Venetians by Lodovico Pizzati

Author:Lodovico Pizzati [Pizzati, Lodovico]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781524658908
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Published: 2017-01-11T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

WOLF HUNTING

The leaves were turning color in Patavium, but the town’s prison was a constant gray. More than a month had passed since Adalulf had been taken prisoner. Among a sequence of prison cells with blond Slavic men holding onto the bars, a woman was crying. Deep in the prison, Hermetruda was weeping in front of a cell. Adalulf was standing on the other side of the bars.

“Lulfy! I can’t believe this awful day is here! I can’t believe this is the day they want to execute you!”

“Trudy… you must be strong… You have to take care of Aldo. You need to be there for him. Do this for me… I can accept my fate knowing that you and Aldo are safe and have a future ahead…”

“No! No! No! There is no future for me without you, Lulfy!”

As Hermetruda and Adalulf were hugging through the metal bars, Bertwalt arrived with three guards.

“Adalulf! The time has come,” Bertwalt stated firmly.

One guard held a screaming Hermetruda back, another opened the gate, while the third one pointed a spear at Adalulf and told him to exit. Adalulf emerged from the dark cell. He was much skinnier, and pale. Prison life had made him lose a lot of weight, but it had also given him focus. In some way, he regained a little bit of youth, a little bit of the hunger he had before he became lord of Patavium. He walked out barefoot, wearing his Longobard pants, but bare chested. His hair and beard had grown long.

“I love you Trudy, be strong for me…” Adalulf told his wife.

As Hermetruda cried even louder, Adalulf followed Bertwalt with two guards behind him pointing spears at his neck. They arrived in the prison’s courtyard and, as Bertwalt moved to the side, Adalulf found himself in front of a horse without saddle. He looked to the side and saw King Grimwald on his horse, together with five other horsemen and Bertwalt, who was mounting on his horse.

“Adalulf! We finally meet again!” Grimwald said.

Adalulf fell on his knees and leaned forward. It was his only chance, and it did not hurt to try.

“My dear King, please forgive me. I had made a despicable mistake seven years ago. Please forgive me, my King. You will not regret it. I will be your faithful servant and with my experience and knowledge, I can be of great use to you, my merciful King. Please forgive me…”

“Adalulf…” Grimwald replied. ‘You are pathetic! Get up! You betrayed our people, and because of you, my two brothers faced an inglorious death. You almost killed me too! I will not forgive you…”

Adalulf slowly got up, keeping his head down. His shoulders were slouched down indicating that he was resigned to his fate.

“What I will concede to you is an honorable death,” Grimwald continued. “Not because I think you deserve it, but because that’s the death you had planned for me. Hunting me down in a wolf trap, to be slaughtered together with all those

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