Unriddling Clues: Day 12

Word Count: 72,014

Summary of Events:

Gavriila read the sword Nikita took from the soldier at Viladyslovo and they hypothesised about where the swords came from, with Nikita getting more sure that his parents may well have kidnapped him. Nikita participated in a debriefing from General Moroyhanev for the soldiers of the camp that was coming in to help with their attack on the Aissuresky fort, and was unnerved by the commanding General of the other camp calling him back and commenting on his appearance. Gavriila got ready for the attack and got Nikita to give her some horsemanship lessons being as he was just moping around and worrying.

Excerpt of the Day:

""And you're the one who found this fort?" the General of the Seventy Fourth asked.

"Yes sir," Nikita replied.

"How old are you?" the General of the Seventy Fourth asked.

"Twenty," Nikita replied.

"You already seemed a capable leader," the General of the Seventy Fourth said. "I think you'll become a great man. You look it. Doesn't he?"

General Moroyhanev nodded. Nikita felt unsettled thinking about his recent punishment. He didn't feel like General Moroyhanev ought to have been agreeing.

"He has his lessons to learn yet, he is young," General Moroyhanev said. "But his father was a great man, and I do believe that he, too, will aspire to such greatness."

"It's something about his face," the General of the Seventy Fourth said. "It looks like the face of a great man."

Nikita shifted uncomfortably.

"It looks almost . . . but he couldn't be," the General of the Seventy Fourth said.

"What?" General Moroyhanev asked, looking as puzzled and curious as Nikita felt.

"The most formidable man I faced in battle, the most skilled soldier, the most terrifying adversary, was a man, his name was Zhihondoniov, it was carved into his sword otherwise I would never have known it," the General of the Seventy Fourth said. "You almost look like him."

Fear roiled in Nikita's stomach. No. Not Zhihondoniovs again. And now he looked like them? It was closing him in. They couldn't have. Mother and Father wouldn't have dared, would they? Why would they have been so cruel?

"If another soldier wouldn't have come to my defence I may well have been killed by the man," the General of the Seventy Fourth said.

"Did you see if he was killed?" Nikita asked, not that he was sure where the words had come from.

"No, I didn't," the General of the Seventy Fourth replied. "Do you know of him?"

"No," Nikita replied. "I've just been hearing about a lot of Zhihondoniovs lately.

"Oh really?" the General asked.

Nikita nodded. He wanted to get out of here. He shouldn't have said anything.

"Maybe it's a sign that you're going to be greater than they," the General said.

"But anyways, we should get on to our discussions," General Moroyhanev said. "You may go on Lieutenant Kharondirev."

Nikita nodded quickly and hurried away. He headed past Lieutenant Yasimokov, but Lieutenant Yasimokov caught his arm and stopped him.

"You look like you saw the General's ghost," Lieutenant Yasimokov said. "Not that I've heard of ghosts making daylight appearances."

"No, I haven't seen any ghosts," Nikita replied. "I'm just hearing about too many Zhihondoniovs.""