After an hour, all the preparations were completed.
Katerina, having changed her hair color to a bright blonde, resembled a beautiful Barbie doll. Her perfect proportions and flawless appearance were accentuated by expressive blue eyes and plump lips that could not be hidden by a layer of makeup.
There was a miniature copy of her standing nearby. Little Grace was wearing a simple white dress. Her eyes were shining with excitement. Dress-up games were her favorite pastime back in Lutetia, the capital of the province of Sveta. After getting enough sleep, a healthy blush returned to her plump cheeks. The girl's mood was off the charts, and she had a dazzling smile on her face.
Gray, on the other hand, clung to his mother's leg and did not want to take a single step away. Although the time spent in the company of his mother and sister made him relax a little, he was still very sensitive. Black cat ears could be seen on his head, and a small fluffy tail was waving from side to side from behind. He looked and behaved like a lost cat.
"Alex's brother is so cute," Grace chirped, running around and inspecting the appearance of her mother and brother.
"You too, Anna,— Gray whispered back, examining his sister's appearance.
The sweet atmosphere was interrupted by a man's silhouette coming out from behind a tree. The children stared in shock at the figure that appeared. Even the always calm Katerina widened her eyes at the sight.
Cassia, or rather Cassius, cut her long hair. Now they have been replaced by the classic men's haircut. She was wearing a simple white shirt with khaki pants. She looked like an ordinary young man, but her sharp feline features gave him a special charm and attractiveness. His purple, determined eyes accentuated his charisma, which seemed deadly but attractive. If the unmarried ladies saw Cassius' current appearance, their legs would treacherously give way by themselves, wanting to fall into the arms of a beautiful young man.
"Fufu fufu, Cassius, have you changed the profession of a "murderer" to a "wife killer"? I admit, if I hadn't developed an immunity to handsome men by watching my little devil grow up, even my heart would have lost its rhythm from your appearance. Fu-fu-fu," Katerina laughed melodiously, throwing teasing at her faithful servant.
"Madam, you are so cruel!!! You ordered me to do this!!!" screamed Cassia, who wanted to sink through the ground right now.
"Fu-fu-fu, this is not a lady, now you are my dear Cassius. Have you completely forgotten our vow? Fu-fu-fu," the evil mistress continued to laugh. She was in her own world of fun, while the children gaped in shock, and the face of "Cassius" resembled a ripe tomato in its color.
"Kasi, is that you?" Grace asked in shock. For which she received her mother's first and last warning. In her daze, she had completely forgotten what game they were playing.
Gray widened his eyes too, but chose to watch in silence.
"Yes, dear, it's me. Now you should call me Dad," Kassia replied. Although the maid was very embarrassed, she understood the need to instill the habit in the children before they found themselves in society.
Realizing that it was time for a serious conversation, Katerina began to explain to the children how their further journey would go.:
"Guys, it's time for us to move out. I hope you're ready. We will fly for about a week until we reach the border of the Magical Empire. When we reach the border, we will have to dismount and continue our journey on horseback."
Her mother wasn't going to tell them about all the difficulties they would face, preferring to take care of everything with Cassia. The lands of the Magical Empire are much more densely populated, and the cities are heavily guarded. To remain unnoticed, it will be necessary to cover a long distance on the ground.
Katerina had no doubt that Adam had already submitted a detailed report to the Senate of the Roman Empire. The report should include a description of the appearance and characteristics of her owl. The Senate, however, undoubtedly sent information through diplomatic channels, hoping to catch and nip a potential threat in the bud. In such circumstances, a Snowball cannot go unnoticed. She uses the owl, which will be more mobile alone, as a distraction. And their magical bond will ensure her safe return.
Thus, the family continued their journey, seeking to leave the continent of Alaz. The days spent on the magic bird, although they were difficult, flew by unnoticed. The four of them enjoyed the beauty of nature, watching the various animals and birds they encountered along the way. Every evening they stopped for the night so as not to exhaust the children. The tall trees gradually thinned out, giving way to shrubs and grass. They will soon approach the border of the Magical Empire.
In the early evening, when the sun was about to begin its movement to the horizon, the travelers saw in the distance a wisp of billowing smoke, which slowly rose into the sky from the horizon. This smoke indicated that there was a settlement nearby. The smoke was gray and dense, like a ball of woolen threads. He leisurely twisted and rose higher and higher until he disappeared into the clouds. Such smoke would not be able to form from a single bonfire, it was clearly smoke coming out of a chimney.
After descending from the four-meter owl, the family of four headed towards the obvious signpost. They stained their clothes to resemble the clothes of lost travelers who had spent a considerable amount of time in the forest.
Approaching the village houses, they saw a small farm with no more than 5 families. It consisted of several neat wooden houses, whose roofs were covered with straw. The houses were surrounded by small vegetable gardens, where villagers grew a variety of vegetables, fruits and berries. There was calmness and regularity here.
A plain, burly woman in rags sat and concentrated on creating a simple clay jug. For her craft, she used a simple machine that was powered by her feet. Such machines are often used by commoners in the Roman Empire to create tableware. Two boys were playing around her, laughing and running on the green grass while grazing a brood of colorful ducklings. They kept trying to attract the woman's attention by showing her some tricks. Nearby, several men were actively discussing something.
This small farm on the outskirts of the country was a reminder that happiness and harmony can be found in simple things.
Noticing a small group approaching the settlement, a trim old man, about 60 years old, came out to them. His demeanor was relaxed and carefree. He did not show any anxiety or nervousness when meeting visitors. Either there were no bandits here at all, or the old man added a few trust points to the group because of the presence of small children.
"Good afternoon, Elder, my name is Cassius, and this is my wife, Luvia," Cassius introduced himself, pointing to Katerina.
"Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. My name is Mariy, and this small farm is our home. Admittedly, we don't often have noble guests. You look very tired. Did you get lost in the Nightmarish Forest?" The old man who seemed to be in charge of the village asked with a kind smile.
"We have come from far away, hoping to pass through the territory of the Magic Empire to reach the port of Stormdale. Unfortunately, we were attacked by a pack of man-eating wild wolves on the way, and we had to abandon our caravan to save our lives. We would like to know the direction of the nearest border town or village where we can purchase some kind of pack animal."
"No problem, no problem, for a small price we can give you our donkey. Although it is not very fast, it will be much easier for children to get to the city. In the meantime, come on in, get some rest from the road. I'll introduce you to everyone."
"Thank you very much, Elder. We only have a few Roman denarii available. I hope it's not a problem that we don't have magic lyres?" asked Cassia worriedly, portraying a father who is ready to give his last money to preserve the safety of his children.
"Nothing, nothing, there's no need to rush. We'll discuss business later. Come inside and get settled. My wife will give you something to eat on the way." – the old man led the family to a small hut, near which an old woman was sitting on the porch.
"Mom, why is the old man repeating the words?" asked Grace innocently.
"Honey, don't be rude. Important things need to be repeated twice. Forgive my daughter, she doesn't know any manners yet." – Katerina apologized for the inappropriate comment of the girl.
"Ah ha ha ha. It's okay, it's okay. The tomboys here often ask me about it too. It's just a habit I've developed in my old age." – Mariy was not at all offended by the innocent question of a small child and continued to speak as if nothing had happened: "Sit down, eat for now, and I'll go and ask them to prepare a hayloft for you to sleep in. I hope this doesn't offend you?"
If the old man had known who he was dealing with, he wouldn't have dared to suggest such a thing. But Katerina did not consider such treatment rude. She was very pleased with the hospitality of the villagers, who, to the best of their ability, were ready to lend a helping hand to her family.
During the meal, they had a conversation with the wife of the village head.
"Tell me, why are there so many Roman features in your village? Even the head is called Marius, this name is not typical for a magical empire," the mother asked, hoping to get some information.
"So the border town is very close. Travelers periodically visit our village. Although they usually travel in whole caravans. So Maria's father was from a similar caravan. As I remember now, it was 60-65 years ago. A merchant named Mariy arrived, was very polite and generous to everyone, and eventually knocked up my mother's neighbor and left, just as he was not here. The neighbor gave birth, named her son after him, waited for 5 years, hoping that he would return. However, she did not wait, she hanged herself out of grief. I was still very young, I don't remember much. My mother, God rest her soul, took pity on the boy and took him into our family. We started living together, and we still live like this, now just the two of us. The grandchildren are already growing up, like scoundrels. They always want to go to the city to perform feats, like in the fairy tales of these foreign people," the grandmother told her story in one breath, glad to have the opportunity to talk to someone non–native.
"Aren't the border soldiers robbing you? Do you know how it happens when small officials bother ordinary people, not caring that they themselves have nothing to live on?" Katerina asked.
"That's how it was, honey, that's how it was. But that's before. Lyudkin's son is settled there now. He serves as a security guard in the border troops. Although the position is low, he gets along with everyone. That's how the soldiers don't bother us, at his request. Sometimes they come to deliver news, they're so polite now. They just came three days ago, it's a pity you didn't find them, you could have left with them. They said that the devil had appeared in the neighborhood, and the children began to disappear at night. They call him the harbinger of the night. A terrible monster who is destined to destroy all mankind. What can we do with pitchforks and shovels against this? So watch out for the kids. It is unlikely that he will appear here, but caution is always welcome," the grandmother warned.
Gray, who was carelessly eating the porridge served, choked on it. Tears appeared on the child's face, and his face expressed fear. He got up from the table, ran up to his mother and nuzzled into her side. Katerina sighed with visible pain on her face and began to comfort her son, stroking his head.
«Не волнуйся, дитя, монстр в нашей деревне никак не появится. Зачем же ему сдался наш маленький хутор?» – попыталась успокоить его бабушка, думая, что напугала ребенка своими страшилками.
This comment only made Gray cling to his mother's clothes more tightly. Although Katerina was angry and annoyed, she did not show it on her face. What does a grandmother know? They told her, and she believed everything they said. Caressing her son's head, she continued the conversation.:
"Don't pay attention, he's very scared after our caravan was attacked by a pack of man-eating wolves. Those mutts managed to hurt him, so he shut himself in. Everything will be fine... By the way, since you have an acquaintance in a border town. You can write him a letter, and we will deliver the message. At the same time, we won't be mistaken for some kind of spies without an identity with all this bureaucracy."
"Of course, thank you very much. I'll tell Lyudka to write a message. She'll be happy to tell the guy about his family once again, he doesn't visit us often anymore. And his son is growing up without seeing his father. And we'll ask you to take care of it, don't worry. The men should have already prepared the hayloft. You go and rest, and I'll arrange everything," the old lady promised, trying to apologize for the previous incident.
"Thank you for bothering me once again. We'll go," Katerina thanked her grandmother, getting up from the table.
"Nothing, nothing, good night to you," the old woman wished, escorting the family to the barn, where they were supposed to spend the night.
The barn was spacious and clean. The wooden floor is dry and well maintained. A simple, closed candle stood on the window, illuminating the corner where an armful of fresh straw lay, on which a sheet was laid. It was a cozy place where the family could take a break after a long trip.