Immortals. Twin princesses, Ella and Elle. Black Wings of the Night

— Oh, and it’s good here! — she said, seeing the bright color of the sun, — Father, I heard that… — Elle began to speak out, — Not today, of course. Well, last night… So the Savirs, Ikmore, started treason. Negotiated with Manis, whispered secretly, in the bushes, during a feast. I saw everything, but I ran away from them, did not catch me…

The daughter lied a little. Well, she could not say that she went on a date with Tisat? It was much more terrible to tell her such a father…

— Why did she decide that Ickmore? So he is only an elder, not a deliberate knight, but a husband who has not reached out? What could he discuss and promise?

— Noticed noticeable boots, embroidered richly with him. So I remember…

“And they remember you too, that’s for sure,” Radko said, losing patience.

— No, I was in a man’s outfit. In a unot jacket, pants and a hat.

— What was the embroidery on the felt? What family? What are the signs? — squeezing his jaws spoke Radko, — who knows how the case will now turn…

— This is the family of Agnas, from Oum. And, Father, do you think that those people will rush to look for unot? The guy whose jacket was?

The warrior nodded wearily, and led his daughter away from the city. The Christmas tree now barely moved its feet, stumbled through the step. Although she lowered her eyes, looked only down, she just stared, without taking her eyes off the log pavement.

***

They walked now quickly, along the streets of the city, Radko personally examined each sign on the fence post of the estates. The tree still could not recover. Dogs barked, from behind fences, scaring strangers. But passers-by looked around at the newcomers, not too pretentious and friendly.

— Looking for someone, so I can help, — finally, the friendly guy turned to them, — my name is Usol.

The boy was very young, dressed in the usual clothes for every Hanza. Linen, in summer time, pants with embroidery at the ankles, a shirt in a blue check, and a jacket, now open in warm time. The shoe boy had light pistons on his feet, in strings. The Christmas tree looked at the embroidery of the jacket by the throat, and just stunned… Those same signs, Agnas’s family… I noticed that my father understood this too. True, she noticed that Usol was half a head shorter than her…

— Usol, take us to your home, there is no time to explain! Radko said quickly.

— No, you can’t… We have grief, Agna was killed, — the boy said quietly, — a bad time for the guests.

And for Elle, these words of the boy became like thunder and lightning, hitting very close. She seemed to be deaf here, only reduced eyebrows, suffocating in heavy flour, gained a full chest of air and only then was able to exhale…

Usol looked sadly at his estate, and did not notice how the Christmas tree changed at once. Radko instantly understood everything, threw a raincoat on his daughter’s shoulders, and covered her face with a hood.

“All right, we’ll go then. We will not disturb you on such a day, — he said calmly polite and decent words.

He knew what to say a man, especially in an hour of pain and grief. I visited different cities and villages, and even knew how to solve in a word what others tried to solve with their fists. And then, and spears and clubs, when a simple quarrel turned into a bloody swara.

— All right. Maybe convey what? Usol asked, calmly looking into the eyes of the interlocutor.

— No, probably. Better, then…

And both slowly walked away from the posad. They had nothing more to do here.

“We’ll take the boat down the Ob tonight. I have a letter from Irn… And in Gandvik I will put you on a boat that goes to Alatyr… You will be safe with the Chosen. You will live in those places until everything settles down.

— And if you tell, our foreman, Ramid, about the secret, let him know?

— So who will believe you, girl, your words? They will say, they say, the Slavic woman came up with, it seemed to her all this, in her youth. It happens, they say… That’s it, stop chatting, let’s go to the pier. As Usol tells that they came, and asked about his family, so the elders from their kind will understand a lot… They will start a search… Who killed their relative, why. They will come to us, you will say what you saw… Did you recognize Ikmora by her voice?

— No, only boots… Everyone is embroidered, — she barely audibly whispered, — oh, the voice is not the same… And what, we will be to blame?

She stood in complete confusion in front of her father, not knowing what to do now. I didn’t do bad, but it turned out how bad it was, and the guy died, but it turns out that she was to blame…

— Yes, ours won’t leave us, but it can and to Court fight reach. No, get out of here, it will be better. Moreover, for everyone. And for us, and for the Agnas family, for young Usol. How can they compete with Elder Savir and his neighbors?

Elle heard these words, and understood that her father was right. Confused business and thin, very thin…

***

A gray cloak is good clothes for those who want to hide their face. It seemed to the Christmas tree just such an outfit now unusually suitable. And it didn’t seem hot in him, I could just walk calmly. And it’s very good that her father was walking next to her, it added calmness and confidence.

— So, daughter… Now I will leave for our camp, to Palak. Let our drinker be delivered home, prey, so that he would convey the news from us to mother, Mlada. And take the things that you need to take with you. I’m quick, wait for me at the dock!

Radko ran to the outskirts of Oum, where an army from Warta was camped. Yolka understood that her father was doing everything right, but she was uncomfortable, now, here she is completely alone. Everything seemed to see this Ikmore here, or that, in patterned boots. And, I tried not to look at other people. I wanted, I really wanted, so that they would not notice her.

The girl saw how passers-by looked back at her in surprise, but now it did not bother her. I even noticed Tisat in a hurry, with a rocker on his shoulder, and a load. It can be seen that the boy was busy with something, and now she did not want to distract him.

Nearby was a descent to the river, from which a large pier was erected, with several berths and gangways. There was even a wide road covered with steep-sided logs, which would be easier to lift the cargo brought by the rooks to the capital city. So it was much easier to slide the sled with packs and bags attached by belts. And now the loaders pulled out rich goods from the pier to the warehouses, harnessed to rawhide buildings, and the elder only shouted:

— And, once! More! Naddai! A little more!

And the dozen artelshiki coped with such hard work. This is not to say that it was easy for them. It seemed a little more, and the wooden runners of the sled would smoke, but no, the belts survived, and the load was not damaged. Sleds, as if alive, poked at the open gate of a huge barn. Immediately a merchant with unots jumped out, and smiled so broadly, as if he had met the most long-awaited relatives, nothing more than siblings.

“Finally! Paley, great job! Here, and the promised! — the merchant said and put the canvas bag in the hand of the eldest of the artelshiks.

— Always happy to help, Utmar! Always. It’s good to deal with you!

He was pleased, but tried not to show the view. And his artel made an encouraging noise, showing approval to the grip of his leader. The workers approached the breeder, clapped on the shoulder, the same stood proud and important, and then began to divide the merchant into their awards.

True, the Elle saw that they paid attention to it, and hastily turned away. She began to go down, trying to go faster, as quickly as possible. I could, I would run, but my legs still moved badly, braided. She walked, trying not to slide along the wooden plaques, driven into the ground here. I looked around, noticed a couple of rooks standing at the pier. The ships were large, or it seemed so simple to her now, in as many as fifteen ukyuchins on each side. But, here, there were no watazhniks nearby… As luck would have it, none of the rooks were loaded with goods, no one was going to leave Oum. True, small fishing boats slowly cut through the water surface with sharp noses.

The Elle from fatigue just almost fell on a hefty churbak, legs gave way, no longer held. I sat down, so it immediately felt better. I had to catch my breath, and I really wanted to drink, as she felt. Now I looked around a little calmer, only a little calmer. And the breeze blew, light and pleasant. And then, as if as a reward, she noticed a boat walking along the river. And the helmsman ruled right to the pier. The mast was lowered, and the ship was now only on oars. There was already a paddock on the nose, ready to throw a rope to the pier. And the loaders here were ready to help moor, counting on a small bribe. The Elle gladly watched the fine and dexterous merry people, as they pull the rook closer, putting bags of wool under the sides of the sealskin, so as not to damage the ship.

Finally, the oarsmen began to demolish the bags on the pier, laying evenly, as if on a corner. They argued the case… They quickly finished everything, the clerk ran up, began to count the goods, and then gave the tags for receiving the goods to the senior of the vataga. Here, however, a girl came down to the pier, like Yolka, wrapped in a raincoat. Yes, so the cloak hung down that you can’t see your face, only Yolka noticed the clear blue eyes of this stranger. Yes, something twisted in her heart, as if she felt something…

I could not think, otherwise I would certainly come closer to the girl. But then, shouting at the pier, residents of the city began to run away. And, judging by the embroidery, from that very ill-fated family of Agnas. The tree sat down, hiding behind the logs at the pier. And then, at the gatherings, taking advantage of the bustle that had begun, she climbed onto the boat and lay down on the bench, quickly covered herself with a thick canvas, apparently from a sail. She hid, thought only to wait here.

Well, on the pier they shouted for a long time, and they fought, judging by the screams. But then, someone gently pulled the canvas. The tree squinted strongly, the sun beam blinded his eyes. In front of her stood a smiling quilted jacket, suddenly he bowed to her, and shouted:

— Guys, everyone is on the bench! Mrs. Spruce is already on the boat! Let’s get out of here!

— Thank you, Bras! Let’s go! — there was a response cry, — now we are leaving! For goods ahead crying! And the tags, here they are, the tags! On the rook, guys, stop waving your fists!

— Exactly, Gorazd Artakovich! Madam is with us! ‘another voice replied.

And on the boat they jumped, and just ran along the gangways. The nimble guys sat down to the oars, one of the merriers cut the rope with a dagger, and the rook quickly, like a grasshopper from a twig, bounced off the pier, and quickly ran along the water surface. The tree sat in confusion, not understanding what was happening. She frowned, but kept quiet, not understanding what to do. Indeed, from one misfortune I got into another, at least howl now, but at least cry. And there was no time to think. I was going to rush into the water, and there, how lucky, I even got up…

But a dozen feeders went to her, in leather palm clothes, with a thin golden hryvnia around her neck.

“It’s all right, Mrs. Spruce. The cargo was handed over, the tags were received. Your mentor will be happy. And what they started to cook on the pier, you will not fail, the Oumans were the first to start. And we go further, to the Great Gandvik. We remember what Mrs. Gaida said!

She just nodded, pretending to understand. Who is this Gaida? And this hero recognized her? Why? Thoughts got confused in her head… The main thing, of course, was that she escaped from Oum. But, she, Spruce? So her name is a Elle? Or…

PART 2 Gaida Apprentice and Krasa Apprentice

CHAPTER 1 The Mindless Witch

The girl got up with difficulty, from the wooden pier, holding her head with both hands. The crown touched, under the scythe laid in the roller, the bump swelled noticeably, but, fortunately, there was no blood. The arms and legs were also intact, only the cloak got a little dirty, she dusted it off, and even pulled it off the floor from a good canvas, fearing to get dirty.

She was sick, everything around her eyes, spinning, as if she had only got off the fair carousel, off a painted wooden horse. But then she noticed that her boat was going down the river. She just choked on such injustice. How could this be?! Already going to scream, or run along the shore for a boat, but here, someone persistently tugged at her cloak, trying to attract attention. The girl turned around, about to fight back, her hand had already found the handle of a knife hanging on her belt.