After a while the demon only galloped and looked around the city as if he checked his own land. I was already rested, wounds licked, so I piped up;

,,Where are we going to now, then?"

,,Home, Mephis, we have to wait for a full moon. Since one was a week ago there's enough of time. What about you?" Mort turned head to Millenia.

,,What about me? Well, I will go back on the nearest stop, today brothers should be returning. I am curious about their experiences. Will you need me for the next ingredience?"

,,Can you find mandrakes?"

,, ...what, mandrakes? Any little kid can."

,,I meant under used gallows."

,,Oh... yes, I think I can."

,,It's a matter of life and death, I need to EXACTLY know, where they are! Do you know how?"

,,I did find the phoenix egg, did I not?"

,,That's true. Aalright, then we'll meet at full moon while it's still light under the Gallows hill."

,,That one is haunted."

,,Yes, I know. That's why the best mandrakes grow there – but even so, this is probably the most normal ingredience."

Gallows hill!

You got to be kidding me!

I was there only once, and not at full moon, and I've had enough. I don't want to imagine, what will be there... ,,Alright, wait for me there. And by the way, there, a few meters, horses can be rented, I am going."

The hell thing stopped immediately and patiently waited for her to come down, then poked her friendly. Millenia laughed and kissed his nose, making a sound at which the horse delightedly shook head. She waved us and ran to a building, crouched at the corner, where snorting and neighing came from.

,,That horse deserves a prize," I stated.

,,And a name. What would you suggest?"

,,Satan."

,,I'm asking seriously," master bursted into laughter.

,,Seriously? I don't know. How did you name me?"

,,After one demon... so the horsie could be Astaroth. What do you say?" he asked the black pile under us, which was once again galloping concently, and tapped his neck. The horse turned head, then for a while looked to the side and finally nodded after.

,,Then that'a'way, Astaroth!" Mort pointed to one direction.

...

It was interesting that I wasn't bored before at home, because I didn't know, when will what happen. We solved things mostly as they came. NEVER before has it happened that we would wait for something three weeks.

So I just paced up-down cellars-roofs and didn't know, what to do with myself.

Master had it better – first he planned, what after, and second he was half a day away and half a day at home and even there he didn't stop even for a while.

Ravens and greycrows flied to us too and brought news, once even the domestic vulture from the Gallows hill came. Feathers stayed everywhere after his nervous scratching.

,, I have a new that at full moon two or three individuals will come spying to us! But not YOU!" he screeched.

Mort almost fell down from the chair.

,,Now you got to be kidding me! WHO?"

,,I dunno, I dunno! Only a colleague of the garbage near the royal castle said that someone should come," he shrugged wings.

,,Oh he would know something, filled up there with royal feasts," I waved it off with a paw. ,,Or would he...?"

,,Just so you know, he was sober then! ...well, kinda," the vulture added. Because his colleague of the garbage was never by anyone ever seen sober. How could they! He has a taste of wine every day.

,,Well, anyway, he flied around and saw then."

,,And two or three?" master asked.

,, ...in that lies the ,kinda' sober part."

,,Then two, let's say," I cut him off impatiently. ,,and who?'

,,One was a young girl, about – what i know, fifteen or what he said – and the other a boy, he saw him there before a few times. The type ,much courage, less thinking', you know."

,,Say, wasn't the girl by any chance a witch?"

,,And you know that I think yes?"

,,Tristan and Tanya," he groaned and leaned back, hand on eyes.

,,Millenia should know," I pointed out.

,,I announce I will go say it to her as a note!" a raven lifted a wing.

,,Don't announce and fly!" Mort snapped. ,,What am I to do with that idiot in order to have peace?"

,,With me?" the vulture asked, surprised.

,,Oh not you – with that hero!" I laughed.

,,Right, a hero. More luck than wisdom. This is gonna be a big bite, so I sense," master stated in-thought. ,,the good thing is that if we get ahead – strategy concerning – he can't do anything. I only hope Tanya won't find out, aah~ that would be my death."

,,Memento Morti," the vulture declared seriously and flied away.

,,Touche," Mort smirked.

...

Righta few days after a answer came by the same raven, written quickly and a bit illegibly, yet anyway in a nice handwriting;

If it it those two, they cannot do much anyway. So kindly show yourselves up when it is still light so I will not be waiting needlessly early.

,,What would you expect from a princess?" the raven commented.

,,Just hope we won't be waiting for her right under her window," Mort rolled eyes.

...

And exactly that happened to us. In a interesting way, truth be told.

The sun was setting already when we crouched under the Gallows hill, Astaroth was plucking grass at the trees some distance away. I wasn't even thinking about what will be at some midnight. In moments like these you're not consciously thinking about it. You're just a helper there, you won't do anything, so you're just sitting, looking at the bugs around – even if there's so few of them by now – and the following events are reminding themselves of only by the butterflies in your stomach. And by someone more nervous beside you.

,,Where the hell is she?"

Astaroth lifted up head for a moment, his ear twitched, then he leaned down again and indifferently chewed.

,,That's what you are asking me, master? About your own wife?" I poked fun at Mort.

,,Take a break with that already, Mephis. We're you-know-where without a tracker." With a sigh he stood up and whistled on the horse. ,,So we're going for her."

Again I have to praise Selena to heaven, she opened a gate to the gardens for us. It was small, inconspicious and overgrown, we barely found it, but from it it was only a few meters away from one balcony.

,,A tree grew here too, by it it was possible to climb up-down, but they chopped it down," Selena pointed to the stump, growing almost under the balcony. ,,just so you would not think it's her fault."

,,Thank you," I purred while master threw a small stick to the window.

Almost immediately the doors of the balcony flied open.

,,That took you some time!" Millenia hissed.

,,Say, what happened to you? They locked you up?"

,,You guessed right. It was my darling brother. You will have to help me, because I will not get down."

,,Mhm. Then jump," Mort suggested.

,,WHERE TO?" she spat. True enough, it wasn't exactly low.

,,I'll catch you, don't worry." She eyed him.

,,You are a lunatic."

,,Sue me." And I live with him.

Millenia then quite swiftly climbed over the railing, sat down from the outside, breathed through it for a while and then jumped. I half expected he'll let her fall, but there was nothing heard, so he probably caught her.

Sideglancing I saw Selena grinning in a cat manner.

,,...you can put me down now," Millenia said.

,,Really?" master purred.

,,Yes."

,,Well, as you want."

Now it was heard – he let go. I chuckled as well.

Millenia cursed nicely, getting up from the ground.

,,I said put me down, not let go of me!" she spat and ran after him; so I ran as well. Like a race dog, all Mort.

,,How about a thank you for the fact I even caught you?"

,,God, I curious as to why I married you."

,,I am too."

At that I almost started laughing as they say ,,full mouth on',but when both turned I rather faked I am coughing. Astaroth didn't have a problem with that, he snorted sending his mane flying.