Immortals. Dead Princess from the Forbidden Island. Seven stories about Elga

Remember, the Princesses smell their own blood, know where it pours, and try to help. So Ilda raised the dead and led them into battle. But the Princesses could not keep more than three hundred dead in submission. And its magician, Ilm, managed to make the Wands of Power. With their help, the Dead Princess was able to hold three thousand Inanimate. And with that army, she interrupted the milestones of the enemies of the Huns, so that the geese had no one to carry into the country of the dead. Strangers ran away with their herds from our borders, and the dead, raised from the battlefield, replenished the army of the dead. But soon Ilda fell asleep, and Ilm disappeared, and the wands disappeared with him. Where the Nezhivykh army went is also unknown. But strangers are still afraid to disturb us, remembering the sea of those killed by the dead, all exterminated, and what was worse than those taken to the service of Ilda. But according to all prophecies, the Princess will be Seven, no more and no less. And when the Guardians create the next Dead Princess, no one knows. How they, the great sorceresses, become Princesses with Ice Faces, no one remembers. After all, it’s old and terrible, many are afraid to think about it.”

Mara looked around the girls listening to her, shook her head, and went to bed.

***

She fell asleep immediately, only covering herself with a fur blanket and closing her eyes. She got into an area where everything around her was gray and foggy, and thick and dense haze prevented her from walking. It seemed to the girl that she was walking in the water, every step was given to her with unthinkable effort. The legs fell through, sticking inside this fog, and then, as if they were tearing themselves out, and so she went on and on. Elga raised her head, trying to figure out where she was? Gray-gray sky. Only grey, grey, everything around is grey and no other colours or shades animating the place. As if the rays of the sun never penetrated this wet drizzle hanging in the air, as if the rain did not fall on the ground, but remained hanging in the air. She walked on, amid ghostly, grey flowers that smelled of nothing, with stunted grey grass beneath her feet, seeing no living creatures here. She slowly, braked, turned her head, wanting to look around. So she slowly walked on, seeing the mountain, and the waves of the same gray, lead sea, slowly beating into the rocky shore of the island. Approaching the mountain, she saw an opening removed by a wild stone with a huge oak door, upholstered in green copper. The door, taller than her height, suddenly opened in front of her, and then the passage into the cave gaped with its coal blackness. Something seemed to prevent her from entering this alluring darkness, her heart sank and her head ached. Here, from the cavern, she saw a gray light falling on a familiar male figure. A man, distinguished by his blackness even from the darkness of the cave, stood with his back to it, and beckoned, dancing on the move, and weaved a spell to the beat of inaudible music, bending his fingers on both hands, changing the position of his hands and feet. It seemed to the girl that she had seen him somewhere, but she could not remember, no matter how hard she tried, even clutching her fists in a dream. The sorcery did not last long, and behold, he quickly turned his head back, and her heart contracted. It was Ilm, buried by her in a dactyl cave.

“It’s your home, and they’re waiting for you. Don’t forget what you hid. Thanks for the kindness, “the ghost said.

And the vision crumbled like a house of twigs, and Elga opened her eyes, choking with fear, staring into the darkness.

***

The girl was breathing heavily, and her shirt was saturated with sweat. She got up and took out another from the chest, and changed her clothes. I poured water into the cup, and a couple of times I got my teeth on its wooden wall, of course, not out of fear. After all, the Chosen are not afraid of anything.

— What are you? — called her Mara, — does not sleep?

— I wanted to drink,” the girl replied in a whisper.

— And I have nightmares. I can’t understand anything, — and the mentor looked at Elga probingly, — did you sleep well?

— Excellent, — the Chosen One lied, — you see, I was in business all day, tired, and sleeps well.

— Lie down, rest, the woman said.

Quickly walking to her shop, the young healer sniffed into the arms of the uncooled fur and soon fell asleep.

The next morning there were again lessons and artworks prepared by the meticulous Mara. How to put bandages, how to treat fractures and bruises, monitor the unworthy and help women in labor. Everything was important, and the mentor was strict. They taught and repeated letters, but not one fortune-telling, they only communicate with the gods, ordinary, but from knots, for small letters and news. And again, in the evenings, she showed both the Starry sky and its maps. Mary had a map with constellations of bronze, and luminaries of gold and silver on it. So the days passed, and suddenly, and this always happens suddenly, a sail on the mast appeared on the horizon, among the Student Sea, and a pennant developed on it. By color, the Chosen understood what the sailors came with — with new inhabitants and pick up new witches, or pestilence came and help was needed, or strangers attacked. Or, best of all, it’s time to bring supplies to the island. This time, judging by the pennant, they went to pick up a new volkhovitsa, and brought a new student, so that the wisdom of Alatyr would not run out.

“Pack up, Elga. We have already seen a sail on the horizon, — Mara told her, arms crossed on her stomach, — and go to the Spices, they are waiting for you.

“Well,” the girl replied, worried, “I’m going to the Pryahs.”

Elga dressed, and leaving the chambers, went into the passage leading to the burners of the Recluses. She knocked when she heard the ritual answer:

— Asking here will always help.

The girl opened the door and entered the monastery, where they were already waiting for her.

— It’s a pity that you are leaving Alatyr, Slavnitsa. Be careful among people, danger awaits you everywhere.

— Start a housekeeper, at home, in Varta, — advised another, — years older, but what would be stricter. And remember the Covenant — do not resurrect the dead, the punishment of the Guardians will come immediately, and you will not have time to blink an eye.

— Everyone will expect help from you, love everything, or even be afraid. — said the third, — and you will break, no matter how you like — they will hate right there. You will not remake yourself, you will not be able to refuse treatment to anyone, but do not strain your strength. There will be many who ask.

— You’d be better off here, ‘the first added.

“I can’t stay,” Elga whispered, her head down and holding hands.

“And we can’t leave with you to protect you,” the second added sadly. — but here’s a gift from us — and she gave the girl a silver mirror of excellent work, with a handle decorated with minted geese.

— Thanks.

— On a good memory, and that I would see myself in the mirror, always, what you are, — said the third.

The girl left Harith’s shelter, not knowing if she would return to this cave. With quick steps, she came to the place that became her home for four years. Bales and lari were ready, everything was laid, and in one of them were the Wands of the Force. The girls, her friends, stood nearby.

— Come on, little one, — Gata laughed, — we will help you with luggage.

— Exactly, — Tansy grinned, — you are still small, and so much you drag. And the marina is still a long way off. Let’s go, Elga.

The chosen ones grabbed the healer’s luggage, and lari and bales swam ashore on the island in the hands of the girls. They all came out of the mountain together, and the sailors were already looking forward to them on the shore, and a girl, a new novice, stood next to them. Nearby were stacked supplies and gifts from close novice girls. Mara also followed the Chosen Ones, and even further from everyone, like three shadows, Pryakhs also went. The mentor was ahead of the Chosen, and approached the sailors.

— Hello, servants of the sea.

— Hello to you too, Madam Mara,” the quilters bowed all together, and with them the girl. — The news came to Gandvik that you are sending a new healer to the world, and the boat is waiting for her. And we delivered a new novice to Alatyr, and the feeder nodded at the girl wrapped in a fur coat.

— My name is Uxa, I’m from the scolts, — the girl slowly said, glancing from Mara at Elga, — I arrived at the word of the elders, and stretched out a rope with knots.

Mara ran her fingers through the letter and nodded thoughtfully.

— Everyone is happy for you, Uxa. Take your things, and go to the chambers with the other Favorites.

The girl nodded, and went to the novices, and Mara went to the feeder, and began to speak with him very quietly:

“What’s your name, guardian of the sea?”

— They call me a cross, — he smiled broadly, — I’m also from the scolts, Dvina and I came, but we will deliver the lady to Gandwick, do not doubt it.

— The feeder, the healer is not a simple magician. Be calm, and don’t be scared if anything. She can do a lot, and I don’t frighten you. Her name is Elga.

“Thank you, madam. We will take care of Mrs. Elga, and he bowed to the mentor.

Mara approached Elga, who was hiding her hands behind her back in excitement, and turned to the mentor.

“It’s time for us to say goodbye. It’s a pity that you are leaving us, but nothing can be done. Happiness to you, and be careful.

“Thank you, Mara. I was glad to be with you — she turned her head, and shuddered when she saw Pryakh, immovable, covered with black raincoats, and more like huge silent boulders.

Elga did not say a word, and stood next to the carpenters. They grabbed the boat, raised it, and went through the surf. Soon the boat swayed in the waves, and the sailors, in leather clothes, picked up the girl’s things and put them in the boat. Then Clest picked up Elga in his arms, and transferred her to the boat, and climbed over the side of the ship himself. Paddlers hit the waves with oars, pushing the vessel away from the island. The girl saw how the backs of the merrymakers began to bend and unbend, leaning on the handles of the oars, and whipping the sea, like cream in a wing, without hope of getting oil from the waters of the Jellied Sea. The shore was moving away, and the healer saw how women in black raincoats approached Mara. Elga, when she lived on Alatyr, saw off the seven Chosen Ones, and the Pryakhs never went ashore to say goodbye to the students. The girl did not hear, and could not hear their conversation.

***

“You didn’t tell her? ‘one of Harithas Marа asked.

— No, and she has not yet recognized your names, — the mentor grinned, — Sveta, Rada and Dara… Your names, the names of the Harit-Recluses. And every time these…

— So is Mara’s name…

— She couldn’t tell her… What is ahead of her — and she closed her eyes with her palms. The sea wave hit, and water fell on her face and salty moisture flowed between her fingers. Mara removed her palms from her face, and so she stood, barely breathing, biting her lip.

“You’re crying,” Rada asked her.

“It’s a sea wave, Recluse,” Mara shook her head.

“She’s a tough girl, she can handle it. She has to take it.

— But she has so much… — and Mara lowered her head down, eyelids adjacent, and clenched her fists in impotence and remembered the day of fortune-telling, fortune-telling on the fate of Elga. That day stood before her eyes again

“At the call of her heart, she tried to grab the bones, but the Recluse managed to pull them out earlier, and removed the bird bones with signs of fate.

And only in the memory of Mary all these words burned:

“You go, you won’t disappear

You will be the seventh, you will not die

Then in the ice, as you fall asleep”.

The story is the second. Warta

The sea met the healer affectionately, the waves of the Student Sea did not hit the side hard, and the wind was passing, North-East, and drove the boat from Alatyr directly into the Gulf of Ob. Klest raised the sail to save the strength of the rowers, and he himself stood up to the steering oar. He was afraid for the girl, how will the sea take her? But she did not sway, and she ate smoked fish with quilted jackets, and rejoiced at the salty splashes that fell on her face. She seemed to be a sailor herself, she lacked only a leather jacket and the same pants with narrow soft boots covering her leg. And her began to help his people cope with the tackle, manage the sail. What he was afraid of was whales in the strait, which come across here very often. But he hoped that a couple more days, and they would already approach the mouth of the Ob, and the whales try not to go to the shore.

But no, as he nodded himself later, he jinxed his luck. Forty cubits from the ship, he saw a killer whale fin flashing in the waves. And a whole flock appeared, the feeder clenched his teeth, hoping for the best, and only wrapped his left hand around the mascot hanging around his neck, on a leather cord. Only the girl did not seem to understand all the danger threatening them all. She stood up to the side of the lodge and held out her thin hands with her open palms to the whales, and her hair developed in the wind. The healer whispered something, and the whales seemed to scream back at her, with their whistle, familiar to every sailor of the Studny Sea. Killer whales stuck out, shouted and again plunged into ocean waters. The girl suddenly turned and looked judgmentally at the feeder, and then turned to the whales. Killer whales shouted again, but suddenly dived at once, and no longer showed up.

Klest still looked at the witch’s back, and did not dare to say a word out loud, and the team did not give a voice, and you could only hear the splash of waves, and only the silent breath of vataga was heard above the waves. All the sailors looked only at Elga, and that, towards the sea, where the whales disappeared. Finally, the girl turned and went through the banks of rowers, and stood on the stern next to the feeder.

“Klöst, do you hit the killer whales?” she asked quietly, and looked intently at the helmsman.

“It happens,” the sailor shrugged.

“No more,” said the healer quietly, “they asked.

— Who? — the helmsman’s eyebrows climbed onto his forehead, — are they? — and he waved his hand at the sea waves.

— Yes, — the girl nodded her head, — they wanted to sink the boat. I said you can’t. But when I’m gone, they’ll attack. They will remember you and attack you.

— Madam, — the voice of the scolt trembled, — what will we eat? We live by the sea?

“There’s a lot of fish here. You have networks. And when you see them in the sea, you can catch fish with a net, closer to the surface of the water. They are like dogs, they will drive you fish. Only share prey with them.

“As you tell me, Madam,” Klöst bowed and remembered Mara’s words. “The feeder, the healer is not a simple magician. Be calm, and don’t be alarmed if anything. She can do a lot, and I don’t frighten you. Her name is Elga.”

Then they walked calmly along the sea. So the long-awaited Gandvik, the mouth of the Ob, appeared.

— Elga, here we will land you ashore, further to Lukomorye you will be delivered by boat.

“Thank you, Klöst.

— You, madam, for saving from killer whales.

The sailors unloaded Elga’s things ashore, and they themselves went to acquaintances to exchange their goods for the products of local craftsmen. Two sailors remained with the girl, who tried not to look her in the eyes, were afraid of the evil eye. They loaded her belongings onto a skid, and went to Sadk’s house. Three children ran towards them, waving toy bows.

“Where are you going, knights?” Elga asked without a smile, “won’t you help the wanderers find Sadc’s house?”

— The future warrior will always help the Chosen One, — a little lisping, the knight answered, shaking his shaved head with several curls, — follow us, madam.

The girl moved behind the guide, who led her down the street between the fences and wattle houses. Finally, the guide poked at the gate, and with his squad galloped somewhere into the distance on an imaginary deer. The witch knocked on the wicket, and listened later. Finally, the dog barked, and steps were heard in the courtyard of the house.

“Who’s there?” sounded a man’s voice.

— Elga, a healer from Alatyr. ‘the girl replied to the landlord.

The wooden bolt creaked, and the gate hanging on the willow hinges opened. Dissolved the entrance tall, like everything in this land, a middle-aged man.

— Be sound, madam — and he bowed low, touching the ground with his right hand — glad to have you here. And these people are with you?

— No, these are sailors from the boat, chipped, helped to convey the luggage. Thank you, then yourself, — said the girl to the sailors.

— My name is Trept, I am Sadka’s father, — and the owner of the estate picked up bales and bark with both hands and carried it to the house, — close the gate, — he told the girl, turning around.

The door to the house was open, and next to the entrance sat a dog, waving its tail affably, and standing on its paws when the guest approached. Elga calmly and without fear stroked the dog, scratching her ear, she sniffed in response, met. Trept only quacked when he saw it and scratched his chin.

— Let’s go, — and he went upstairs with luggage, to the upper room.

At the top was a pair of small windows, tightened by a bull bubble. The rooms were very clean, and an elderly woman in an ordinary knitted dress and fur sleeveless jacket walked towards her, and she was dressed and an apron, you can see the hostess was preparing something.

“Thank you for coming in. My name is Arza. If you stay, we have Elga, and there the boat will sail to Varta, — the woman said, — sit down, we will have dinner. In four days, the cargo will be ready to be sent to the upper reaches, and you will go with them along the Obi-matushka. In the meantime, you will see how we have in Gandvik, maybe you will like it.

— And thank you for sheltering.

“How not to greet you. You cured our only son. Trept and I have a daughter, three, but already married, live in our families. — suddenly jumped up, hit herself on the sides, — Why am I. You eat out of the way, but I’ll exhaust your bath. The bath is good, recently re-folded. Now I’ll bring the meat from the basement.

— No, I don’t eat. If only fish or milk, you can and yogurt.

— Well, — she nodded, not getting into the Vedic secrets, and went down to the basement, soon returned, brought a couple of fish and a yogurt.

— Tremble, have a seat! — she called her husband, and put on the table three wooden bowls, and three spoons.

She took a jug and a wooden bowl for washing, poured the guest on her hands, and gave a towel to wipe her hands, and washed her hands herself. My husband came, poured on his hands and him. Finally, everything was ready, and they began to eat. Trept cleverly cut the cod into pieces and cleaned it, put it in a bowl, and everyone took parts of the slave carcass. Elga ate the treat with pleasure, washed down with yogurt. After all, there were only crackers on the voyage and salted cod to death.

“Your house in Gandwick is almost ready. Katwar did his best. Don’t worry, we’ll look after them. Do you want, take a walk, show your possession?

— Let me eat, and I need to wash from the road, — the wife intervened.

“Of course it is,” he said, finishing his meal. — I’ll go, then I’ll cut wood.

After the meal, Arza led the healer to the bathhouse, already flooded by her husband. Elga basked with pleasure at the hearth, poured warm water, sometimes caught the hostess’s gaze on herself.

— These are the signs of the Chosen One, — she explained her tattoos, — as the Dedication passed, so they applied a drawing to me.

“I haven’t seen that,” the woman said curiously. — Yes, you are still…

— I got to Alatyr at twelve. Three years have already passed. And you really have a noble bath. Rested well, thank you.

After washing, Elga rubbed herself with a towel, and began to comb her unstressed hair with a comb. At first rare, then frequent. Arza, already with her hair styled, approached her.

— Let me help you, ‘and reached out with her wooden crest, but the Chosen One deftly ducked.

“You can’t, Arza. You can’t touch our hair. No offense to you, but the Law is like that, do not hesitate.

“But your hair is beautiful,” the woman smiled, moving away from the Slavnitsa, all surprised. It seems to be ordinary, like everyone else, freckles on all faces — otherwise it is impossible and this is impossible. What is possible?

They returned to the house, Arza treated the girl with berry kvass.

“Did you want to show me my house?” Elga asked the owners.

— Exactly, Trept said, and began to gather.

Arza also dressed, throwing a warm felt cloak on top, and Elga threw the same one, and the owner of the house put a felt jacket over his usual clothes, belted with a belt.

“Well, let’s go,” he said, adjusting his belt dagger and taking a staff in his hand.

Elga and Arza took the same staffs, just in case. We walked down the street of the village, avoiding stepping into cow cakes. There were a lot of cows, and the girl saw a considerable herd being driven to a distant meadow. But they tried to cope with the manure, sometimes the owners of the houses, as she saw, threw it into ditches along the road, scraping the manure with wooden shovels.

Finally they approached the Elga estate. The house, where several carpenters still worked, stood not far from the pier, but also not close to the labaz, where goods were put for exchange, or sent to the upper reaches, or to the Dvina, to the skolts, or further, to the Kama to the mards and magicians.

— It’s a pity, you haven’t seen our Bear holiday, — Trept told the girl, — we have a beautiful time and a lot of fun.

— It’s good that they didn’t send me so early, so even at this time there is a lot of ice in the sea. I will be with you, in another year, I will watch the Holiday here.

They entered the open gate, and saw how tightly tied reed sheaves were placed on the roof so that water would not flow into the house. Not much left. Katvar put the door to the house rich, on bronze hinges, and not on wicker ones, like many. Beautiful house, the first in her life. She went around him from all sides. The lower crowns are oak, will not rot. Window as many as three, all bullish bubble tightened. Platbands are carved, and intricate carvings adorned the doors too.. Very well built, with love.

“Where is Katwar and Sadok now?” the girl asked.

— They went to Grumant, — looking at each other, the parents of the young man smiled. — How do you like the house?

“Beautiful. I will come, — the girl smiled, — to visit you.

We went back down another street, past the bargain. And Elga saw a dirty-dirty man lying next to the ditch, and something from her fishing.

— Who is it? — the girl asked with a whisper of her guides.

— Likt, — Arza sighed, — as his youngest, most beloved son drowned in the sea, so he entered the kingdom of the gods, without dying himself. At first I didn’t sleep at all, then I started talking, I left home. Not violent, smiles endlessly, but storms know how to predict. One word, God’s man, holy fool.

Elga approached the man, squatted next to him, adjusting her cloak and dress so that they would not lie in the mud.

“Lict,” she said quietly.

He turned around, sat on his knees, oblivious to his dirty pants, and looked intently into her eyes.