Hello, all nice raders! I've managed to translate two chapters today, because my English linguistics seminar was cancelled, and I got home early! I hope you will enjoy them! I would still appreciate critics in connection with my style and language. Thank you for the reveiws! :-)
The following day, the travellers set off with the coach at dawn, and reached Kolozsvár in the evening. They spent a night at a peaceful inn, and Agnes had no bad dreams either. The little group continued the journey to Gyergyószentmiklós also at dawn, but this time an old gypsy lady joined the travellers. She was short and a little plump, had straight, dark hair down to her waist, black eyes, wrinkled face and dark skin, typical of her people. She wore a long black skirt, fiery red corset with a dark leather vest, and patterned blouse. Her colourful shawl was decorated with glittering coins. She came not long before setting off, and sat down fronting Agnes, greeted the others, and remained silent for a long time. After eyeing Agnes for quite a while, who was wearing trousers, the gipsy lady engaged her in conversation early in the afternoon, and they found out quite a lot about each other. The old Lady Leila was very much interested in Agnes' stories about her globetrotting, and Agnes was glad she could talk openly to somebody about what she had gone through in the past years
As they were getting closer to the heart of Transylvania, the landscape gradually changed around them. The grassy plains were replaced by high mountains, which were dressed in pine, oak and chestnut trees, and their tops often covered by a cloud. Among the mountains small villages, clearings, and blue watered lakes were hiding. Agnes spotted the church tower of Gyergyószentmiklós not long before sunset, and she was glad to be able to continue her journey to Borszék that day. Children were playing near the town in the fields, and they were waving with their raunchy hats to the stage coach as it passed by. Agnes started smiling, and waved back to them along with Lady Leila. As they were waving, Agnes' palm caught Lady Leila's eyes.
„ Would you allow me to take a look at you palm Miss Agnes?" she asked " My people have long years of tradition in palmistry. Many regard us as charlatans, but whatever we say, will become true eventually." said the old lady in a mysterious voice. Agnes was looking at her in a surprise while making an odd face at first, but then she held out her hand to Lady Leila. She has met various forms of palmistry during her journeys, and she has heard a lot about the legendary talent of the gypsies in Southern Europe many times. The old lady leaned above her hand, and examined the humps and lines on her palm for a long time.
„Your palm tells a lot about you miss Agnes! Your lifeline is the longest I've ever seen, you will spend more time in this world than I will, and I'm not young you can trust me!" said Lady Leila, and pointed at one of the lines on Agnes' palm, and then her finger slid to another.
„ Your love line is deep, and also long, you will have an everlasting and passionate love in your life, but it will cost you a horrible sacrifice. Your husband will be a nobleman, an attractive one, a count!"
Agnes took her hand from in front of the old lady.
„I'd be really glad if I was to marry someone from the high nobility, but they rarely choose a fiancé from the lesser-nobles! But, if my sister managed to do so, perhaps I could make somebody's heart throb, „said Agnes in a sad tone „ but I'm mourning my love at the moment, I'm not open for anyone's courtship yet."
She lowered her head, and tears filled her eyes, but she forced them back; she didn't want to cry in front of anybody. Lady Leila noticed them however.
„ You cannot go on in grief forever, let him go, that is the best you can do. Let him rest in peace."
„ I know that darn well myself, but it is just too hard. It's been 2 years, but the love still lingers on, even with him gone."
„ You have to accept this, and life must go on, I'm sure he would be very disappointed if he saw you crying for him. You're young and beautiful, men should cry for you, not vice versa. Come on, hold your head high, you are a lady, HE would want you to be happy, isn't that true?"
Agnes nodded. „I don't know why I was telling you all this, lady Leila, sorry for bothering you with my muddled love life."
„ It is an honour for me that you trust me this much. Remember to take my advice, I don't want my words to fall on stony ground." said the old lady as she lighted her pipe to start smoking. „ Open your heart to the world, I've seen much of life already, I know what I'm talking about."
They were sitting in quiet for a while, then Lady Leila finished smoking, took a knife out of her bag, and gave it to Agnes. The knife's grip was of finely crafted cherry wood, plated with brooks of silver, the blade was in a beautiful leather holster.
„ Look out for yourself while you are in Transylvania, staying here has dangers in it for you. Always keep your eyes open!" said the old gypsy lady.
„ But I cannot have this, you might need it as well, and it's probably worth a lot!"
„ I know you will make good use of it, and you know how to use it. A third weapon may come handy to you besides those two you already have." said Lady Leila, and nodded towards Agnes catana sword. Agnes pulled out the knife from its holster and examined the blade. It was decorated with runes of ancient languages, and she could spot it right away, that it had had many owners already.
By this time the stage coach was getting closer to it's stop, the town hall of Gyergyószentmiklós, and there were only a few hours until sunset. Agnes put the knife away, and turned to the old lady.
„Thank you very much Lady Leila, but why did you give this to me? I'm sure you have other reasons besides that I will make good use of it."
" You're a gifted person, miss Agnes. You see people, not even I could fool you!" said the old lady laughing. „ You remind me of my younger self. When I was your age I was dreaming about adventures just like you do. But of course my parents married me to a boring man, and all my dreams of adventures faded away, back then. I wish you a better luck than I had!" said Lady Leila, and became quiet for a while.
„ But come to think of it" she continued „ now that my dear husband, I pray he rests in peace, is not lord over me anymore, I might make a few of my dreams come true. Who knows, maybe I will set of tomorrow morning to Africa!" she said in a cheerful tone.
Both were laughing as the coach stopped in front of the town hall.
Agnes asked the coachman to get her luggage off the coach as soon as possible, for she wants to set off right away.
„You want to go on to Borszék my lady? There's no way you will get there by sunset!"
„Thank you very much for paying so much attention to me, but as I have already told you in Nagyvárad, I can see after myself." replied Agnes in an impatient tone.
„ I have no doubt about that. I will give you your bag right away. Sorry for bothering you"
Agnes took her bag, said goodbye to the coachman and the English couple, and then turned to Lady Leila.
„ I hope I will see you again at a time! You're one of the most interesting people I have ever met."
„ Maybe you shall" said the old lady „ Perhaps you will see me during one of your future adventures. But hurry miss Agnes, leave at once, there are much worse things in the forest at night than bandits! You can hire a horse behind the city hall on the market square"
„ Alright, alright. I hope you make you dreams come true. I wish all the best to you!" she said, and hurried off towards the city hall.
„The same to you young lady!" said Lady Leila.
Finally Agnes managed to hire a hazel horse, on which she rode hell for leather towards Borszék on the mountain roads.
