The baron's brigde

The village was in chaos, there was blood on the snow and the smell of death spread everywhere. Screams echoed from inside the houses, but now there was nothing to be done, for the Baron's will had come for all the villagers and nothing could save them from their sad end.

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From the top of the meadow, Mavka could see in the distance the towers of the imposing castle standing out among the closed forest that preceded it. Leesburg was surrounded by a forest that hid the small town from prying eyes, but which also put them between a rock and a hard place. Although the town was extremely peaceful, many young women like her had already lost their lives by venturing into the dark forest that surrounded them. The deaths were attributed to the wild wolves that surrounded the village and took the lives of the most intense and courageous. It didn't happen that often, but considering the small population that occupied those lands, it was frequent enough to generate sad losses.

However, despite the general version, sensitive as she was, Mavka didn't believe it. For her, the great forest that surrounded them held unimaginable mysteries, even if she could in no way prove her belief. Who would trust the words of a young orphan with no backing?

She was well aware of her place and position, and that frightened her.

She had lost her father only a few months before and she could already see her life falling apart. She had lost her mother when she was born and had always been supported by old Solomon, a loving and caring father, who struggled in the countryside to give his daughter a decent life. Unfortunately, taken from him by a mysterious lung disease, he left his daughter alone and without a husband, which was his greatest fear, after all, genial as he was, he knew that she wouldn't want to unite with a man just for the security of a home and financial stability.

Now, alone in the world, without any family, Mavka didn't know which way to go and saw no other possibility than that, even though she preferred death to living a life doomed to the monotony of a marriage of convenience.

The cold breeze brought snowflakes from the dark, almost eternal winter that always plagued that region of Pidia, and the sun seemed to have taken a vacation, since even in summer, the place was still cold and melancholy. The cold wind blew her blonde hair back. It was long and light, with slight waves that made the waterfall even more charming. She had porcelain skin, flushed cheeks and plump, well-drawn lips, naturally reddish. She was short in stature and her intense, striking eyes were as icy blue as the cold Pidian sky.

She was so lost in her own thoughts, so distracted by her own woes, that she didn't notice the silent footsteps in the snow and, by the time she realized she was no longer alone, it was too late. She turned just in time to see Silas arriving with a smile on his lips and a look that chilled her to the bone. No matter how friendly he tried to be, Silas always frightened her with his sudden appearances in exactly the right places.

He wore simple clothes, a linen shirt and a leather corselet that protected his body from the cold, his pants, also linen, were slightly damp from the snow and his boots were dirty with mud, he was certainly working with the other men, trying to save the harvest from the cold.

This was Leesburg's daily battle, trying to survive the inhospitable cold in that part of the kingdom.

"I didn't think I'd find you anywhere, Mavka," he said, stepping close enough to make Mavka take a step back, keeping a respectable distance between them, feeling trapped, since there was a chasm at her back and the man she wanted to escape from in front of her.

"Mr. Silas, please don't call me by my baptismal name, we're not engaged or married to be that intimate," she said, trying to sound firm, but her voice came out as a low, frightened squeak as she shrugged.

"We're not yet, Miss Ballard," Silas said, dissatisfied with the blonde's detachment. "Come on, you mustn't stay here alone, it could be dangerous.

For many, that gesture could be considered a gallant gesture coming from a handsome man, but for Mavka, Silas only inspired fear and disgust.

Not that his appearance wasn't satisfactory, on the contrary, he was handsome, with a well-marked chin, beautiful features and light brown hair that made him even more attractive, he was a tall and strong 38-year-old man, ready to protect and care for his wife as society would surely approve, but Mavka hated him and hated his obsession with her.

Ever since he had seen her as a child, Silas had surrounded her uncomfortably and, when she became a woman, he began to offer her father marriage proposals, trying his best to convince old Solomon to let him marry his daughter. However, Solomon had never sympathized with Silas and made this more than clear: he despised many of the man's attitudes and this prevented him from believing that he could really make his beloved daughter happy.

But now, without the protection of a father, Mavka was trapped.

"I don't need company, sir, I don't want to bother you, go back to the camp, they certainly need you", his tone was soft and gentle, but that was just an excuse to get away from Silas, an excuse that was becoming less and less effective every day.

"They won't miss me," he said, standing next to her and taking her arm.

Against her will, Mavka slipped her delicate hand around Silas' arm, holding him as they walked down the hill. From there, she could see his house, one of the last in the village, but very well cared for and decorated with her father's favorite flowers, a tribute to him that Mavka had been paying since his death.

Silas walked down the hill beside the young woman in silence, he did enjoy her company, but he was irritated by the contempt that came so easily from Mavka. He didn't understand why she hated him so much, after all, he had always tried to take care of her like a real man should, giving her gifts, supporting her and defending her when necessary, but she still refused to accept his request, even after her father's death.

"You know I won't stop insisting, Mavka," he said, without turning his face towards her, walking beside her in a calm manner. - At some point you'll have to accept me.

"I hope you won't be frustrated, my lord, if that moment doesn't come," Mavka retorted, letting go of his arm and stepping forward, not caring about manners or decorum, leaving him behind.

Silas just watched her go, visibly irritated by the girl's evasive attitude, which once again scourged his heart with contempt and wounded his ego. He headed towards the countryside, passing straight by Mavka's house, seeing the door tightly shut, but catching a glimpse of her slender image through the window, where she was standing with her back to him, staring at the wall.

There, Mavka stared at one of the few mementos that remained of her father, a walking stick, hanging on the wall by a nail as old as the little house itself, thinking about a future that she didn't know would exist, wondering if there was a place to go, a way to escape the fate that awaited her if she stayed in the small village.

"What will become of me now?"