Capon bowed slightly to him and didn't wait for anything:

"Sir Otto, we have decided to be honest with you. But since we are the more vulnerable ones in this situation, I ask you for your word of honour that you will also answer honestly and allow us both to leave your castle safely."

Otto von Bergow laughed briefly. "Watch the cheek, Sir Capon, although it is better than your previous cowering. I acknowledge that some good will on my part will help to resolve this whole matter more quickly. You have my word."

"Thank you, sir. Things are as follows…" and Capon briefly described to Otto everything that had happened, from the burning down of Skalitz to the liberation of Sir Radzig. "… in our region, we have always stood with king Wenceslas, although we acknowledge that he lacks certain qualities that a monarch should have. However, you have to admit, sir, that after these events, it is not possible for us to support king Sigismund. We know that the League of Lords, of which you are a member, has been on his side for years. That is why we are addressing you with our questions, sir, because we believe that the current situation is becoming unacceptable."

When Sir Capon finished speaking, Henry willed himself to stay calm. It seemed to him that Capon spoke well, but he couldn't read anything from Sir Otto's expression. Then, Otto von Bergow spoke:

"Thank you for your honesty, Sir Capon. Now let me return the favour. It is true that The League of Lords stood behind Sigismund. When Wenceslas ceded to him the rule of Bohemia, he seemed to be a suitable choice, and we thought that we would finally achieve what we have been striving for for years. Unfortunately, such change of ruler was not supported by all members of the nobility. And Sigismund's subsequent reaction, when he captured and imprisoned his brother, instead of helping him as he promised, only added fuel to the fire. Even so, we stood behind him. However, we soon started to resent the way he governed and it has turned into an outrage a while ago. At the last assembly of the League of Lords, we decided that we no longer intend to tolerate his thoughtless plundering of our country. There were some voices saying we should take military action against Sigismund. In the end, we agreed to send him a last warning letter."

Otto von Bergow paused for a moment, and Henry exchanged an astonished look with Sir Capon. He certainly wasn't expecting this. That assembly must have taken place quite recently, given that margrave Jobst had had no idea about it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent them to Trosky.

"What was the king's answer, Sir Otto?" Capon dared to ask.

"It was long and flowery," replied Bergow, a shadow of contempt flickered on his face for a brief moment. But it was gone so fast that Henry wasn't sure if he had really seen it. Then, Bergow continued, "But you are certainly interested in its content. In short – he is the king and the rule of this country is in his hands alone. But if we have any reservations or demands, he will be happy to discuss them with us in person. But not now, because he is returning to Hungary to suppress a rebellion that broke out against him there. The letter was delivered to me a few days ago by Markvart von Aulitz."

"King Sigismund is leaving the country? With his whole army, no less?" asked Henry, doing his best to act surprised. The uprising in Hungary wasn't such a big surprise – margrave Jobst had indicated that he had planned to provoke it, after all.

"I guess by this time he's already in Moravia."

There was silence in the room. Otto von Bergow waited calmly while Henry and Sir Capon absorbed the information. In the end, it was Capon who spoke first:

"So, one king is in prison in Vienna, the other is on his way to Hungary, and only God knows when he will return – what will happen now?"

"We will see. Due to the circumstances, it will be necessary to summon the assembly of the League of Lords again. It will take at least a month before we all meet again. In the letter, Sir Hanush mentions margrave Jobst and his efforts to provoke an uprising in Bohemia… we will certainly have to talk to him as well…" Otto von Bergow spoke more to himself than answering Capon.

Henry and Capon stepped back a little and leaned towards each other.

"I say, Hal, I didn't expect him to tell us that much," whispered Sir Capon.

"Nor did I. I wonder what's his game. Somehow, I don't like it," muttered Henry in response. Then there was a cough and they jumped apart. Henry hoped Bergow hadn't heard them.

"Sir Capon," Otto von Bergow addressed the younger nobleman, "I am sure you can see that in this situation, I cannot answer all the questions that Sir Hanush asks. But I assure you, he will get a detailed explanation and at least some answers."

"I fully understand, Sir Otto," Capon bowed. But Otto von Bergow wasn't finished yet.

"Of course, I could send him a second letter after the assembly is over."

The offer hung in the air like a tempting fruit beckoning to be picked.

"That would be extremely generous of you, Sir Otto," said Capon carefully. "But I guess there is a price…?"

Otto von Bergow smiled, "That is correct, Sir Capon. There is one more thing that king Sigismund mentioned in his letter. Sir Markvart stays here in Bohemia with several companies to, allegedly, keep order in the country. However, it is more than obvious that his task is to pillage and plunder so that Sigismund has something to pay his army with. And this is something we no longer intend to tolerate. The other lords and I could gather our men and just crush him, but such thing takes time, and in the meantime, he can do more damage. No, Markvart von Aulitz must be dealt with as soon as possible. And if his end has no obvious connection to the League of Lords, all the better. So here is my proposal: kill him, and I promise you, upon my word of nobleman, that I will send a detailed letter with all the relevant information to Sir Hanush, after the assembly of the League of Lords."

The silence that ensued then was almost deafening. Henry couldn't believe his ears. A high-ranked nobleman wanted them to commit murder? At the same time, however, he had to admit that, given the intended victim, it wasn't nearly as horrifying as it should have been.

"Sir Otto, I don't know what to say," said Sir Capon after a moment.

"I understand, Sir Capon. You do not have to answer right away, I will give you an hour to think about it. There will be a guard behind the door – when you make your decision, tell him yes or no and send him to me. But do not leave this room."

After the door closed behind Otto von Bergow, neither Henry nor Capon spoke for a while. Henry's desire for revenge was in a fierce struggle with common sense. But in the end, it was decided. Henry cleared his throat:

"So, what do we do now, sir?"

"I don't know, Hal. We already have what we wanted. I have no doubt that we would impress my uncle and perhaps even margrave Jobst if we could present them with a letter directly from the League of Lord's meeting… but no. Let's go home, I say."

"Sir! Please, this is my chance to take revenge on that bastard for my parents and for Skalitz."

"But the risks –"

"Sir, you promised we would come up with something together. And here's our opportunity!" Henry couldn't stop himself and began pacing.

"I know, Hal, but murder? If you do it, you won't be any better than him."

This made Henry stop and think again. He had to admit, with great bitterness, that Capon was right. He wanted revenge, yes, but did it have to come at any cost? He thought hard about some other way.

"I know! I could challenge him to a duel. He's a nobleman, so he has to accept the challenge if he doesn't want to lose his honour, doesn't he?" Henry looked at Capon with hope, but it faded quickly when he saw the young nobleman's face.

"I'm sorry, but that's only true if it's a nobleman who challenges him. And no, illegitimate children don't count in this case."

"But I could try…"

"Only if I allow it," Capon put him in his place, still looking dissatisfied.

"Sir," pleaded Henry, "I bet if it doesn't work out with the duel, Bergow must've come up with some plan. According to what he said, he wants to get rid of Markvart anyway. He must've figured out how to do it."

Sir Capon scrutinized him for a long time and said nothing. Henry returned his gaze with bated breath. Finally, Capon sighed:

"I promised to try to be a better friend to you. And I wouldn't be one if I let you down now. I guess if I were you, I would act the same." Then he walked to the door, knocked and opened it. The guard waited silently behind them.

"Tell Sir Otto – yes."

It was shortly after noon when the last baggage was loaded onto the horses. There stood a small caravan in the first courtyard, as Sir Otto assigned five of his men at their disposal. Officially, to accompany them because their own guards had not yet appeared, but the real reason was, of course, their decision.

Otto von Bergow had seemed pleased with it. But that had changed very quickly when Henry had mentioned the duel. Bergow hadn't even let him finish the sentence and flatly refused. Henry had taken a breath to try to convince him, but Sir Capon had grabbed his hand and pinched him hard. And while Henry had managed only a painful hiss instead of words, Capon had assured Sir Otto that, of course, they would follow his wishes. Then, Sir Otto had presented them with several plans, which, as Henry had expected, he had already come up with and let them choose which one they would carry out. Capon and he had argued for a while, but in the end, they had decided on the one that seemed the simplest to them.

Henry checked the bundles on the backs of the pack horses for the last time. He tightened one of them a little more and moved the cloth so that it couldn't slide and reveal the crossbows hidden beneath it. Then he looked at the gate to the second courtyard, looking out for Sir Capon. But he was nowhere in sight. Henry sighed and went to inspect his horse's harness to pass the time. Capon was officially taking his leave of Otto von Bergow and his guests. And since it was most likely that Markvart von Aulitz would be present, it had been decided that Henry would stay down in the courtyard.

When he no longer knew what to do, he began to examine the men Sir Otto had assigned them. They were all smaller in stature and wiry, but they looked experienced and tough. And they were all definitely older than Capon and he. One of them was the guard who helped him cure his hangover. His name was Stephen, as Henry found out when they were loading the horses together. When he noticed Henry looking at him, he winked and grinned. Henry wanted to go to him, but at that moment Sir Capon finally appeared. So they mounted their horses and set off.

"This is the place," announced Stephen, stopping his horse.

Henry looked around. They had been riding in a deep holloway for some time, and the place where they stopped was perfect for an assault. The road was just turning, so not much could be seen ahead or behind them. On either side, steep slopes overgrown with bushes and young trees rose above their heads. Large boulders and trees protruded from the vegetation here and there.

"Over there, just behind the bend, the slope is gentler – if we dismount, we can lead the horses up and then come back here," continued Stephen.

So they rode a little further, and indeed, on the left side, the slope of the holloway sank almost to the level of the road. Even so, they worked hard to get all the horses up. Henry, Sir Capon and Stephen then returned to the road while the remaining men led the horses further into the forest to find a suitable place to make camp.

Down in the holloway, Henry looked around again.

"How can we be sure Markvart will go this way?"

"Pretty sure. If he wants to get to his troops, he has to go through Jičin. And the best way leads through here," replied Stephen.

"I think that tree over there looks promising," Sir Capon interrupted them, pointing to a branched oak at the very top. Henry looked at it.

"Hmm… have you ever cut down trees, sir? I think it quite thick…"

"Of course I haven't, have you?" replied Capon. "But it seems to me that if it falls well, it could block the whole road."

"No, but I often had to chop firewood for the smithy, and I tell you, sir, it was pretty hard work."

"Gentlemen, if I may?" said Stephen. Henry and Capon turned to him. "I've cut down a few trees in my life. Why don't you find places where we can hide with the crossbows and I'll pick the right trees?"

Capon just waved at him to go, and he began to examine the upper edges of the holloway again. Henry soon joined him. At the same time, he couldn't help the feeling that although the two of them had been charged with killing Markvart von Aulitz, in reality, they weren't really in charge there.

They spent the rest of the day preparing for tomorrow's assault. In the end, due to lack of experience, Henry and Capon weren't allowed to cut down any trees, but they had their hands full all the same. They unpacked and inspected all the crossbows, collected the firewood and cleaned the sleeping area. Sir Capon grumbled all the time and complained that he was doing menial work meant for servants, but Henry had to admit that he definitely did his share. Henry then, while there was still light, practised loading and reloading his crossbow, and tried to fire it several times. He wanted to make sure that if something went wrong tomorrow, it wouldn't be due to his clumsiness.

In the evening, everyone went to sleep early – they wanted to get up at dawn to make sure that Markvart wouldn't slip them. The watches were divided between the Stephen's men, and Henry was glad for that. He felt he really needed to rest. But sleep was avoiding him again, and it was clear to him why.

Capon's words about murder repeated over and over in his head. After all, murder was the reason he wanted so desperately to take revenge on Markvart. Actually, to hell with revenge – he wanted justice above all, but where and with whom would he get it at such times as these? What was left to him but to take it into his own hands?

Henry laughed inwardly at his efforts to justify a murder to himself and rolled over. He had already killed so many people – what's one more. But there was a difference. He had never killed anyone for personal reasons, just because he wanted to. It had always been in self-defence, or in a battle waged by the lords, and he had been just a soldier fighting the ones they had shown him. Although… the memory of Runt and how he had beaten his head against the floor, blinded with rage, came to his mind… but he had already defeated him in an honourable duel. And that was the crux of the matter, Henry realized. He didn't want to kill Markvart like that, shoot him cowardly from hiding, having previously accused him of a similar act. He just couldn't do it. As Sir Capon pointed out, he would be no better than him. And Henry hoped, wanted to believe that he was a better person than Markvart von Aulitz. And, suddenly, he knew what he had to do. The decision gave him the peace of mind he needed, and he finally fell asleep.

Two figures leaned against the battlements of the Pirkstein Castle's tower, staring into the darkness to the north. After a while, one of them spoke:

"Why here, Radzig?"

"We wanted to meet somewhere where we won't have access to wine, Hanush."

"True," the smiled the lord of Rattay. There was a moment of silence again, and then, "What do you think they're doing now?"

"I hope they are sleeping in an inn on the way back here. But as I know them, sleeping while in an inn is the last thing that would come to their minds. There have been rumours…" Radzig paused uncertainly.

"You mean the gossip that Hagen spreads? A merchant who met another merchant from Kuttenberg who was in a certain inn a few days ago?"

Radzig nodded.

"Then I heard them, too," growled Hanush. "And you know what? It doesn't really surprise me anymore. Another story, like a drop into a cup of my patience. But I'm telling you – a few more drops and the cup will overflow. I made sure the boy got an education, a training with weapons, and now I found him a bride. Capon has one last chance to prove to me that he is worth something. Otherwise, I wash my hands of him."

Radzig patted him on the back. "I understand you, my friend. But remember your youth. Weren't you like him once?"

"And that's just it. I was! I only came to my senses when my father threatened to disinherit me…"

Radzig laughed. "He will come through." And then he added in a softer voice, "I wish Henry would, too."

Now it was Hanush's turn to express his support and understanding to Radzig with a friendly pat.

"I wish they were back here where we can keep an eye on them."

Immediately after dawn, the whole group had a quick breakfast, packed up the camp and divided the crossbows and ammunition. Then they dressed in clothes that made them look like another group of nameless bandits, and they tied scarves around their necks to cover their faces later. They inspected everything one last time and were about to break up when Henry finally spoke:

"Before we go to our positions, there is a change of plan," he announced in a firm voice.

They all froze in place, their faces expressing surprise and disbelief with varying degrees. Henry looked to Sir Capon and sent him a pleading look. The young nobleman folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Henry, somewhat encouraged, continued:

"Everything will go as we said. The only difference is that we won't kill Markvart von Aulitz immediately. We'll just shoot the horse under him. I want to challenge him to a duel and kill him myself."

From the glances everyone had thrown at him, it was clear to Henry that his announcement had not been received well.

"I'm sorry, sir, but if I recall, Sir Otto explicitly forbade a duel," said Stephen. Henry took a breath, ready to oppose him, but Sir Capon was faster:

"Lord Otto refused to allow the duel in his own castle. Therefore, he proposed other solutions. After we chose one of them, he subsequently gave us free hand, because this matter no longer concerns him."

Henry felt a surge of gratitude.

"But sir –"

"I will put it another way. Sir Otto is only interested in the result. How we achieve it, he doesn't need to know. When it's all over, there is nothing stopping you from telling him what you want. But he isn't here now, so we'll do it the way Henry wants."

It was clear that Stephen was very unhappy, but he no longer protested. He just nodded, and Capon motioned for everyone to go. He and Henry stayed for a while longer.

"Thank you, sir. I don't know what to say," muttered Henry.

"Friends help each other," Capon smiled at him, but then became serious. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Hal. What will you do if he refuses to fight you?"

"We can always shoot him. After all, he'll be outnumbered, he'll have nowhere to run. But I have to try."

"All right. Now come on."

AN: The first part of the chapter was such a pain to write in the original (with nursery schools closed in our country, march being my working-hardest month of the year and all the politics in the story), however, the second half - after they finally got out of Trosky wrote itself.
Another thing occurred to me when I was translating this. My use of British and/or American English. I was taught the British English at school (long time ago) and while I'm well aware of the differences that exist between the two, it seems I'm oblivious to it when writing. I haven't realized until today that the google translate (which I use to translate large chunks of text) uses the American English. So the result is probably some strange mix. I can only hope it isn't too anoying.
A brief comment about history: All abovementioned historical events are, in essence, true. The uprising in Hungary, Sigismund leaving the country (sometime in July 1403), the League of Lords getting angry and stopping to support Sigismund. Details like the letters, the assemblies and the role of Markvart von Aulitz (apparetnly he died in 1402) were invented to suit the story :)
I don't know what the League of the Lords planned to do (coudn't find it), but they didn't have much time, because in November 1403, king Wenceslas escaped his prison and returned to Bohemia. And he made some pact with the League of Lords and Sigismund was out of the picture for a while. However, in 1411, Wenceslas and Simismund made a kind of truce and it lasted till Wenceslas's death in 1419 (he was 58) and Sigismund inherited everything. But by that time, the Hussite wars were already raging in Bohemia. This is of course a very, very brief summary, it was all very complicated - those times were crazy!

One last thing. I don't know if everyone knows what a holloway is. (I guess it's not your standard word) It is a road that is below the level of surrounding terrain. See sunken lane on wikipedia for more information and some pictures. (I think the word holloway has better ring to it than sunken lane)