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Herne’s Cave and its surroundings have always been a peculiar, even mysterious place - only it did not show its unusualness to everyone. Nor, for that matter, immediately. In a sense, this interesting feature was inherent in Sherwood as a whole, but its "heart", as it turned out, was especially so.
Once the forest did this cute trick with Robin himself, when he accidentally and, more importantly, suddenly discovered something very unusual - a clearing with huge boulders. And where... In general, Robin was ready to swear that there had never been anything like this before.
On that day, he was heading to his father, but he approached the cave not from the lake, as usual, but from the other side. And at first he did not understand where he found himself and even thought that he had lost his way, but how is this possible? He knows Sherwood better than anyone. However, it immediately became clear that no, he had not lost his way, and the point was different - until now, Robin simply did not see that the clearing had always been here. And now the forest seems to have decided to lift the veil Herne’s Chosen One. How many more secrets and mysteries does Sherwood keep? Robin understood that there were many of them, but he was a little afraid to even imagine the true scale.
Since then, as soon as the opportunity fell, he came to the ancient stones with great pleasure and stayed for a long time. Here he felt himself ... No matter how tired and irritated Robin was, no matter what thoughts weighed on him, it only took a few minutes to stretch out on a warm stone - and anxiety receded, anger dispelled, and strength returned. He truly rested both in body and soul. Here he thought it was easier, and the solutions were simpler.
Robin was going to ask Herne repeatedly what kind of place it was and what kind of stones, but somehow it didn't add up. And not to say that he forgot, just there were more important questions. Or maybe he really didn't really want to find out? The place was just there, and he could come whenever he wanted, and that's the main thing.
And now, before going to the cave to his father, Robin wandered among the boulders, examining them - he had never seen anything like it in his life. The strange stones were covered with either drawings or patterns. But what did these patterns mean, who made them, and why? He tried to read the runes, but most of the signs had faded over time, making it impossible to make out what was written. The master who carved them has long since sunk into oblivion, and more than one century must have passed since his death.
Settling down on a flat boulder that looked like a table, Robin thought he should still ask Herne about the old days. Here, for example, about the Romans. After all, he had heard many times that there were such conquerors here, but, in the end, they were put out of the door, although it took a lot of time and effort. And since this has already been done, then it should work on the Normans. Just need to find out exactly how they managed to get rid of those parasites, and Herne's story could shed light on this mystery. Robin sat a little longer, listening to the rustle of the wind and the singing of the birds, and finally, with some reluctance, got down from the peculiar stone table. And he went to his father, this time intending to be sure to ask about everything.
But Herne didn't seem to be at home. After standing for a while at the entrance, Robin went deep into the dwelling, looked around, looked into the bowl, walked around the altar and... nearly sprawled on the floor, tripping over something. To his surprise, it turned out to be a chest, which for some reason stood almost in the center of the cave, but earlier it was in the corner.
Robin remembered this well, since on his last visit he noticed that his father had a strange box, which, by the light of a torch, turned out to be a forged chest of considerable size.. It was somehow ... uncomfortable to climb in and see what was in it. He hoped that Herne would say it himself when he decided that he needed to, but he was silent. And the desire to study the chest and its contents visited Robin more and more often.
And then the Horned One, it seems, has gone somewhere. Just in case, Robin checked the entire cave, called again and, having received no answer, climbed into the chest.
Very curious things were found there ... One large piece of stone was worth something! To begin with, it looked like a stone only on one side, and on the other - completely sharp transparent crystals. Robin picked up another stone, much smaller - in the form of a ball, and completely black. And then he realized his mistake.
Pain pierced his body, his chest constricted, and his heart fluttered like a bird caught in a net. Gasping for air, he tried to throw the ball away, but it stuck to his palms. In a desperate attempt to get rid of it, Robin slammed it against the edge of the altar and...
And suddenly he turned out to be ... Yes, this is the cromlech, where he had just been!
On a stone boulder-table, a naked man was beating in death throes, a stream of blood flowed from a cut throat into a sacred bowl. And next to it was something with a long knife.
Robin couldn't see the faces, only saw the blue runes on the pale skin all over his body. They were intermingled with scars of different age. The man was a warrior - young and strong, he went through more than one battle and survived to now become a sacrifice on the altar.
And nothing can be done against it, because... it must be brought. It can be said that he himself gave, and he agreed to become a sacrifice because such is the law - only voluntarily. And to forbid him to do this will not work, there is no power over him. None, and especially this one.
Why did he agree to give up his life? Yes, for your sake, why would you deceive yourself.
And everything is decided. It remained only to watch how the monster greedily drinks warm, steaming blood from the bowl, because he must follow the ritual to the end. Who, if not the Son of the Horned One, is to do this? He has such a duty, and because of that he is disgusting to himself.
The monster suddenly looked up from his meal. A sharp tongue ran across its lips, licking off the bloody streaks. Robin met the eyes of a snake, in which smugness splashed like liquid gold ... and he seemed to be hit in the stomach. Baron Simon de Belleme... Or rather, one who wears this body like clothes.
Yes, everything is over, all debts are closed. But now inside there is only cold and bitter pain... And there will be no end to it! The monster knew this, so he triumphed. He wanted not only a piece that he had already snatched off, but he was counting on the whole pie, which means that there was a temporary lull ...
Robin came to his senses from being shaken like the trunk of a pear to make the fruit fall from it. Father?
"What was it?.."
Herne released him, but he was in no hurry to answer and carefully examined him, as if wanting to make sure that everything was fine with him. Robin already felt much better, but at the memory of what he had experienced, he shuddered. And by all means, he wanted to know what he was facing. However, the Horned One only muttered in a detached way:
"Yes, everything-different-bad ... from one here …"
"Bellemе?"
"Well ... Who, if not him, is a fan of lethal spells to cast on anything, and where nobody do not ask? And for some this “where” just like smeared with honey."
"But Bellemе is dead!"
"I would not say. And for this, he does not need to be “alive” in the sense that everyone is used to. And you are too careless."
"I'm sorry, father..." Robin muttered in confusion.
Herne squinted slyly, pulled out some strange thing from the depths of the mantle and put a small coal from the hearth into it. The thing smoked. He stuck the long, narrow end of it into his mouth, then pulled it out and blew a ring of smoke out of his mouth.
Robin, who was carefully watching his manipulations, was about to inquire what kind of thing it was, as Herne continued his instructions:
“You have to be very careful. I keep saying this all the time! As you can see, even in my cave there are... unpleasant surprises."
“Yeah… And where did you get this ball from?"
"You don't need to know the details. Let's assume I found it in the forest. Yes, it did not have time to completely cleanse itself, although it lost its strength significantly. Otherwise, only a cold corpse would remain from you ... at best."
Robin decided that he would later ask about the strange smoking thing, but he should thank his father right now:
"Thanks dad, you saved me."
“I had no other choice,” the Horned One chuckled.
"Aren't you angry that I looked into the chest?"
"I know full well it's irreparable." Herne looked at him intently. “Did you see something?”
Robin nodded and hesitated, not knowing how to answer, it was too much like the visions he'd had after goblets of Herne's brew. And it also looked like prophetic dreams ... This made him feel completely uneasy. Having driven away the oppressive thoughts, he nevertheless told about the nightmare he had seen.
Herne listened to him, thought for a moment, and then said gloomily:
“Belleme we have… a great original. And he has fun in a variety of ways, a fucking experimenter. And the moment is just right, Litha is coming
And then he changed his tone to a good-natured one:
"But it's good that you came. Help me get some herbs for the fire."
Tucking the horned cloak under his arm, Herne walked out of the cave, and Robin, with a sigh of relief, followed him.
***
In the dark basement of a dilapidated castle, the man in the sarcophagus opened one eye and grinned slightly.
If it didn't work on one side, it will work on the other side. Or a third, or some other. The main thing is that the Chosen One has finally appeared, which means that the old game continues. But it also means something else: the downfall of Herne is just a matter of time. And the Horned One knows this.