Erebos by Ursula Poznanski Read Free Book Online Page B

leaves. Can he pick them? He can. To his delight he notices that he now has an inventory he can use, in which everything belonging to him is stored. In it he finds the toad meat that he captured when he was still Nameless. Apart from that the inventory is empty, so he has enough room for berries.
    He straightens up when he hears a rustling. Are there snakes in the bushes? A quick look all around – no, there’s nothing there. No-one. Sarius turns his attention back to the berries. Surely they must be growing here just so he can stock up on food supplies.
    The attack comes so suddenly that it’s all over by the time Sarius gets scared. Two men have jumped on him from behind and are holding him down on the ground. One pushes his knee into Sarius’s back, bends his arms back and ties them up. The other one holds a dagger under his chin with dried blood and hair stuck to it.
    Sarius can’t defend himself. He tries, but only manages to thrash about. He can’t stop the bigger of the two men from picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder like a sack. So this is it, then. Sarius, dark elf and knight, is caught by surprise while picking berries and kidnapped. If he’s unlucky, the man with the dagger will do him in. Then the adventure will be over. Sod it, sod it, sod it! It’s typical. He’s probably the only one who’s stupid enough to have been caught by surprise like that.
    They march through the forest and the man who’s carrying Sarius keeps adjusting his load on his shoulder. Presumably he doesn’t want to inadvertently lose him. But then he does after all. At the edge of an embankment he stops dead, throws him off and despatches him down the slope with a kick.
    Sarius goes head over heels twice before he comes to rest on level ground.
    There are three figures waiting for him down here who bear a strong resemblance to his kidnappers: torn clothing, skin covered in dirt, scars. One is missing an eye, another has a hunchback. Only their weapons look well cared for.
    â€˜Where did you find this one?’ the hunchback calls.
    â€˜Crawling round on the ground near the tower. Caught him easier than a little dove.’
    The hunchback takes Sarius by the collar and sits him upright against a tree trunk.
    â€˜Do you think he’ll be any use as a robber? Should we keep him?’
    The one-eyed character cocks his head to one side as if he could examine Sarius better that way.
    â€˜No,’ he declares. ‘This one’s not suitable. He doesn’t fit in, you can tell by his clothing. He’s one of those who are moving against Ortolan.’
    â€˜Then we’ll slit his throat!’ the hunchback says enthusiastically.
    Sarius would like to say something in reply – for example, that he doesn’t know anyone called Ortolan and would gladly join a robber band any time, if it means he’s allowed to live. But he can’t. Before, with the gnome, he could speak, but now he’s mute. Things are happening around him as if he’s in a movie.
    The third man, whose face is hidden in the shadow of a big hat, hasn’t said anything yet. Now he takes a step closer.
    â€˜No. We won’t kill him. This one isn’t like the others.’
    He bends down and reaches into Sarius’s pockets.
    â€˜Take a look. No poisons, no ransom letters. No gold. We can let this one go.’
    â€˜Just like that?’ The hunchback is disappointed. ‘Where’s the sense in that? It’s no fun!’
    The man with the broad-brimmed hat silences him with a gesture.
    â€˜I hope someone like him will win in the end. The thing is though, Sarius, I’m afraid it’s mostly the little ones who lose. Like you. But I’m not going to lay a hand on any of them.’
    He chases off the hunchback, who’s trying to get at the contents of Sarius’s pockets.
    â€˜I’ll give you a piece of advice instead. Do you know what would be