Love of Lady Liana.

by Alvarez y Losada

  -- My husband will authorize it -- Liana affirmed to both tra­bajadores that it in front of had her and that they feared for his vi­das.

  -- But, my lady -- one said --, the pit he is destined to our defense and.....

  — ¡Defense! -- Liana exclaimed --. enemy could cross it walking, according to is now. -- But, by mu­cho that it spoke, the men did not want to begin to dig and Liana squeaked the teeth.-- Well, where he is my husband? I will see it and we will fix this between us.

  -- My lady, is striking to farmers.

  Liana needed a little while stops to include/understand.

  -- What?

  -- Somebody is robbing and lord Rogan it punishes the men until somebody says to him who are the thieves.

  Liana rose the skirts and ran towards the interior of ] castle. While they saddled its horse, one inquired into place in which they were Rogan and its brother and minutes des­pués rode furiously cross-country, acom­pañada by six armed horsemen.

  The spectacle that received it was horroroso: hom­bre was tied to a tree with covered with blood back a cause of the latigazos. Other three remained of terror foot, tem­blando, while a quarter maintained in stop a covered with blood whip. Four women and six children were close, crying, and two of made kneel them, requested compa­sión to Rogan. Six horsemen Peregrinate were to costa­do of Rogan and Severn, who maintained one animated con­versación, apparently indifferent to which he happened around.

  — ¡Stop! -- Liana shouted, disassembling when its horse still was running. One stopped the timid ones as opposed to farmers -- you do not kill them -- said, watching the hard expression of Rogan.

  This and their men were impressed as much that the ca­ballero lowered to the whip a second.

  -- Severn, llévatela -- Rogan ordered.

  -- I will discover who robs to you -- it shouted she, separating before Severn could catch it -- I will give You to thieves to punish them, but you cannot strike this at random taken people.

  Its gestures and their words, in effect, they silenced to to­dos. From Rogan to the children whose father was tied to tree.

  -- YOUR? -- Rogan said, so surprised, like all.

  -- Dame two weeks of time -- it said Liana, without alien­to --, and I will find your thief; the farmers, when they are terrified, they do not produce good harvests.

  -- Terrified... -- it began to say Rogan, and enton­ces disappeared its disagreement --. Demons, sácala of here -- he ordered his brother.

  The heavy arm of Severn grasped waist of Liana and retired as opposed to to the young person of the place that occupied, the three the condemned. Liana thought quickly.

  -- I will bet to You to that I can discover a your thieves in two weeks. I have a jewel coffer that you have not seen: es­meraldas, rubies and diamonds. You I will give them if I do not present/display them in two brief weeks.

  Again Rogan and its people shut up and they watched fija­mente. All were wondered what woman class was, and Ro­gan was the one that more disturbed felt.

  The hand of Severn taken from the waist of Liana one became loose, she approached her husband and she watched it while apoya­ba his palms on the chest of the gentleman.

  -- I have verified that the terror causes terror, I dealt before with thieves, leaves this by my account. If I do not obtain what I persecute, in two weeks you can kill them to all and you will have jewels.

  Rogan hit upon solely to watch it. Almost it had que­mado it in the eve and now it bet with him like hom­bre e it interfered in its subjects; he was almost determined to en­viar it to mazmorra.

  -- It could empower to me of jewels -- it heard that it said its own voice while watched it and remembered how it lives had to him seemed the previous night. A sudden big wave of de­seo seized of him and it returned to avoid the temptation to touch it in the presence of his men.

  -- They are well hidden -- she in voice said low, supporting the hand on the body of Rogan. The same desire now crossed the body of Liana.

  Rogan rejected the hand of the young person.

  -- Llévate to those bastard thieves -- it said sullenly, moved only by desire to separate from her.-- In two se­manas I will have jewels and I will have taught a lesson to a woman -- it said, treating about to reduce importance to the subject to avoid to lose prestige its men in front of, but mi­rada to its brother and the others demonstrated to him that they did not have many desire to laugh. All observed Liana with pro­fundo interest.

  Rogan cursed by low it.

  -- Montemos -- gruñó and walked towards his horse.

  -- A little while -- Liana said, running after him. Co­razón struck to him, because it knew that what was about to to say era very reckless.-- What receipt if I gain the bet?

  -- What? -- Rogan asked to him, watching it, hostile -- Recibes to the condemned thieves. What plus you wish?

  -- To you -- she, the hands said in hips, sonriéndo­le --. If I gain the bet, I want that you are my slave a day whole number.

  Rogan watched it astonished; it would have to take par­te of the skin of this woman and to teach to him which was the compor­tamiento own of one it handcuffs. It did not say a word and it wore the foot in the stirrup of wood.

  -- a minute, brother -- Severn said, smiling. Esta­ba dominating its own impression with more rapidity than the rest. Nobody, including it it, had seen that somebody de­safiara Rogan, except for case of few men and a number still more reduced of women --. I create that you would have to accept the bet of the lady, after all you cannot lose. It will never find the thieves, we were looking for them during months, what you must lose?

  Rogan, the decided chin, the glance later fry, you watched at his horsemen and the farmers. It would gain the stupid one bet and would dispatch to that woman before it returned to interfere.

  -- In agreement -- it said, and without directing one watched Lia­na it mounted its horse and it left more to galope. Its mind was en­sombrecida by the irritation. The condemned dog,one had made fun of of him in the presence of his men!

  Its rage was not attenuated when it arrived at castle. So soon it transposed the door, affirmed in the mount to see incredulous, to its men, the laborers and the women, all paleando roña, sweeping and mopping.

  -- That they hang to me -- Severn murmured, that it was next to his brother, the fixed eyes in an old horseman who nailed a bracket in a dung battery of a meter and means of height.

  Rogan felt as if its own men they were betraying it, it threw the head backwards and it emitted a shout of war bloody, prolonged and terrible and the people who were in the patio it stopped.

  — ¡To work! -- rugió to its men --. You are not muje­res! ¡To work!

  It did not hope to see if they obeyed it, in change disassembled and promoted colérico the steps that took to the great hall and it happened to the private room that was to a flank. That place was his and only his. It closed with a strong blow the door and one as opposed to seated old chair of oak that had belonged to the head of Peregrine during three generacio­nes.

  Suddenly, it was put of foot and it watched chair with hostili­dad, had a little cold water in the seat, somebody estu­vo rubbing it. So irritated that as soon as it could see; the glance took a walk by room and saw that she was clean. Mon­tones of rest of the floor, the spiderwebs that they united to the hung arms of the wall, had disappeared; they did not see ra­tas, the fat of the table and the chairs were cleaned.

  -- I will kill It -- it said between teeth --. I will order that they carve up it, I will teach to him who is the owner of territories of Peregrine and who weathervane to its men.

  But when it supported the hand in the door it saw a me­sita against the wall, remembering that the mother of Zared used it but several years ago it did not see it. It was asked if it were in the room all this time and he had simply not noticed it. On the table, well ordered, a battery of paper, a clean and expensive precious article; alongside, inkpot of average silver and dozens of pens, the afi­ladas and prepared ends in order to use th
em. The paper and the pens atra­jeron to Rogan as a flame to butterfly. During me­ses it went up to around the idea to him destined to a catapult, one wood machine military that could throw great stones with much force. It had been thinking that if could construct it with two cranks instead of one, ob­tendría much more high a throwing arm that would throw stones with more impetus. Several times it tried to draw its ideas in the dust of the ground, but it had not been able to tra­zar a quite precise line.

  -- That female can hope -- it murmured it approached the table and slow and clumsily it began to draw up its drawing. It did not handle the pen with the same familiarity that demos­traba with the sword. It was put to sun, drove a pedernal, en­cendió the candle and continued drawing laboriously his ca­tapulta.

  8

  After Rogan moved away of farmers, Liana needed awhile to calm its heart. Cierta­mente, no it was reaching his goal, that was to please the husband, right? It could see it still forms dark of the body of Rogan dressing the articles that had used in the wedding, that accumulated fat day after day, while he rode towards castle and wanted to reach it and disculpar­se. It had hurt to see the feeling to him of rage in its eyes. Perhaps it was better when he ignored it. Perhaps it was better...

  -- My lady, thanks.

  Liana returned the eyes and saw one thin farmer, of tired expression, the head inclined under the hood abraded, that gathered the rotation of the dress of Liana and be­saba.

  -- Thanks -- the woman repeated.

  The other farmers approached and they inclined an­te she; its humiliation made an impression desagradable­mente to Liana. It detested to see that people stooped thus. The cam­pesinos that lived in territories of their father were individual healthy corpulentos and and however to these it saw amari­llos them because of the fatigue, the bad health and the fear.

  -- Of foot, all -- Liana ordered, and it hoped, while they obeyed to him slowly, with increasing fear in the eyes --. That all they listen to me. You have heard my husband: it loves the thieves, and you will give them.

  It saw that the glances became hardened when hearing those pala­bras. That people had pride, a pride that induced them to protect to the thieves of the punishments of a hard master.

  The voice of Liana was smoothed.

  -- But first it is necessary to eat. You -- it indicated to a man who, but for the intervention of Liana, now it would have the covered with blood back --, it sees and it sacrifices the cow fatter than find in territories of the Peregri­ne, also two ewes, tráelas here and ásalas. You will eat, por­que in the next weeks will be necessary to work mu­cho.

  No of the farmers moved.

  -- one is becoming late. ¡Quickly!

  A man knelt down and his face he expressed sufri­miento.

  -- My lady, lord Rogan punishes to person who touches what is his. We cannot kill its animals or eat his grain, keeps everything and it sells it.

  -- That was thus before I arrived -- Liana said paciente­mente --. Now, lord Rogan does not need the money as much as before. You go and you kill the animals, I I will confront the rage of the gentleman. -- It swallowed saliva when saying this, but could not allow that the farmers guessed fear that it felt --. Well, where it is the bakery?, the one of the man who it promoted judgment against my husband.

  Liana needed hours to put in movement which seted out to do. Two weeks it was very just a short time and it put a to work to the six horsemen who accompanied it, who were in the beginning of foot, in silence and they watched with that special expression of rejoicing that men tie­nen when a woman does something that is not within reach of them same.

  Liana ordered that they harvested a field, they gave the grain to the baker and used the cases to repair the de­teriorados ones ceilings of the farmers. It ordered a horseman who watched the cleaning colectiva of the sem­bradas streets of human excrements and animals. Another one caba­llero supervised the higienización of the farmers, those who so it was seen dirty like the streets. In the beginning, it crushed the refusal of the merchants to accept his pala­bra of which they would be paid, but when remembering the episode of attack of the men of its husband to the baker, pardoned them and it gave to them currencies of silver of the purse that lle­vaba in its horse.

  The sun fell when it returned to the castle of Moray and it smiled when it saw two horsemen who shaked one's head somnolien­tos in its mounts. The plan of Liana was to obtain that the farmers felt quite comfortable, so that they demonstrated fidelity to the master and not to few thieves who probably shared their booty with the hambrien­tos agriculturists. It would not be easy to purify a village in lap­so of two weeks, but she would try it.

  When approaching the castle the stench of pit arrived at its sense of smell and Liana included/understood that it would need the permission Rogan in order to drain the ditch before the men began to work, but one time that was under protection of the walls, noticed the difference. There was less sucie­dad in the ground, little sweepings piled up in the stables and al­rededor of constructed low houses throughout the walls. When it entered, workers watched it and some took the hand at the top, in signal of res­peto. Liana smiled for itself, now began to pay attention to him.

  It promoted the stairs that took the great one hall: here the women had concentrated their efforts, but not yet she was absolutely clean, at least according to the norms that Lia­na applied; it would be necessary to encalar totally pare­des and already now it could cross the floor of mosaic without encountering over the bones.

  In the hall, using the table and the chairs cleanings, were seated Severn and Zared, the inclined heads. On the table same speech one releases battery of died rats, fattest than Liana never it had seen. They had all the aspect of trophies military.

  -- What is this? -- she with voice asked rough, des­pertando to both brothers. The minor offered one to him son­risa and Liana again thought that he was a pretty boy, of face lampiña.

  -- We killed them -- he announced with Zared pride --. To intention, you know to count, right? Rogan also, but no as much as to calculate how many there is here.

  Liana did not wish to come near to animals, but Zared was so proud that she considered that had to please it. It began to count and as she did it, Zared threw tiny beasts died by the window, to the pit that was underneath. Liana wanted to protest, but rats were not going to make worse the state of the water. One of ani­males still were alive and Liana stuck respingo when Zared unloaded fist on the head of the rodent. Severn smiled, proud.

  The young person counted fifty and eight rats, and when to­das disappeared of the table, it seated next to Severn with expression tired and the glance by the hall took a walk.

  — ¡Fifty and eight! -- Zared exclaimed --. Hope to that Rogan knows to it.

  -- Somebody forgot to throw those bones -- Liana with tired expression, the fixed eyes in the wall to certain reproached to them height on the double home. There they hung six skulls of horses, she no it had noticed its pre­sencia perhaps before and one said that because they were places setting of spiderwebs.

  One noticed that Severn and Zared asom­brados watched, as if suddenly it had had an eye in me­dio of the forehead. Liana examined its own dress, that esta­ba dirty, but no too much.

  -- Sucede something? -- it asked.

  -- Those are the horses Peregrinates -- it said Zared in a tense murmur.

  It did not have idea of which youngster meant, so that he watched Severn. The good looking young person was pasan­do of an expression of astonishment to a species of cold and deep rage, the same one that until that Liana moment had thought that it was only possible in Rogan.

  When it spoke, Severn did it with voice calm.

  -- the Howard surrounded the castle of Bevan and our family passed hunger. Me father, the mother of Zared and my her­mano William died there. My father approached the walls and requested to the Howard that they left frees his woman, but they did not accept. -- Severn lowered the voice.-- Before dying, the horses ate. -- one became towards the
bones that col­gaban of the wall.-- Those horses. -- Volvio' the eyes towards Liana, and seemed that they threw tipsy.-- nonolvida­mos We and the skulls will not be retired of there.

  Liana watched horrified the skeletons. To have as much necessity that one is reduced to eat horses! Estu­vo to step to say that the farmers of Peregrine were condemned a site life, and that proba­blemente would be glad to have jamelgos to satiate his hunger; but one abstained.

  -- Where he is my husband? -- it asked Liana a mo­mento later.

  -- In its room of meditation -- it said spiritedly Za­red, while Severn directed to the youngster a ad­vertencia glance.

  Liana did not insist, because now it included/understood more than in the beginning. Perhaps there were reasons that explained the rage of its husband, his obsession by the money.

  It was put of foot.

  -- If you excuse to me, I must go to bathe to me. Decid to my husband who I...

  -- a bath? -- it asked Zared, and his expression was the same one that if Liana had said that it seted out to jump of parapets.

  -- He is very pleasant, you would have to try it -- Lia­na clarified, mainly because Severn and Zared were now the plus su­cio of hall.

  Zared complied better in the chair.