Immortalls. Princess Swan from the Golden Mountain

— Guests come to us?

— Yes, — the woman answered with a broken voice, and throwing up her hands, hurried to the girl.

Mika got up, almost knocking over a bucket of milk with her knee, hit her elbow on a wooden pole, hastily making signs to the key holder. Digna immediately smiled, went around the yard immediately sedately and leisurely.

— We decided to come in, baby. To see how you live, — and the housekeeper began to hastily wink at the approaching Rann, why he simply lost his speech, frowned and squeezed his lips.

— Hello grandfather Rann, — the girl greeted, — you see, they gave me a calf, — she boasted.

— A kind gift, — the magician gave, leaning on his carved staff.

And the women who got up behind the girl showed signs to the magi to keep quiet about everything. The main thing is why his housekeeper called to the forest house. Rann was clear, smiled, and talked to Ilda without telling her why he came. But leaving, he could not restrain himself, and forged a witch.

— And you, Mika, need to drink a decoction of willow bark for health. Yes, more!

— I will not forget, Magi, your participation, — answered the medicine woman, often bowing low.

***

So two more years passed. Ilda was fifteen years old, as her adoptive mother thought, although she did not know for sure, she judged the girl by the teeth when she found her. and no matter how Rann tried to force Mika to send her daughter to Alatyr, to accept the initiation, everything was in vain. The witch always remembered the oath given to her by the magi, and was dissuaded by the fact that her girl did not need it yet. The elk grew up, and often carried on himself also a grown-up girl into the forest, or into the distant steppe, but only the elk did not really like it there.

Mika went to the yard on business, disassembled unnecessary utensils in the barn, saw Pirga and her daughter making a harness for the elk, fitting a felt saddle on his back.

— Brown is not a dog, look, be careful, — said the witch passing by.

— Good afternoon, Mika, — the young man said hastily, but already with a braid only on the back of his head, apparently, he had already passed the art and became a man.

— Hello, good fellow, — answered the woman.

— I will not lie down, — said the girl, hugging the pet’s face.

“I’m not talking about you,” the mother laughed at her daughter’s words, “lunch is coming.” Digne help while I manage in the barn. Pyrga, stay, sing with us.

“I’ll help you in the barn,” he said.

Together, things went faster, and shovels, rakes, braids and sickles, poles, everything was laid now, as it should.

— Mika Svet Seevna, — the young man said firmly, trying not to worry, — Can I send matchmakers to your daughter? Lyuba she me.

— Aren’t you afraid? Mika said wearily, trying to find kinder words for the answer, — you know, she is not simple, it will be hard for you with her. And he knows secrets, heals people and animals.

“No, I know that.

— Well, if so decided, let your father send matchmakers in a year, then you will ask your daughter for a decision.

Pirga nodded, agreeing. Mika poured water on his hands, then he would not sit down with dirty people at the table.

Ilda and Digna set the table with four bowls and spoons made from lime wood. They laid out fish, ordinary food, and yogurt in wooden bowls to wash down. They ate quickly, Pirga was getting ready to go home.

— I’m going to the forest, go around the traps. Will you let Ilda go with me? — the young man turned to the witch.

— Is it a girl’s business to drag into the forest, but with the guys? — Mika shrugged.

“No, I’ll go alone,” Pirga smiled.

— Let go, mother, — asked Ilda smiling with her honey smile, — what will happen?

“Let her go,” Digna said quietly, putting her palm on the lady’s hand.

Mika just sighed, and although it became heavy in her chest, like a ferret bit into her heart, nodded. After all, there is no one with whom the daughter goes, and with the groom, the mother lets go to the forest.

— Go, only a guard, everything happens in the forest, — the witch answered.

***

The week passed quickly, as if an arrow had flown. Mother collected bread and salt on the road, put felt bedding so that her daughter would not freeze on the ground. It turned out to be two packs, for an elk like Kariy, just a fluff. Ilda herself saddled her favorite, threw a light bridle of embossed leather. She tied the packs to the saddle so that the luggage would not fall to the ground.

— Let’s sit down on the track, said Digna, pulling at the sleeves of her mother and daughter, sitting next to her, left and right.

Ilda sat down on the left, adjusting her camp outfit, and looked with pleasure at suede pants, palm boots and a felt jacket. The hat was also beautiful, with embroidery, but the girl did not forget about the medicinal sum hanging on her left side. There was also a weapon — a bronze ax, a club, a dagger, and a bow with arrows.

“Come back soon,” said Micah, opening the gate and letting out the rider, who sat deftly on the owner of the forests. Kariy trotted, sometimes squinting at the hostess, checking if she was there. Pirga was already waiting for them near the outskirts, on his dry, and next to him was his dog, Zvonko. And right, the name fit, he barked passionately when he saw the girl on horseback. Kariy, as if thinking, lowered his head down, and the dog ran away a little, ceasing to bark.

— Hello, Ilda, you are doing great, — the young man praised, — Moved!

And they trotted their mounts, and the forked hooves of strong animals banged on the hard ground of the road into the forest. Two men who were pulling deer met them. They brought firewood and branches from the forest, one of the fellow travelers raised his hand, greeting Pirga, the young man greeted back. The girl has long been accustomed to riding, and kept well. Ilda only painted on the way from a light wind, and pleasure from walking. At home, she was already tired of many ailments and unworthy. Glory ran ahead of her, and from distant lands the suffering hurried to Oum, begging her for help. It was a week before the Summer Solstice celebrations began, and the mother ordered to return four days later. The girl brushed aside the horseflies with a twig, since there were not many of them here, but by the evening the midge would prevail..

The forest was already nearby, they rode among rarely standing trees, smelled of needles, and both riders let the moose step, and they themselves removed the thick, low-hanging branches from their faces.

The birds warned that strangers entered the forest with their dragonflies, sitting on distant branches. The young man led his bride to the capture, a small house with a barn nearby, where you could eat and spend the night, so that the next morning you could move around your traps for hunting prey and honey boards. We drove up to the hut, standing on stilts, up to the platform, but a narrow staircase led, and a house was built on the platform. They took off the packs of scarb from the elk, and Ilda took the dry people to the barn, putting food for them in the nursery. She closed the door, putting the pole in the outer strong brackets, so that the inhabitants of the forest would not damage the dry ones, she touched if the barn doors would open themselves. No, the boards were strong, albeit old, and the willow hinges on which they hung were renewed. The girl calmed down and ran through the old wood, feeling her pattern with her fingers.

“Don’t worry, Kariy,” she whispered, and heard the grunting back.

In the window of the forest house through the bull bubble of the window, she saw the light of a lighted lamp, raised her head, nodded herself in the evening, the sun set, and the mosquitoes went hunting. Ilda climbed the stairs, opened the door in the canopy, dusted off her boots, and went into the living room. Pyrga sat at a table, about to use a wooden spoon to arrange food into bowls. Nearby, on the boardwalk, sat his dog, waiting for his share.

“Meat or fish?” he asked simply.

— Fish.

Pirga put her smoked fish in a bowl, and took a piece of fatty venison for himself, deftly grabbing the meat from the bones with a bronze knife. Deer ribs remained in his hand, he beckoned the dog, and left the house, Zvonko rushed after him.

The young man returned, closing the door, poured a honey drink from fur into the wooden bowl of Ilda, then himself. An oil clay lamp burned, dimly illuminating the table and the unwise meal. The room, off the table around them, was sinking in the twilight. They finished everything quickly, and covering the empty bowls with a piece of canvas, began to prepare for the night, laid out felt litters and blankets on the benches. Pirga left the light fixture on fire, putting it in a bowl of water for fear of fire.

“It’s time to sleep. — he said to the girl, — go to bed, otherwise tomorrow I’ll raise it early, we’ll go out.

“And good night to you,” the girl smiled.

Travelers, hiding with felt raincoats, quickly fell asleep. They got up early, washed cold by the stream, Ilda fed the animals in the barn, giving them fresh hay, and brought water to drink. The young man and the girl, hastily eating, not forgetting, however, about the bow and arrow, walked along the forest path. Loudly did not run far from the owner, and did not scare off the forest inhabitants by barking. Pirga, on the other hand, carefully looked at the notches in the trees so as not to stray from the path, and walked around the traps. Behind him and the girl’s back was a large birch bark box, where hunters collected prey. Several hares, a couple of martens, and three weasels, four black grouse were caught. They went on and on, the young man again cocked traps and strangles, leaving bait, so that later he would not be left without prey.

— We go in turn for the prey, — he said, leaning down and cocking the trap, — Other hunters, from other families, have their own traps, their own tavern in the trees. They also check the boards, but this father and uncle are engaged, so as not to damage the bees and not be left without honey. — explained Pirga, — not tired?

— No, I only go to mushrooms, — the girl laughed quietly, looking with pleasure at the dexterous guy. — you can continue to go.

Ilda saw Pirga looking at the claw marks on the bark of the pines, that the young man’s face lit up with a smile.

“What are you up to?” she said.

— The bear is wandering nearby, maybe a connecting rod… — Pirga suddenly came to his senses, looking at the sky, — it is necessary to return, the sky darkens.

They came to the capture, changed into old clothes, and took the workers’ knives, began to engage in butchering, and take off their skins so that the good would not disappear. The meat of birds and hares, removed from the bones, was salted, put in linden buckets, saving food. But one black grouse, gutted, was covered with clay, and salted, buried in the coals of a fire, preparing dinner for itself.

The skins of martens, weasels and hares were stretched out on the braces so that they would not cringe, drying out. Next to the pillars of the house, caress and martens Zvonko raged over the bones and meat, who today got a lot of food. On a fired fire, they boiled water in a cauldron, brewing herbal infusion for a meal. The girl then poured the finished drink into a thick stone pot in the house.

Evening came, and Pirga, taking a bronze rod, took out a ripened dinner from the burnt coals of the fire. Clay fell off from dexterous blows along with feathers, the young man divided the bird carcass with a knife for two, putting it in wooden bowls.

— The smell is great, “Ilda agreed, pushing her food towards her.

— Black grouse is always good, — the young man smiled, also starting to eat.

Washed down the braised grouse with an infusion of herbs, so dinner was great. The day went well, and the girl fell asleep with a happy smile, thinking that tomorrow morning would be even better.

***

Ilda, shuddering, woke up when the bright sun was already easily breaking through the window covered with a bull bubble, and his golden rays, like gentle hands, began to stroke the girl in the face. The whole room was full of light, as if the sun itself had come to visit them. The girl jerked off the felt blanket and looked around anxiously. Pirga’s shop was removed, his bow with arrows on the wall was not. She, pursing her lips, quickly dressed and fought, and left the house on the platform, thinking that the young man was somewhere nearby. She quickly finished her part of the remains of the grouse, leaving Pirge half, and covered the food with another bowl. She did not sit at home, and already, judging by the sun, the day was approaching noon. Again she sat down on the bench next to the barn, feeding and drinking the dry, and then, in impatience, began to walk next to her again.

with a capture, then playing with his knife, then in powerlessness putting his hands behind the waist belt. The young medicine woman simply did not know what to do, and began to get angry with despair.

“Where did he go?” the girl said aloud to herself.

Suddenly, far away in the forest, there was a plaintive dog howl. Ilda flew up the stairs, jumped into the house, threw a bow and a quiver with arrows behind her back, thought she put it behind the belt and the bronze ax, and did not forget about the dagger. She rushed to the barn, taking Karego out, instantly saddled up and drove to the path leading to the thicket. Again there was a dog howl, turning out the soul. Ilda looked around, tried to see where the dog was, breathed often, often, anticipating trouble.

“Just don’t die there,” she said to herself, “hold out longer…

She sent a plow to the trees, from which the howl of Calls was heard… The elk easily passed where the person would not pass, broke through thick branches and bushes, and now, Ilda saw Zvonko’s skin covered in blood. The dog tried to rise on his front paws, but only his head rose, and then again powerlessly fell on his paws. The girl jumped off the dry, went up to the dog, and put her palms on the wounded dog. Two sighs — and Zvonko is already spinning, no matter how it happened, around the girl. Ilda opened her eyes, returned to Karem with an unsteady gait, with difficulty perching on him.

— Ringing! Owner, look! — She Podzarova Dog, holding on to the bridle.

The dog jumped up, and looking back at her, ran into the thicket of the forest, pressing his nose to the ground. Ilda tried to keep up with the guide, although a couple of times she got a branch in the face. Suddenly the elk snatched and turned around, disobeying the hostess, lowered his head, decorated with horns, and walked to the nearest bushes. The girl, shuddering, saw a wolf in the bushes, pressing her ears to her head and growling furiously at them. Karego was not frightened by this, and he hit the horns of a jumping wolf, and when the fierce beast bounced, he inflicted a terrible blow with the hoof of his right front leg. There was an unpleasant crunch, and the dead wolf spread out next to the pine. Carius lowered his head, sniffing, sniffed, and carried the mistress after the dog.

Ilda only caught her breath, not having time to take the club, and kept even tighter in the saddle. The dry man carried her to the clearing, on the edge of which lay a hunting spear, with a tip stained in blood. In the raspberry bushes, Zvonko barked invitingly, called her to him. The young healer dismounted, and quickly went to the dog, and after her, not lagging behind, sniffing and snorting, her elk walked.

Ilda saw the crushed and broken bushes, darkening blood on the ground, and the lying bear-claw Pirg. The blood was still flowing from the wound on the stomach and shoulder, the young man’s eyes were closed, his fingers were twisted from unbearable pain. The girl did not even think about anything, knelt next to the body, and put her palms on a warm forehead. She only managed to breathe twice when she lost consciousness.

Conversion. Undead and Dead

Suddenly she found herself in an unfamiliar place, where even the air was viscous, and every movement seemed to sink in it. Everything around was gray and dull, even the grass underfoot was as if colorless. Unfamiliar gray flowers bloomed, it was very damp, a very small and some kind of dull rain dripped. She passed quite a bit, and here in front of her, as if the Tree of Peace had floated out. It was huge, as in mom’s fairy tales, with huge, rustling leaves without wind leaves, and its entire trunk and crown were entangled in a dull shiny gold chain. Ilda did not see everything, the links of her chain rose to the very sky, but she knew that this was the Golden Chain. The girl walked carefully, trying not to crush a single flower of asphodels growing here. Near the tree, she noticed two huge boulders, and as if a black clot of fog rushed towards her, sparkling with finger-length fangs. Here, from behind the witch, she heard the Voice, but it sounded not in reality, but only in her head:

— Came? I was waiting for you…

And then instantly the figure of a woman wrapped in a black cloak appeared in front of her. The face was hidden under the fold of the cape, only the eyes sparkled with blue light.

“You will serve me Ilda. Destined so… said the girl, pulling off the cloak covering her face.

The witch first closed her eyes when she saw a white-marble shining face. Ella, and it was she, quickly, like a flying gait, approached Ilda, and touched her shoulder.

***

The girl screamed, opened her eyes, seeing how Zvonko jumped back, and snatched, and walked two steps away, pinning the grass with hooves, Kariy. The witch, wrinkled, rubbed her shoulder, burning as if from a burn. She rolled up the sleeve of her jacket, and saw the Mark, bright red on white, marble leather. She looked around, and did not understand what was the matter… The grass was gray, the sheets on the bushes were light gray, slightly dull. She brought flowers and did not smell, rubbed her nose, not understanding. The young man opened his eyes but did not move or speak. He ran up to him loudly, first barked, then ran away and howled terribly.

— What are you? — the girl did not understand, — come here.

The dog ran to the trees, did not leave, but he was afraid to approach, pressed his tail, and sat down on the ground.

— Get up, why are you lying? — the healer said quietly, putting her hand on the young man’s shoulder.

He instantly got up, but somehow awkwardly, clung to the bushes with his feet, and his hands interfered with him. For some reason he was silent, staring at one point, and as if he was not breathing. Ilda did not understand what happened, she looked at him like that.

— I stained my pants, and look, I lost my gold bracelet, — she tried to make the young man laugh.

The witch breathed more often, came closer, and did something that she never dared. She put her hand on his chest. Ilda wrinkled her forehead, not understanding what was the matter, but her HEART did not beat.

— What is it!!! she cried in despair.

You have to go home, she decided. Ilda walked through the bushes, took Pirga’s spear and dagger, put a cloak on him, covering his face so that no one would recognize the unfortunate. The moose obeyed her, obediently waited for her to sit in the saddle.

“It’s ringing, come here,” she called the dog.

He came up loudly, wagged his tail, but suddenly he began to pull the air with his nose, and did not like the smell at all, so he sat down again and howled.

— Pyrga, follow me.

The young man, as if inanimate, started up, and went very quickly, after the girl. Following the dog. Ilda saw another forest, almost as in her vision — only gray, black, whitish and white colors. There was no more green or red or blue for her. Even the horseflies did not climb to her anymore, and Pirga was not touched.

They reached the capture quickly, the girl tied up bales and bags, and tried to load the young man’s elk, but at first it was not given, everything snored and wheezed. But then Ilda pulled him by the bridle with unprecedented force, so that he sat down on his back legs. The girl pulled the dry man to her, stroked his head and neck for a long time, and tried to calm the animal down. Finally, she brought the elk out, stuffed it and lapped up all the luggage with belts. She didn’t want to eat at all, which she was very surprised at, because she hadn’t eaten for half a day. She put the bowl in front of the young man, but he only stared senselessly at the wall of the house, not paying attention to the stewed black grouse. I tried to eat at least a piece, but could not.

— Do not disappear meat… ‘she said, “Ringing!” she shouted, and dumped the poultry in a dog bowl.

Here it rained, at first very heavy, then thoughtful, dull. Drop to drop, fell to the ground, washing away both traces and blood on the grass of the forest clearing.

I went to check if everything was in order upstairs, in the hunting lodge. The girl laid dishes, crushed the floor, worked for a long time, now she saw the slightest crumbs and dirt, shadows no longer existed for her. Carried away by cleaning, I did not notice how the sky darkened. And already in a hurry, moved home. In front she was driving to Karem, followed by Pirga, after which his moose was loaded, and behind was a frightened Zvonko. The dog ran from behind in the steps of twenty, as the girl noticed, looking back. Ilda began to get used to new eyes — they did not distinguish colors, but in the dark they saw everything. A couple of times I noticed wolves sneaking in the dark, and launched them into one with a stick, but I got so that it flew up. And this is forty steps!

Vedunya was surprised at her strength. The path was blocked by a fallen tree trunk, stretching branches and arms-branches in all directions, as if wanting to rise again. Ilda jumped off the saddle, walked around the barrel, wondering how best to grab. But she picked up and pulled back the tree, although it was hard for her, especially when the branches clung to the bushes. Catching her breath, she looked at her elk, at Pirga, who was immovable, like a wooden idol at the temple. The witch drank honey from the flask, and immediately gained strength, and the feeling of hunger disappeared. And, the best part, she could eat, it’s drinking. Jumping, and grabbing the neck of the plow, at once found herself in the saddle, and sent Karego forward. The path wriggled in the forest more often, like a snake squeezing through bushes and grass. So they went, and soon Ilda saw the long-awaited hill with a moat and a rampart, the beloved Oum. The girl turned along the path, heading for the estate, donated by the elder of her mother. It remained very close, Ilda hoped so much for the help of her mother, but, which was unusual, she was not at all tired. Here, home, the girl left the saddle, took Karego under the bridle, and knocked on the gate. Soon the house rattled, the dog barked, shuffling steps were heard, and Digna’s voice rang out:

— Who is there looking at the night?

“I am,” Ilda said, deafly, not in her own voice.

— Who, I say! — the housekeeper began to get angry.

— Ilda, — the girl exhaled, — open the gate.

— Now.

Digna removed the constipation from the gate, opening it wider. Ilda brought both moose, and Zvonko ran into the yard. The witch exhaled:

“Come in, too.

And Pirga went inside too, remaining to stand. Ilda led the moose to the barn, scattered, and asked for food and poured water to drink.

She returned, and saw how she was walking around the young man Digna, and everything pops up with her hands.

“What is it with him?” the woman asked, “what about you?” with a face, with eyes? All white, and black eyes…