.
The girl did not immediately react to her mother's words, she was carried away by playing with animals and her mother needed to repeat again that it was time to go home.
The girl sighed sadly, running her hand over the mugiai's white fur; it was taller than Lualia and the girl only reached up to the mugiai's chest.
The animal was tall, her muscles were clearly visible on her body, the short neck leading into her head, which was elongated, when the girl stroked her animal she made different sounds.
Feeling her mother's touch, the girl turned around and looked at her, her mother had green eyes, long black hair that was neatly tied into a ponytail that lay on her left shoulder.
The girl often heard from other adults that many people looked after her mother, but she rejected everyone.
Her mother was dressed in simple clothes in which she worked on the farm. Removing her hand from the mugia, Lualia nodded to her mother and, taking her hand, they walked to the exit from the pens where the animals were kept.
The weather was sunny outside, birdsong could be heard, the girl wanted to run and chat with friends, but her mother did not let her go.
Looking at her mother again, she saw how her beautiful face frowned more and more; her gaze became serious when she looked at the girl.
- Run to our secret place and until my father or I say, don't come out, okay? - The mother addressed the girl, sitting down in front of her.
Lualia, listening to the concern in her mother's voice, nodded, she remembered the secret place that her father made under their house after the baron raised the amount of tribute.
Letting go of her mother's hand, the girl ran to a secret place which was located in front of the house.
Moving aside the pieces of wood that led to this place and making her way inside, she returned the pieces of wood back.
Having made sure that the pieces of wood stood as before, Lualia began to make her way to the side where the front door was located that led to the village.
The girl's family's house was not rich; it had one floor and was made of trees. Once under the door, Lualia began to listen.
She heard her father's heavy footsteps approaching the door and then heard the sound of it opening.
- How can I help you? - Her father's heavy voice was heard.
The girl knew well that when her father spoke in such a voice, he had an unpleasant interlocutor in front of him.
- Gael, the baron demands payment of tribute for this month, bring the money. - The low and cheerful voice of her father's interlocutor was heard.
Lualia knew who this voice belonged to; it belonged to one of the baron's soldiers who was part of his personal squad. She often saw him looking at her with some strange look.
- We will pay the tribute properly at the end of the month, but right now we don't have the opportunity. - The voice of the girl's father was heard.
Laughter was heard from the baron's guard, who was apparently amused by the whole situation. How could he not know that the villagers had great difficulty collecting tribute payments?
- Gael, after all, you served and must understand that if those in power demand something, then I, as a humble employee, must fulfill the order. - The voice of the guard was heard, in which one could feel sympathy in the situation.
The girl had difficulty understanding what was happening and why her father reacted so strangely to the demands of this guard.
- I have an offer for you. Since you don't have the opportunity to pay tribute now, why don't you give your daughter as payment? She inherited all the beauty from her mother and is suitable for her age. - The guard turned to the girl's father in a tempting voice.
Lualia began to tremble all over her body and pressed her hands over her lips, she did not know what the guard meant, but her friends began to disappear in her village after the guards arrived.
She tried to ask her parents, but they forbade asking not only them but also the villagers about this. As the girl understood, the father and the guard were silent and then a blow was heard.
She didn't understand who struck and tried to listen harder, starting to breathe less.
- You just hit the baron's servant of these lands and refuse to pay tribute. For these punishments you are sentenced to death by me; your daughter and wife will atone for your guilt until the end of their days. - The guard's angry voice was heard and another blow was heard.
The girl did not understand what was happening, her feelings told her that something bad was happening.
A blow was heard on the floor and it was noticeable how the cracks on the floor allowed the girls to see what kind of blow it was.
Before her eyes, her father lay on his back, and above him stood the figure of the guard whom she had seen before.
He was dressed in silver armor and the baron's coat of arms was visible on his chest. The girl did not see his face, only his gray hair falling over his shoulders.
- Old fool, you knew that this day would come but you behaved like a young man. - The guard's mocking voice was heard.
The girl covered her mouth with her hands, afraid to scream, her eyes were constantly looking at her father's back.
It always seemed to her that her father would not lose to anyone, she heard about his strength and ability to fight.
She didn't understand how he lost to this guard? Is it possible that the guard was stronger than him?
Lualia shook her head to drive away these treacherous thoughts. The girl saw the guard walking into the house and noise spreading through the house from his armor.
- Find his daughter and his wife and bring them here. - The cold voice of the guard was heard as he walked into the house.
The footsteps of other guards were heard and the girl saw with fear how four more guards, dressed like the first one in the baron's armor, walked past her eyes.
The girl heard how they began to disperse around the house where she lived and after a while the screams of her mother were heard.
Lualia fought the urge to get out of the secret place and try to help her mother. But her voice repeated in her head where she strictly ordered not to leave the place until she or the girl's father came.
Footsteps were heard again and after a while the girl heard her mother's voice, but there was no usual warmth in it; now she heard fear.
- What have you done?! Where is my husband? Get out of our house now! - The girl's mother shouted at the guards.
The voice was getting closer to the place where the girl was, Lualia was afraid to move, she was trembling all over listening to her mother's voice.