Temple Sword

Chapter 15 Two Singers
The sun had not yet risen when they mounted their horses and set off.Laszlo was on the verge of tears. He helped harness the gray mare Derris and put everything in the bag, but he didn't want to say a word.After handling the pack horse, he took a look at Adso, Umberto's Parfrey mare, to make sure he had tied Dris to her correctly, and returned without saying hello. in the house.

Antal, in the saddle, blinked hopefully towards the entrance, but neither Laszlo nor Willem would show up to say goodbye to him.

Boy thinking he's a fool, stealing his master's sword, the family sword, and challenging a seasoned and experienced knight in the middle of the night to a duel?He felt that he was completely crazy at the time, and he didn't know what he was thinking.Now that Carlos was gone, everything seemed disappointingly clear.Suddenly, he realized that he was a brat and his punishment was totally justified.

"He loves you, Antal," Umberto said when the manor was no longer in sight behind them, but the boy kept looking back.

"However, I let him down." Antal lowered his head, "He has always treated me like a treasure of God, and this is my reward for his kindness."

Umberto looked at the boy with a wise smile. "Maybe it's a good thing for both of you," he whispered. "You and Lord William can both learn from it."

"He said he wanted to see a man when I got back, can I really be a man on the trip?"

"I don't know, you will be very tired anyway."

They rode in silence for a while until Antal broke the silence.

"The sun is slowly rising," he squinted to the east. "When will we be there?"

"Where are you going?" Umberto asked with a smile, "The Keles River is still three days away from here. If God is willing, we will reach Buda by the end of this month."
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They spent their first night out in a wide field, and since they hadn't yet set up the tents they took with them, they could only hope that they wouldn't be hit by summer showers.At dawn they continued their journey in order to spend the night at the farmhouse, where they had a warm meal.

On the third night, when they reached the Crash River, Umberto visited a small house in which a hunchbacked old man lived, and he was overjoyed to see that it was Umberto who had visited.Antal didn't quite understand what was going on, so the old man led them into his house.

"Sir Balint, please allow me to introduce, this is Antares," Umberto said, pointing to Antares, "William's nephew, adopted son and..."

"Yes, I know who this young man is," the old man interrupted with a smile, "you have told me a lot about him, remember? Well, you are William Barto's squire and the apple of his eye ..."

"I wish I was," Antal said, "but I don't think I'm as high as I should be."

"He made a mistake," Umberto explained. "As punishment, he will travel with me around the kingdom, and he will also cease his knight training."

"We all do stupid things now and then, don't we?" Old Balint waved his hand. "And travel isn't such a bad thing at all. I wish I could travel all over the kingdom! Do you know who I am, boy?"

"I'm afraid I don't know." Antal shook his head and admitted.

"Tsk, so this wanderer never told you about me? What about William? When we met in the East, I was young and strong..."

"I'm really sorry, but my uncle almost never talked to me about the Holy Land."

"Maybe this is a better choice," the old man nodded. "It is indeed a better choice, but let me mention that I saved his life before."

Antal frowned, Umberto just smiled.

"When I found him in the desert," Balint said, "he didn't look much better than a corpse that had been dead for two days. I scared off the carcass birds, and the things were already on him. .I managed to drag him home, and that was the beginning of our friendship."

Antal's eyebrows almost raised above his head in surprise.

"I've heard the story!" he exclaimed, "but my uncle told me it was a Jewish merchant who saved him..."

"Sol," said the old man, "that's what they used to call me, knowing that I fell in love with the music of the West and was baptized so that I might sing before Christian kings of men and women, bears and dragons, kisses and blood, tears and honey... …so I became Balint, who never sang at the king's court, who, though poor, shall die happy in this cottage."

Hearing the old man's wonderful stories, Antal couldn't help but glance at Umberto, the restless son of an Italian carpenter who had the same dream.He wondered if man could fight his own destiny and succeed, but he couldn't find the answer yet.

"My master sent me some things," Umberto stood up, "wine, beer, bread, fruit, vegetables, spices, and meat."

"Your master has become a little extravagant in charity, don't you think?"

"You saved his life," the young singer reminded the old one. "He can't thank you enough."
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While Antal and Umberto built a fire in the courtyard, Balint disappeared for a moment in the house.

"So that's why we're taking a detour?" The boy watched as a tongue of flame sprang up, "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"Don't you like surprises?" Seeing that Antal didn't answer, Umberto continued, "In short, I always come here first and never go directly to Velice. Maybe I forgot to say, I don't know ..."

"Are we going to be here for a while?"

"Stay until tomorrow morning," said Umberto, laughing, "and if you don't want to leave at dawn, we have to start by noon at the latest."

Antal regretted that they only stayed for one night, and he would have liked to spend a few days with the old man so that he could ask about his and William's past stories.

"I found a very nice piece of bacon in the parcel William gave me," said Balint cheerfully. "You've got your fire ready for cooking, and plenty of bread and wine, boys, We're going to have a nice feast today!"

He happily sat on the stump and began to cut the meat, and Umberto tried to stop him, saying they didn't need any treats, but the old man just waved him cheerfully to sit.

"When I have friends over, it's a feast for me," he said, patting the two of them on the shoulder. "We eat and drink, and that's it!"

For old people, time passes quickly.In no time, chunky slices of bacon were skewered and served with savory red onions.Dinner wasn't even ready when he brought the casks in and started drinking, and by the time the bacon was crisping, all three were getting a little dizzy.They picked up the skewers and laughed loudly.

Antal had never drunk so much, and no one had told him to stop.It was late when he found himself lying on the grass looking at the stars.The stars, brighter than ever, did a strange dance before his eyes, and then, as if to garnish the dance, old Balint broke into song.

"Don't fall asleep, world of my two eyes, because the red morning star has risen~"

His voice was subtle and powerful, and the beautiful singing made Antal even more intoxicated, and the speed of the dancing stars became faster and faster. At the end of the song, the old man jumped up and returned with an old violin .

"Do you still have it?" Umberto asked in surprise.

"My most precious treasure." Balint hugged the instrument, "Even if I choose between life and it, I will not part with it. I would rather die than give up my piano!"

"That's the spirit, old man!" The Italian raised his glass.Antar tried to sit up so he too could toast, but when his head fell back to the ground a second time, he gave up and looked up at the stars again.

The old man took a sip of his wine, then looked at Umberto in a daze.

"Well, do you still remember that piece..." He played a few notes, "I kept it specially for your arrival!"

"You do me a great honor!" Umberto lowered his head, cleared his throat, and began to sing along with the old man.

"First, first, the Italian woman, the happy woman,"

"Joyful Italian woman, come to her window, let's talk about new joys, let's talk about new joys..."

Slowly the stars stopped dancing, their lights went out one by one, and the singing of Balint and Umberto grew softer and farther away from Antares.The boy fell asleep to the seemingly endless singing.

After a while, he woke up again. Two singers were singing in a very strange tune, without the accompaniment of the viol. Antal listened to them continue singing, and slowly fell asleep again.

"Hail, our hope, holy Mary,

Hail to those who receive the angel's praise,

Hail, blessed man, who gave birth to the light of the Father,
Hail, most holy virgin,
and the only chaste mother,
Glory to all that is illuminated, light made all things,
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah..."

(End of this chapter)