Orel, Nikto and Lis come to the military camp.
Orel has a meeting with commanders. He discusses the present situation with them and plans their further actions.
Since Enriki won't be able to participate in battles in the nearest future, Orel decides to dismiss his detachment that is left without its commander.
But the commoner in command of the detachment, Enriki's right-hand man – Dick Nedwill – convinces him to postpone this decision. He assures Orel that he will manage to command and lead them. Orel gives him a chance.
Orel's troops plan to start the attack. Orel is risking a lot but his soldiers believe in him, they don't doubt their master's strength and power. Mercenaries also believe in the strength and power but not those of the prince – but of the one they think their true master. The all need those rich territories in the southern part of the city.
Tol, Asa and Squint-Eye join them.
Thanks to a clever attack plan made by Lis who took into consideration all the weak points of the enemy's defense and all the characteristics of the location, the vanguard detachment consisting of the best Orel's soldiers and mercenaries make an unprecedented at its bravery dash into Black Bey's rear catching him off guard.
Bey's main forces are located at the borders with Orel's territories. He calls for some troops from the borders to help his weak and scanty detachments in the rear.
It gives Orel the opportunity to break through Bey's impregnable defense at the border and advance. Lis's and Tol's detachments close the ring from the west, the detachments of Squint-Eye and Dick do the same from the east. Bey is surrounded. He flees. His streets are conquered.
Despite his initial wish, Squint-Eye couldn't let his enemies kill him.
They have won.
Chapter 5
In the Garden
They sat in Orel's garden resting and watched the city that spread below. Enriki, very pale, with his arm bandaged and his eyes dim with medicines and pain was sitting in the armchair.
Near to him, hugging each other tenderly, Tol and his faithful Asa were sitting. Tol hadn't removed his sign of mourning for her and the paint was slowly fading by itself. Now a half of his face was dirty grey but it didn't bother him at all. His wounds had practically healed and he was quite perky. The same thing couldn't be said about Asa: she, on the contrary, looked very tired. It was one of the rare cases when she was in a dress – a beautiful black dress with exquisite embroidering. In her hair made into a high hairdo there was a wonderful adornment given to her by Lis. But her face was haggard, her eyes sunken; expensive things made for noble ladies didn't suit her. They just increased the contrast between the luxury of her outfit and her exhausted face with irregular, rough features; it was an attractive face but still a face of a commoner and a half-blood. The sparkling of the jewelry didn't suit her misted eyes; Asa looked ridiculous in this outfit.
Slightly away from the others Squint-Eye sat right on the ground. He leaned with his back against the edge of a broken fountain; his head was hanging over his chest, a forgotten cigarette smoked in his fingers.
Nikto sat on his cloak spread on the ground; his cane he never parted with during last time lay nearby. Lis occupied one of the armchairs. He looked thoughtfully at the twilight covering distant mountain peaks and watchtowers in the east.
