With his momentum up from dueling with the queen, Sir Ivan decides to expend his remaining energy hunting for his dinner.
The forest is strangely peaceful. In the back of his mind, Ivan wonders what the evil witch is up to. Right when he decides to try to locate her hut, he spots a deer. He attacks and cuts off some fine chunks of venison.
Ivan decides to check on the witch later. For now a nice warm venison stew is calling his name.
Sir Ivan prepares his meal and quickly devours it.
Ivan is upstairs in his training room, when one of his guards, named Susana, enters the room.
“Right on time,” he says pleased to see her. “I was just about to sit down for a game of cards and needed a fool, I mean…a partner to play with.”
I van deals the cards and places his bet on the table.
He wins the first round and doubles his bet.
Ivan has never been one to turn down a good bet. He is excited when Susana throws down a big bag of simoles.
They play out the round. Susana throws the die and turns over a card.
Ivan follows suit and throws his hands up in victory.
Ivan foolishly takes the bait when Susana offers to go another round, double or nothing.
Ivan loses his money and steps away from the table. In the past he would have kept right on gambling, but a few risky encounters that nearly cost him his life taught him to walk away before it gets a bit out of hand.
Frustrated by the big loss, Ivan heads to the only place where he can let out his frustration and train at the same time.
He visits the training yard.
Ivan changes into his armor and attacks the training dummy full on. He has to be prepared for his next confrontation with the witch. He is determined to leave his next battle with her head on a stake.
Ivan takes another full swing at the dummy, imagining the witch with each blow.
Not far away, the executioner attempts to feed the pit beast. Only because he is so focused, Ivan ignores the growls and roars that practically shake the ground beneath him. The smell of rotten meat that fills the air is not as easy to ignore.
The executioner tosses a fresh slab of meat into the mouth of the beast.
The beast catches the meat effortlessly. The executioner is happy to have completed his duty in one piece.
Meanwhile, Ivan finishes his training and seeks out food to calm his own stomach that is growling like a mini version of the beast.
Ivan cannot imagine going all the way back to the barracks for a meal, so he heads for the building closest to him, the Peteran Church.
Sir Ivan enters the sanctuary, when something catches his attention.“ Greetings Bloodletter Gavin!” One of the parishioners says, greeting an older gentleman that is standing off to the side.
Ivan turns his head quickly and examines the Bloodletter. Ah, so this is my competition, he says to himself, thinking of his attempts to woo the queen.
Ivan glances around the sanctuary, looking for the priest. Not seeing her, he helps himself to a bowl of stew that is simmering in a cauldron in the next room.
When Ivan returns to the sanctuary, Bloodletter Gavin nods to him in acknowledgment. Ivan pretends not to see the friendly gesture and strolls past to sit in a front pew with his bowl of stew.
Bloodletter Gavin sits wondering if this is the new knight that Chalyela has commissioned. He cannot help but be a bit intimidated by his good looks and youthful confidence.
Gavin picks up an air of competitiveness as Ivan walks by. The only thing that Gavin can think of that would cause a man that he has never met to behave this way…
…is that they both have eyes for the same woman – Queen Chalyela. This does not make Gavin feel good.
