Полная версия
— It all happened, as it should have, herbalist. And we are saddened, but also great joy. For seventy years Ilsa carried a heavy burden, now she can rest. Everything happens, as Ella promised:
“And the Seven who come for me will all fall asleep in the cave”
“What’s next?”
— Then everyone knows:
“The chosen one will come on the Terrible Day…
He will only touch the frozen stone…
How to break through the high cold of ice…
The ice throne is standing and the Savior is waiting…
And then with Seven Ilya will take a cool place”
— Surely the name is known?
Mara only nodded her head happily, as if she herself would live to see that hour of hard time. Agna hardly understood the mentor.
And the woman saw a family of herbalist, standing in mute delight and grave fear, looking at this procession. The young healer did not take her eyes off the last shining chambers of Ilsa. On the sign of Mary, the lid was removed…
Alma pursed her lips, remembering the face of her deceased mother, how she immediately changed. My face stretched out, my eyes sunk. At first she tried not to look at Ilsa. But, one look and she could not resist an admiring sigh.
Gela, Zia and Mila stood nearby, eyes rounded on dazzling white faces. There were no pranks, no screams.
The dead Princess lay face up, with her dazzling white face, as if she had just fallen asleep. The girl was not afraid to touch the fingers of the Sleeping Princess. They were hard as stone and cold as ice. It was impossible to move them even by hair. Mara watched Alma touch the Princess’s hands and did not interfere. The mentor even became interested in what Agna’s student was doing.
— She seemed petrified, girl. And she became harder than a stone, — the Mentor quietly said.
“She’s not dead, that’s for sure,” the young healer said quietly, “she can even hear us. A little…
— Alma cures the afflicted, Agna explained.
— I will go to you in a year, to Alatyr, — the girl boasted, looking at Mara with enthusiastic eyes.
“We won’t be able to return to our chambers until three months later. It would be easier to go on a long journey with us. Than in a year to swim along the river, and then by sea.
“I’ve wanted to go to Alatyr for a long time. But, it’s like an elder and magi decide.
“I promise I’ll talk to Goody and the Magi Vinal. In the meantime, prepare your box for the long journey. Won’t you be scared?
Alma just shook her head, showing how she wants to go. But again she looked at the golden coffin.
“Well, it’s time for us to move on,” the mentor sentenced from a secret place, “now to Grustina, then to Varta, and there Sargat and Oum are waiting for us.
Satellites picked up a heavy load. and moved along the road to the village, where the inhabitants were to say goodbye to Ilsa.
“Don’t lose your head”
Alma kept looking at a beautiful carved casket, which she traded for rich furs received for healing. And what is it? Isn’t a saved life worth anything? Yes, people themselves carry, it does not require bribes from anyone, no matter how much they gave, that’s all right. So she needs to eat, and during this time, while she came to her senses, she would have caught fish. Well, okay, and ran her hand over the casket, to the wonderful work of a craftsman. And then Mara promised to take with her, and there is no one? How much time has passed. Or what happened in the upper lands, in the Ob origins? The girl went into the yard, do business, feed the cattle. The main thing was to feed the dry.
The dog also flew up, flattered, wanted to be stroked. Serco put his head on her lap, and at the same time she pulled out a burdock from her hair, but she did not forget about dog ears. The dog licked its hand gratefully, and walked nearby.
The girl went to the barn, to the stall, where there was already an old unsuitable grain, in order to set it on food. She poured a full leather bucket with a wooden scoop, and heard a rustle in the hayloft.
Frightened, she grabbed a wooden pitchfork and poked it into the dry grass a couple of times. Listened, not knowing what to think. Nobody responded…
“Don’t call anyone. We will not do evil, — said Lyut, who was familiar to her, who crawled from above.
“Can’t you bring bread?” Tata added, “and this is for you,” and she held out a couple of partridges.
— Okay…
A girl with a fast-knocking heart ran to the house and took one loaf of bread. I put the birds in the basement. and returned to the barn.
— Thanks. What’s your name, girl? ‘a smiling Tata asked.
— Alma…
— Such a thing, Alma… Do you know where the Magi Vinal lives? We need friends to help out.
The young healer stood, thinking. She looked at the sky, the sun hanging high, and it was far from sunset. Then Lute intervened:
— You won’t regret it, Alma… — and took out two full handfuls of gold rings.
It was a lot, a lot… For four rings, weighing each spool, it was possible to exchange a cow, and two calf rings.
— Don’t… I’ll bring it. Only Serko will tie, otherwise he will match me.
The dog tried to play, but the girl only hugged the dog and tied it to the fence. She took the uninvited guests out of the neighborhood unnoticed. Lute straightened the bag behind his back, and outweighed the weapon comfortably. Tata also did it, in addition, laying braids around her head, and covered them with a hat.
— I’ll carry you, just hold on! — and the young man grabbed Alma in his arms, and she grabbed his neck.
The satellites ran… The run was simply incredible, they would easily overtake the best elk and any dog, the trees simply merged into a common green mass. She held on to her neck, afraid to fall, but Lute held the girl as if she were just a cannon. His breath did not go astray at all, but he did not even blush, as if now he was slowly walking in the shade of trees, and did not run faster than a frightened hare. But two ran to the village, and Alma showed where the Magi estate was on the outskirts.
— Here…
Lute and Tata made a circle, going into a dense forest, bordering the tyn of a large estate. But on one side of the building was covered only by an old wattle, and the tyn was only with the main one, at the gate of the house. They came very close, but then Alma saw something that she later remembered all her life.
There was only one girl wrapped in bronze chains. The ground around was just covered in blood. Nearby were five oak decks, each in fathom. In four decks lay decapitated and immovable bodies.
Three magi stood nearby, and Alma did not know two of them, one was Vinal, whom she knew. And two dozen novices, in heavy armor and with shields and bronze axes in their hands. Vinal hit the ground with a staff…
Tata clung with her hands and feet to Lyut, who had already jumped with a silent cry. The companion’s sword fell into the grass, and the girl covered his mouth with both hands and only whispered:
— You won’t have time, and at once you won’t beat twenty, and ten too, — and sobbed.
Alma looked at this crimson lawn. The magician’s apprentice, the hulking Yalin, dragged the bound girl to the chopping block, holding a bloody ax in his right hand. The captive herself laid her head on the chopping block and said loudly:
— Remove the scythe, non-patch. You hit badly… — and smiled without fear to her executioner.
Yalin nodded, and took a scythe in his left hand. He swung, and the copper blade cut the neck at once, and a stream of blood gushed up. As if a living, headless body jerked, straightening, and took two steps forward, to the magi, which caused them to recoil at once. But then the corpse fell into its own blood, so that all the clothes were painted red. Yalin put his head on the chopping block, then put the body in the deck. What was not clear, he put a copper plate in place of the cut, then put his head on, and drove the ax into the churbak almost along the casing.
“They forced me to do the worst,” he said, barely throwing words at the Magi, the young man.
— So according to the Testament we did everything, Yalin. For their own benefit, — Vinal urged the novice, — they cannot die. Put your head to the body — so any of them will come to life in three days. But Ella herself ordered that the Immortals wait for the Dead Princes in a secret refuge.
So we will put them side by side with Ella’s Companions, and they will wait in the wings. You didn’t kill them, but simply put them to sleep. Let’s go, eat, rest, — and Vinal took the unot by the arm, like a small one, — And the other novices will carry the bodies to a secret place. Now another hundred soldiers will come. Two on the run, — said Vinal heartfelt, looking into Yalin’s eyes.
Alma sat like that, with a whitened face, unable to stand up or sit down… The girl finally let go of Lyuta, and he noticed something invisible, like a petrified girl.
— Let’s go,” Immortal whispered, putting his hand on her shoulder, “we’ll take you home.”
— Yes? — only said the survivor of this horror, unable to move.
“I’ll carry it,” Tata said, embracing Alma.
Both Ilsa’s companions ran to Agna’s estate quickly. The girl went immediately with buckets to the well. They stripped Alma, leaving her in one shirt, and began to slowly pour ice water on her, trying to revive her. After six buckets, the heavy medicine worked, and Alma jumped up and shouted indignantly:
— Enough! Cold — how!
And then, finally, burst into tears. Tata hugged her, began to stroke her wet back and head, trying to calm her down. And Alma whispered endlessly:
— And he chopped not sorry… And she, already without a head, jumped up, and again fell into her own blood… Why so?
— So it happened… Do not be sad, Praise she did not die to the end, she sleeps simply. They will stick their heads, she will be alive again. There would be bones, meat would grow…
— Really? — and Alma raised a burrowed face to a new girlfriend — and so everyone?
— No. Only those who tasted them. Ilsa gave us her blood to drink, and now we cannot die. Now let’s go to a secret place and wait. Just don’t tell anyone about us.
— How did they capture your comrades? You are stronger, much stronger than any person. And faster…
“What do you say?” Trusted Vinal…
***
— So we came, — sadly let the Immortals know, carrying a heavy load, — here, they will never find Ilsa.
Indeed, a deaf and inconspicuous place, with mountains, completely overgrown with low fir trees. These elevations were interspersed with ravines strewn with limestone debris. Here he stood, waiting for the decision of the Magus, a golden coffin. Vinal looked at the Immortals with the usual cunning.
“They were not even tired, but carried several miles in the arms of the Dead Princess. What can I do here, and I can’t understand yet. After all, everything turns out so and so badly” — thought the magician of the Sad.
Magus was alone, did not take with him either Akat or Zenz. Yes, and the Unotam was careful to give out the secret. And the Immortals? An inner voice asked out of place, immediately cut off by the owner. Vinal looked up at the sky, where the sun was just fierce.
— Open the coffin, let’s say goodbye, — the old sage said quietly.
Tata and Praise without saying anything. removed the richly decorated gold cap. and lowered the veil, showing the sun the poor face of the Princess. Vinal kissed just the ice and stone-hard palms of Sleeping. Yes. Nothing had changed, though he had hoped so. That Ilsa will rise, and again say her favorite words:
“Good to see you, old badger”
But no, the blue lips did not flinch, and the hands lay immovable
— Decide who will carry the coffin, — with difficulty uttered the magi, and looked at the others.
“We all are. Praise will be with the Torch, lest you get lost, “replied the intemperate Lute.
Vinal did not give a look, he only grabbed the coveted leather bottle with a secret potion, hidden in the floors of the Vedic cloak. Magus knew that those who tasted them in the dark saw better forest cats.
Six, as a sign of devotion and honor, carried a golden coffin, the magician walked from behind. The place was secret for everyone, and the funeral was also secret. Although no one thought that the Dead Princess was dead. After all, the one who is already dead cannot die. But, farewell to the Defender of the whole Priob looked unnecessary… Modest. But, there was another farewell, where in front of everyone they put the same golden coffin in a huge mound, almost a whole mountain high. Only the imaginary coffin was empty, made only so that no one would dare to disturb the Princess ahead of time.
The companions carried the lady in a dark tunnel, skillfully bypassing the pebbles. After all, they saw in the dark, unlike the unfortunate Vinal, who stumbled endlessly and beat off his legs. But the Magi did not walk empty-handed, but with a large deck full of honey. But now, the room appeared. They put a coffin on three large hewn stones, and put a treat next to it for Ilsa when she woke up. Although she did not eat anything. But honey ate, and after a long sleep, food will be needed.
Back to a small village, where an empty grave hill stood near a high rampart, they reached at the height of the memorial feast. Rich food calmed the grief of the inhabitants of a remote place.
And here, next to the table, sat the Magi Akat, Zenz and Unot Yalin, a huge hero. Honey, beer and pies all reinforced the strength of the saddened giants.
In the early morning, the Immortals and Magi set off on their way back. The path now lay far ahead. The deer dragged luggage tied with belts, laid on perfectly worked draggers. People walked on foot, putting boots on green grass. The sun shone over their heads, as if the luminary was unaware of what had happened.
The last day was not far from Grustina, Vinal and Akat were especially protected by reindeer teams. And they stopped along the way very often. Tata caught up with the rest of the Immortals, and quickly whispered to them:
“We have to go. And then the ice chambers will wait for us.
“You always suspect everyone,” said Praise quietly, “we know Vinal when he was still walking under the table. He won’t do that to us.
— According to the covenant, he will enter, shove into a secret pesher. At least drink my potion. They will put us to sleep, and then they will cut off our heads. Then we won’t wake up until the last days.
Only Lute reached out for a simple wooden flask, and drank three sips. Tata herself drank. No one else wanted it.
***
— So it all happened… We could barely crawl away from the fires. There was no strength at all, they walked with difficulty, — explained Lute.
— And what you didn’t break out with fight, all together?
Here the Immortals grinned, and looked at each other, and almost affectionately at the girl.
— So all the warriors of the giants would chase us if we shed the blood of the magi. And now Vinal will not say a word that we fled. Both Akat and Zenzo saw that the seven moons lay bound and sleeping. And only Vinal and Yalin now know that the two have gone into hiding. They will not look for us, so that their oversight does not become known to everyone.
Alma wiped her face with her palms, and nodded her head, agreeing with the interlocutors.
— This is for you, in memory of us and as a reward for help. Well, for a dowry. You are such a beauty, “Lute said quietly, laying a cat with golden rings.
“You can’t refuse a gift,” Tata added, kissing the girl on the cheek.
— Don’t remember dashing, whispered Alma.
— We’re told, ‘and Lute chuckled,” Don’t lose your head’
— Don’t lose your heads…
Way to Alatyr
A cat with gold rings was lying at the bottom of the box with Alma’s things, and she left him alone for now. At first I wanted to buy a calf, new red tape, Agne sable, girls toys… But how to explain where such wealth came from? She didn’t really know how to lie, she didn’t learn somehow. And the mentor will have to explain everything, tell about the Immortals from the Deck of Ilsa, only the young witch doctor did not want evil to Lute and Tata. Alma slept very badly for the last month, she dreamed of the face of Praise, at once the dead face of a girl standing on a chopping block, in a bloody puddle, already with inanimate eyes.
Well, now it was occupation — cut the grass to dry for the winter. Mint, good grass. And it smells good, and it helps for the liver, and for coughing too. Better, of course thistle. But it is necessary to collect it later, she said to herself.
— Thanks for the gifts, Alma. Only you forgot yourself, — only Agna noticed.
— Yes, I seem to have everything. And sheepskin coat, and felted boots, fur shower. Set of knives, boiler.
— Okay, kind soul…
— Agna, did you talk to the Immortals?
— She spoke, but did not speak. They don’t like it when they talk to them. They don’t trust others much.
— Are they strong?
— Stronger than an ordinary person several times. They do not age, they cannot die. But they were all already put to an ice bed, sleep and wait for the awakening of their Princess. Now their chosen magi take care. And there are already fourteen Immortals waiting in the wings.
Alma lowered her eyes to the floor, staring at her shoes. Just not to laugh, she said to herself, remembering her new friends. And then she suddenly ran into her room, poured half of the gold, and returned to Agna.
— This is for you, — and she poured out her gift in front of the healer, — as a keepsake. I’ll be gone soon, and not for one year.
— Alma, yes you were like my own, — and Agna hugged the pupil, — But, well. Let it be as it will be.
They stood there, embracing, for a while, the healer stroked the girl’s hair.
“Now you can stop shaving your hair. Selected hairs do not cut.
“That’s good. It’s hard to cheer, to be honest, “Alma smiled, imagining how she always suffered with a razor.
“I think it’s time to sit down to dinner. Call the girls from the yard.
The young witch doctor went downstairs and found Gelya, Zia and Mila in a thicket of raspberries picking berries. They were collected, of course, immediately for their intended purpose, so that the lips and cheeks became stained with red juice.
— Let’s go eat! Alma shouted almost sternly, there is time!
She took turns washing each tricky face and little naughty pens, then sat everyone down at the table. The hostess of the house put ordinary fish and barley porridge on the table. For the best mood, I put on a freshly scraped table and a zhban with berry broom. So they quickly ate, and everyone settled down to rest.
***
The next morning, those who were not too expected so early came. Barked Serco, notifying the owners of the guests. Alma and Agna looked at each other, and the girl ran to the gate, to see who showed up. But it turned out that those whom she had been waiting for so long had come.
This pulled up the long-awaited train with Mara and her Chosen. The mentor from Alatyr herself, without sending anyone from the unots, knocked on the gate. An excited Alma ran out to her. But then cats ran up, sticking out cunning gray muzzles into the gate. We looked at the guests, and looked back at the hostess, as if advising:
“Drive them out of here! Burn!”
But the girl scratched behind the ears of both, and forest purrs. raised their tails higher, proudly retired.
Mara just shook her head when she saw such unprecedented. So that forest cats would live on the estate, and still give themselves to stroke. But the matter was more important, and she uttered memorized words:
— If you haven’t changed your mind, then get ready, and let’s go. Now we will reach Sad, and then along the Ob, to Gandvik itself.
The girl just nodded, and ran up the stairs to the upper room.
— Agna! Mara came with novices!
The hostess was all white, and grabbed the jamb of the door, but quickly crept up. She collected the entire stock of bowls and spoons, and put it all hastily on the table. She began to hastily cut the already cooked, and Alma also armed herself with a knife and began to cut smoked meat and fish, laying out treats for dishes. She then brought in cold kvass, earning an approving nod from the landlady.
— Go, girl, natopi bath. It’s not the case when they go from the road to the house without washing. And I will finish everything. And take the kvass to them, put it in the dressing room. You will take towels in lara, there are also birch bark cups.
Alma nodded, and quickly walked to the low chopped house. The water was cooked, there was a whole hollowed tub. There were gangs and washes. She ignited the fire by tipping fresh coal from a stone pot braided with ash. It was in such pots that the giants kept fire, changing coals for fresh ones every three days.
The fire flared up quickly, and began to demand additives, extending his fiery fingers to the young healer.
“Enough for you, insatiable,” the girl said. — better faster water gray.
Agna was rich, and here stood a huge good bronze cauldron, in which the water was warmed. She would put in and put in poleshki and soon the bath was very hot and the water was boiling.
The girl rinsed her hands, and went after the Chosen Ones and Mara. Everyone sat on the blockage, throwing back the hoods of their cloaks. And for sure, all these were very young girls. But how old their Mentor was completely impossible to understand. There were no wrinkles on her face, and any traces of age. But her eyes… As if they saw everything and knew everything. Well, she did not sit idle, but knitted the knots of the message. The novices, without saying a word, repeated the work of Mary.
— Hello, Alma! ‘she said first.
— From the road to the bathhouse you would, and there and lunch will be ready, — slowly and clearly fulfilled the order of Agna girl.
Mara nodded, and rose, followed by her novices. The young witch doctor led them to the bathhouse, and opened the door. The inside smelled of heat
“Everything is there. Towels are here, kvass is ready too.
— Thank you, — the woman answered, — come with us.
Alma did not repair, and began to undress with everyone together. Sometimes she looked at Mara, whose beautiful body was completely covered with tattoos, except for her face. Snakes, deer, moose and fish adorned her skin, elephants scattered hand and foot. Her novices were also noted, but in completely different ways: in some moose, in others snakes, in others turtles on the shoulders and hips, and only the back of one of them seemed to be guarded by a griffin. Miracle — the animal opened a terrible beak and spread its wings, covering both shoulder blades of her back with them.
The mentor stared at the bright red scar on the girl’s thigh, and without understanding looked at her. Alma flushed and whispered:
— This is from the stepmother… Snatch from the furnace… It just happened.
Mara did not say anything, only helped the young healer to flatter her hair. The chosen ones decorously, as if on the market, went in and sat on the shelves. Indeed, it was good, and the kind warmth calmed. True, here the young students shook a little, and the bath was filled with girlish laughter.
