The knight, to whom they were taken, was shaving outside a blue and white tent of heavy canvas. On seeing them, he straightened up arrogantly and wiped his face. His nose, Reynevan noticed, was swollen, and his entire left eye socket was one great bruise.

“I am Gers of Streithagen,” he announced sourly. “Lord of the burg of Drachenstein. The pfleger here. I’m keeping guard. When the Hussites come from Freital, I won’t let them cross the river, so the heretics will get a thrashing from me. Perhaps you don’t believe me?”

“We do,” Scharley assured him. “We have no choice.”

“Who might you be?”

“Travellers.”

“The duty for crossing the bridge is three groschen per horse.”

“We shall pay it,” said Rixa, calming Scharley, who was enraged by the exorbitant fee. “We shall pay, Noble Sir knight.”

“First of all, we’d like to ask you something,” interrupted Reynevan. “This is the only bridge hereabouts and whoever is heading for Chemnitz and the Via Regia has no choice but to go this way. And everybody must come before you, Sir Knight. Did two maids ride this way? Travelling by horse and unaccompanied?”

The knight paled and his bruise grew a shade darker. This didn’t escape Scharley’s attention.

“And those maids, what are they to you?” Gers of Streithagen drawled between clenched teeth. “Companions? Relatives? Lovers, perhaps?”

“Not a bit of it,” said the penitent with a stern expression. “We’re pursuing them in order to punish them. On the orders of the parish priest of Saint Nicholas in Jena. They are harlots and robbed the latter while rendering their services. Tell us, please, did they ride this way or not?”

“They did. But… They turned back.”

“What!” Reynevan exploded. “What do you mean, turned back? Why? Please, Sir Knight, speak a little more coherently!”

“What do I hear? You dare to order me?” said Gers of Streithagen and stood legs akimbo. “Me, a nobleman? You urge me too forcefully, young sir! You lie about the maids, you cannot deceive me, you are in league with them. And look to me like Hussite spies! For why else would you be heading eastwards? Towards Freital and Marienberg, where the Hussites are burning and destroying the mines, from where these refugees are coming? Those wenches of yours are certainly spies, too, were also heading east before they fled towards Plauen. I am the pfleger here, I defend folk from heretics—”

“We see. By charging them three groschen a horse.”

“I am arresting you!” said Gers of Streithagen, paling even more. “I am arresting you, you varlets. I’ll soon take the red-hot irons to you; you’ll confess the truth to me in no time. Hey, men, to me! Arrest them!”