Chapter 4 (1/2)

Chapter 4 Flame

“In the end, what happened when the mine collapsed, can you repeat it for me step by step?” Roland asked.

Anna nodded and began to describe it.

Roland was a bit surprised, he expected her to stay silent or to angrily curse at him, but instead she just responded with, “ask whatever you want,” and obediently told her tale.

It wasn’t a complicated story, but a sad one nonetheless. Anna’s father was a miner and when the mine collapsed, he was at work. Immediately after they got the news of the collapse, Anna and the other miners’ families went over to help rescue their loved ones. The North Mine was previously rumored to be an underground monster lair with many forks in the road, extending in all directions. Since the rescuers were under no unified command, the volunteers separated after arriving at the mine entry so that when Anna found her father, only her neighbours, Susan and Ansgar were by her side.

Anna had discovered that her father’s leg was crushed under a full ore cart and he couldn’t move, but at his side was another miner patting him down, searching for her father’s money. As the looter saw them arrive, he took a pick and rushed at Ansgar and knocked him to the ground, but just at the moment when he was about to strike her, Anna killed him first.

Anna’s neighbours vowed that they would never say anything about this matter, and with their help Anna rescued her father. But before dawn, the next day, Anna’s father went out on his crutches and reported to the patrolling guards that his daughter was a witch.

“Why?” Roland, when he had heard up until this point, could not help but ask.

Barov sighed and answered, “Probably so he could receive the gold reward. The discovery and reporting of a witch, can get you 25 gold royals. For a man with a crippled leg, these 25 gold royals are equivalent to what he could earn for half a lifetime of work.”

After a moment of silence, Roland asked, “Your opponent was a strong and grown-up man, how were you able to kill him?”

At this Anna laughed, and the flames of the torches shook, just like high waves on a previously calm lake’s surface.

“It was exactly like what you think, I used the power of the devil.” Anna said.

“Shut up! Vile sorceress!” Shouted the warden, but everyone could hear his voice trembling.

“Is that true? I want to see it.” the fourth prince was unmoved by their antics as he calmly said.

“Your Highness, this is no laughing matter!” The Knight Commander interjected as he furrowed his brows.

Roland stepped out from behind the protection of his knight, step by step moving closer towards the cell as he said, “Everyone who is too afraid of her can leave, I did not ask you to stay here.”

“Don’t panic, she has a ‘God’s Locket of Retribution’ around her neck!” shouted Barov loudly to comfort everyone, but likely also to reassure himself, “no matter how powerful the devil is, he cannot break God’s blessing.”

Standing in front of the prison bars, Roland and Anna were at arm’s length and he could clearly see her dusty and bruised cheek. Her soft facial features showed that she still was a minor, but her expression did not have any traces of childishness. More than that, even anger was hard to find. It was the kind of disharmonious thing Roland had only had seen on TV.

It was the face of a wandering orphan who had suffered from poverty, hunger, cold, etc… but it was not exactly the same, normally in front of the camera the lost children always stood with a bent and beaten down body, their head down, but Anna did not.

From the beginning until now, she had still tried to stand straight with her gaze slightly raised, calmly looking into the prince’s eyes. She did not fear death, Roland realized. Instead, she was waiting for death.

“Is this the first time you have seen a witch, my lord? Your curiosity might get you killed.” Anna said.