Patricia smiled and placed a steaming plate in front of Roberto's nose.
“And how do you like your new life?” He asked, smiling mischievously. Patricia blushed automatically whenever the blond-haired Roberto spoke to her.
"Good," she breathed shyly and looked at the tray in her hands. She avoided looking at him. His skin was tanned and showed that he was always exposed to wind and weather on the fishing trawlers and yet it had not lost its youthful features.
Roberto laughed and shook his head. She still had a lot to learn as a waitress. The little inn was the home of the fishermen. Rough figures came and went here, it was a miracle that the owner allowed the small and petite Patricia to work here. But you knew how Patricia was treated by her stepfather and as far as Roberto could tell from the rumors, Lares had helped to bring the little one up here. Apparently she had confided in Lares and the count's forester seemed to have a solution ready at once. Roberto liked her little seaside town, where everyone knew everyone.
"Tell me," he said, taking two bites.
“Do you know who took over the old Sauter farm?” Patricia gave him an embarrassed look and nodded.
"Four young women, but they haven't shown up in town yet"
Roberto nodded.
"It's crazy, the yard is just a shack and the lake is far too close, nothing grows there ... They ripped them off," he said with a laugh.
"If you think so," came a voice behind him. A handsome man sat down with Roberto, uninvited. "Angel, don't just stand around" he said to Patricia in a sweet voice. "Bring me something to drink"
"Yes, Blake," Patricia stuttered and almost dropped her tray.
"She's going to get hit," Blake said, shaking his head.
"Lares will know how to prevent that" said Roberto with a wink and the two young men laughed uproariously.
"The four girls are the number one topic of conversation in town," said Blake unmoved. Normally his changing ladies were always welcome gossip.
“Have you seen her yet?” Asked Roberto, genuinely interested. The young fisherman was pretty much the only one Blake met with an open mind. Roberto was from a nearby lake village, but in the season he worked on the small town's larger fishing trawlers. His family was poor and even if he was not the biological son, he saw himself as a provider of his foster mother and her biological children.
"No, you seem to be very shy," Blake said suggestively and thankfully took the mug out of Patricia's shaky hands.
"The way it looks, I will, as a good neighbor, come to you"
"You're not a neighbor, you don't even have a hut" Roberto uttered a good mood and Blake winked.
"What is not, can still be" And Roberto had to laugh even harder."You will never get better"
He said in a good mood and patted his friend on the shoulder.
"I hope not" said Blake and toasted Roberto. He took a long sip and leaned back in the chair, relaxed.
"Four young women, alone in a courtyard outside the city, where no sensible person would want to live"
He shook his head. "I'm really curious what I'll find there"
Roberto sighed and looked for a moment at his now empty plate.
"I'll go with you"
Blake looked at him in surprise, but he seemed to like the idea. Even if his little friend did not notice, he was attractive to the opposite sex with his cheerful and honest disposition. He himself already had a certain reputation and not only in this city, which honorable ladies were not very well known.
The four young women would be an ideal challenge for the heartthrob. Blake knew about his charms, his tall stature, his brown hair and his big eyes. He knew what looks he was given and he was in love with himself like no other.


Melina ducked through the raised tent curtain. "She is waiting" said the old gypsy, who read the future from the hands of the people in the market. She knew Melina about another curtain and pushed it back to the young lady. Inside the small room sat a woman who was allowed to be the same age as herself. She didn't expect someone so young to do such a job. The gypsy looked up briefly and began to smile.
She leaned forward and looked at Melina with interest.
"I was told you could help me" The young woman laughed and shook her head.
"Relax, sit down" said the young gypsy and pointed to a cushion next to hers.
Melina sat stiffly in the offered seat.
"So you need help" said the lady. She leaned back, the mature clattering around her delicate wrists. Melina couldn't help but stare at what an amused laugh escaped the gypsy.
"My name is Ella" Melina looked into the dark eyes. "Melina"
Timidly she held out her hand to Ella. The gypsy held her, turned her palm up, and looked inside. Melina wanted to pull her away. "Don't worry, I'm not the old man that I want to read what's going on, but my hands say everything about you"
She stroked the calluses in her little hands. "Hard work always leaves its mark"
Ella let go of Melina's hand again. "What exactly is it about"
Melina sighed and pulled the locket out of her pocket. "I have to monetize this here"
Ella took the jewelry. "Can I do it. And on?"
Melina sighed and looked at the fine carpet on which they were sitting.
"My sister and I are on the run"
She glanced at Ella, who was just waiting in silence for her to continue. "We want to find out more about the man who is on our tail"Added them hastily and took a deep breath. "Who is he?"
The astute eyes looked at her knowingly. "We don't know who he is. We don't know why he's after us. But it has something to do with my sister. He wants to kill her."
"And does your sister know him?"
Melina sighed. "My sister lives in her own world" Melina said evasively and Ella nodded. "I understand" said the gypsy friendly.
"Do you have anything for me, a name, special features ..." Ella immediately noticed how Melina tensed up.
"Come on, give me something," said the gypsy encouragingly.
"He's ..." Melina hesitated. "... different," she added quietly.
"A madman?"
Melina nodded and immediately shook her head. "Not human" Reluctantly, she looked at the gypsy, who, however, did not reveal what she thought of it.
"He came to our farm and chased us. We had help, otherwise we would be dead now. Nothing could stop him" Melina paused, she struggled to talk about it. "You rammed a pitchfork into his body and he just pulled it out as if nothing had happened"
She looked carefully at Ella, who had been listening to her in silence.
“How did you get away from him?” Ella asked when Melina stopped speaking.
"The sun" breathed Melina uncertainly. "The sun?"
Melina nodded. "When it opened it turned into fog and we were safe"
She eyed the young gypsy. "You do not believe me"
Ella laughed and weighed the locket in her hands. "I don't believe in anything," she said soberly. "I trust my eyes, my ears and what I hold in my hands" She let the amulet dangle in front of her nose. "I'm not cheap and you have nothing but that. Half of which corresponds to my work. No one who has so little will give so much for no reason. Tell me everything and I will find out whoever is after you is or rather what, I'll find out. Where can I find you? "
The old woman held the door open for Melina, she put a bag full of coins into her hand. What was left of the medallion, just enough to pay the rent of their hiding place and to be able to live a little of it. She hoped she made the right decision. Ella looked trustworthy. They needed to find out more about the Crow Man. Ella had listened to the whole story in silence only to give her a friendly warning at the end to wait quietly and inconspicuously in her hiding place until Ella would contact her.


Blake knocked on the door and looked around grinning at Roberto, who was looking too serious.
A young girl opened it for them, she was petite and her hair looked almost white. Her big eyes eyed the two men shyly.
"Get away from the door" A voice could be heard from inside the house. The petite face disappeared and gave way to a very pretty, but very unwelcoming face."What's up?" Asked the young woman, with long dark hair tied in a practical knot.
"We are your neighbors" The young woman started to answer, but before she could even begin to be rude, she was interrupted by another voice. Blake and Roberto turned as the other lady turned the corner of the house.
"Can I help you?" Asked the young woman in a soft voice. Blake and Roberto studied her for a moment. The door opened and the white-haired girl scurried past the guests and snuggled up to the woman, who gently stroked her hair and whispered that she was here again.
"We just wanted to welcome the ladies to our city" The young woman looked at the two gentlemen for a moment with sad eyes and nodded.
"Thank you, but please understand that we live very secluded and do not appreciate this kind of visit" she said as coldly as she could. She led the white-haired girl past the two young men and pushed them through the front door, then turned around again and smiled sadly.
"Please excuse us" With that she closed the door and leaned against the wood with a sigh. She heard them talking, their voices fading away. Anna chewed her lip.
"They will come back, you were too friendly" Melina looked into the hard eyes and sighed. They had rushed through the country for two weeks, had not looked back, had left with nothing and found that they would have survived the escape any more than staying. That they could lease this dilapidated yard was a blessing.
Even if the fear sat on their neck that the crow would find them here, they had to find some rest somewhere.
"She accepted the locket," Melina said calmly. Fortunately, Misha had some jewelry with her when they fled the burning house headlong. A trader had taken them to the next town on the main street and from then on they traveled across the country, slept outside and hid. Hard two weeks and the shock was still deep in