The Knights of the Cross/Volume 1/Chapter 25
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CHAPTER XXV. "Whose escort is this?" asked Yurand beyond Radzanov, starting up from meditation as if from a dream. "Mine," answered Zbyshko. "But did all my men perish?" "I saw them dead in Nedzborz." "The old warriors are gone!" Zbyshko made no answer, and they rode on in silence, but quickly; for they wished to be in Spyhov at the earliest, hoping to find there messengers from the Knights of the Cross. Fortunately for them, frosts had come, and the roads were beaten, hence they could hurry. Toward evening Yurand spoke again, and inquired about those monks of the Order who had been at the hunting-lodge. Zbyshko explained everything, and told also of their complaints and their departure; of the death of De Fourcy, and the action of his own armor-bearer, who had crushed Danveld's arm in such terrible fashion. During this narrative one circumstance struck him, the presence at the lodge of that woman who had brought the healing balsam from Danveld. At the stopping-place he fell to inquiring of Hlava and Sanderus touching this person, but neither of them knew exactly what had become of her. It seemed to them that she had gone away either with the men who had come for Danusia or soon after. It occurred then to Zbyshko that she might have been sent to warn those men in case Yurand had been present at the hunting-lodge. In that event, they would not have presented themselves as people from Spyhov; they could have some other letter prepared to give the princess, instead of the false one attributed to Yurand. All this was planned with hellish acuteness, and Zbyshko, who till then had known the Knights of the Cross in the open field only, thought for the first time that hands were not sufficient to oppose them, but that a man had to conquer them with his head also. To him this thought was bitter; for his immense pain and sorrow turned first of all to desire for blood and struggle. To him even the rescue of Danusia presented itself as a series of battles, either alone or in company; meanwhile he saw that it might be needful to chain down desire of revenge and head-breaking as he would a bear, and seek new ways entirely of finding and saving Danusia. While thinking of this, he regretted that Matsko was not with him. Matsko was as adroit as he was valiant. Still he resolved to send Sanderus from Spyhov to Schytno to find that woman, and endeavor to learn from her what had become of Danusia. He said to himself that though Sanderus might wish to betray him, he could not injure the cause much, and if he were true he might render considerable service; for his occupation gave him access to all places. Wishing to take counsel first with Yurand, he deferred this matter till they reached Spyhov, all the more as night had fallen, and it seemed to him that Yurand, as he sat on his lofty saddle of a knight, had fallen asleep from his toils, his suffering, and grievous sorrow. But Yurand was riding with hanging head only for the reason that misfortune had bent him. And it was evident that he was thinking of it continually; for his heart was full of cruel fears, since he said at last,— "Would that I had frozen to death at Nedzborz. Was it thou who dug me out of the snow?" "I, with others." "And at that hunt it was thou who saved my child?" "What was it my duty to do?" "And now wilt thou help me?" But in Zbyshko love for Danusia burst forth, and hatred against the Knights of the Cross so great that he rose in his saddle and spoke through his set teeth as if with difficulty,— "Listen to what I say: Though I had to gnaw Prussian castles with my teeth, I would gnaw them down and get her." A moment of silence followed. The vengeful and unrestrained nature of Yurand responded evidently with all its force under the influence of these words; for he gritted his teeth in the darkness, and after a while repeated the names,— "Danveld, Lowe, Rotgier, Gottfried." In his soul he thought that if they wished him to release De Bergov he would release him; if they demanded pay in addition, he would pay, though he were to add all Spyhov. But woe later on to those who had raised hands on his only child. All that night sleep did not close the eyes of those two men for one moment. Toward morning they could hardly recognize each other, so much had their faces changed in that single night. At last Zbyshko's suffering and resolve astonished Yurand; so he said,— "She covered thee with a veil and wrested thee from death—I know that. But dost thou love her besides?" Zbyshko looked him straight in the eyes with a face almost insolent, and answered,— "She is my wife." At this Yurand stopped his horse, and gazed at Zbyshko, blinking from amazement. "What hast thou said? " inquired he. "I say that she is my wife, and that I am her husband." The Knight of Spyhov covered his eyes with his glove, as if his sight had been dazzled by a lightning flash, but he said nothing. After a while he rode on, and pushing to the head of the escort advanced in silence.
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