"I"m doing that for you!" Orel couldn"t stand it any longer. "You idiot, don"t you see what you want to get into?"

"I know what"s better for me," Vil wasn"t scared at all when Orel yelled at him. "I can decide myself what"s better for me. I"m not a child, don"t worry about me! I want to be with you! I don"t understand why you think I"m worse than the others, why you took them in and you reject me!"

"You don"t understand," Orel got angrily, "and you will never understand! You don"t suit me – that"s all I can say to you. And enough of that."

"No," Vil didn"t give up. "It"s not an answer, I won"t leave."

"If you don"t leave now, you"ll regret it badly," Orel said; his eyes flashed unhealthily.

"I won"t leave," Vil shook his head. "You think I"ll get scared and leave. But I"m not a coward, Arel, you can kill me but I want to be with you and only you. Otherwise," he swallowed hard, "otherwise I don"t have a reason to live."

"Oh gods!" Enriki looked at Orel pleadingly.

"You"re fishing for trouble," Orel said to Vil.

"I don"t care," Vil said. "You think I"m a fool and a coward but I"m not, and I"ll prove it!"

"No one here thinks you"re a coward," Orel said, "calm down, I don"t wish evil to you. I don"t!" He hit the table with his fist. "But you make me. You"re not like me or them," he pointed at his friends. "I can never be completely sure in you. You won"t manage, Vil. Believe me, I know what I say. I cannot risk and take a man I doubt on the team. You"re a brave and experienced warrior but you"re different! Before I take someone in, I must be hundred percent sure that this man is mine. You"re not my man!"

"But we grew up together, how can I be not yours?" Vil shouted.

"It doesn"t matter how much time we spent together! Two minutes are enough for me to understand if you"re my man or not. We lost more than a half of our men just lately. And even more before then. From those who were with me in the beginning only Squint-Eye is left, and that"s because he spends most of his time in prison. Everyone else is long rotting in my castle cemetery. I"m responsible for everyone"s life, and if something happens, it"s my fault. We are at war with Bey and you want me to take a man on my team who cannot work as I need it – to stake our lives on your whim?"

"I"ll do everything you want! Everything you tell me! I won"t spare my life for you! I"ll do my best! I"m not afraid of hardships, I"m not afraid of Bey, I"m not afraid of anything!"

"Such a bold declaration," Orel smirked. "He isn"t afraid of anything. It just proves your stupidity once again, I"m wasting my time with you."

He rose. "Let"s go. Tol, gather the papers."

"No!" Vil blocked his way. "No! Take me on your team or kill me! I won"t let you leave like that!"

Orel gave him a somewhat strange look.

"Are you setting conditions for me? Fine, you wanted that…" he paused. "Perhaps it"s better to end it now, once and for all."

Vil stood at the "Arbor"s" door, pale but full of resolution. He was silent and looked at Orel.

Orel lowered his gaze and returned to the table.