The Dead Princess and the Seven Dreams. Immortals

«Where were you?» asked the distressed Wang, «you see, I won,» and handed Snega a bow, and his horse, known for its hole, curiously sniffed Snaga’s ear, and rubbed against her cheek, from which she laughed.

— She treated Orm, he suffered at the beginning of the race, — Alena stood up, — without her he would have bled to death.

— Well, if so, — Wang was embarrassed, still fiddling with the bow kibet, not knowing where to put his hands.

— And let me try, — asked Brother Snow, — like you, ski behind a horse to ride.

— Granny will beat me… — Van said doubtfully, — what if what happens?

— Yes, we won’t tell her, — the witch who came to her senses laughed, — come on skis, and hold the reins, and hold the horse for now, so that she wouldn’t jerk off in time.

— Okay, — Van said doubtfully, putting his skis in front of the girl and bending down, helped fix the fasteners, and Vett held the horse by the bridle, — maybe Vett will lead under the bridle, ride you?

— Let Vett ride you,“ Snow laughed, picking up the reins, „went, and she clapped with long reins, sending the horse forward.

First, the coward took a step, then, deftly going over with his hooves, and fervently lifting his tail, he switched to a lynx, and then a light gallop. Snow deftly stood on skis, and the Huns accompanied her with surprised glances — how is it, the girl rules the horse like that? For them, it was not a curiosity that women run sledges, ride deer, rule carts drawn by oxen and horses. But here, it was wild. And so, the witch rushed, flakes of snow flew out from under the hooves of the horse, she deftly traveled around the trees, and having traveled around the village, she returned to the standing Van, Vett and Alena, next to which a crowd of curious people gathered.

— I have never seen such a thing,“ said the admiring Vett, spreading his arms, „you rule a great horse, and you stand on skis.

Snow stroked the neck of the horse, he snorted rather, responding to affection. The girl took off her skis, gave it to her brother, and the reins were taken by Vett, who took the cowboy to the stable.

Then people unfamiliar to Snow rode on deer, and it was funny to watch a small deer drag a tall man on skis. Deer ran through the snow faster than horses, less hooves fell into the crust.

In winter, it quickly darkens, but there was no cloud in the sky, so now a pale moon illuminated the earth. Huge shadows from a dim night star covered many objects or gave them an absolutely incredible look. A pile of snow in the yard seemed like a huge dragon, and a willow wattle was a ship from the Student Sea. Children sculpted snowmen in the courtyards and on the streets, and then staged fights, throwing snowballs at each other. The mummers began to walk around the village, asking them to thank them for a generous evening. Residents, laughing, threw all sorts of things into open bags, more food. It was already evening, and people had not gone to bed yet, all rejoicing at the sunny day that was beginning to grow. The holiday continued, the light of oil lamps and rays burned in the houses.

The next morning, they knocked on the door of Winter’s house with a staff, the woman went down to open it.

— Happy holiday, you light Winter, and your grandchildren and granddaughters, — a loud voice spoke, there was a noise of steps, and the mistress entered the room, and after her the Boor with his wife Mila and son Orm rose up, and the lad dragged a heavy bag, — these are gifts to you, — and Bor began to get gifts out of the bag, — This is Snow, a new knitted scarf, and a hat with long ears, no matter what freezes. Grandmother a new fur fox sleeveless jacket — and, laughing, Mila gave a gift with a bow.

— The future warrior has new skis, and the beautiful girl Alena, a woolen scarf, and your grandmother Zima — and he gave the beauty of any house from the bag, a bronze cauldron with four legs. Everyone looked at bronze art, it was not just a household item, but a thing decorated with many figurines of deer, in the form of which the hands of a cauldron were cast, griffins digging their beaks on its walls, and the legs were made like griffin paws. The boiler was still shiny, it was new, and did not have time to be covered with patina and soot of fire. And Bohr’s wife put a luxurious kokoshnik decorated with river pearls, with a lying crescent of pure silver in the middle, and then the woman came up and put the gift in Snaga’s hands.

— Let’s try on, beautiful girl, — and Mila strengthened on the head of the young witch miracle-cleaning.

A small height, three fingers, he inexpressibly painted the girl. She flushed with pleasure, freckles became even more noticeable, and laughed, and reached for her silver mirror, to look. She turned and so and so, everyone looked in admiration at her beautiful face.

— Very beautiful, girl, — confirmed the opinion of the rest of the Bor, and everyone in the upper room nodded their heads in agreement.

— Thanks, Bohr, for the gift. For the boiler, especially. Only we have nothing to give up, — Zima answered with embarrassment.

— Your granddaughter named gave away, Orm, my son, saved her life. So I would have bled to death. I can’t imagine how she could, and looked at her wife in an experimental way, but she did not raise an eyebrow in response.

— Skill, the main thing here, Bor. You also nurse people with herbs, and you can drive the reckless driver away, «his wife told him, smiling,» and enough for you to look for bad everywhere, «she said without a smile.

«There is already a pink scar on the wound, Mila,» and he squinted at Snow, as if he wanted to see something unknown and scary.

The girl got up, looked at the magician with a strange half-smile, took a knife, and cut her index finger with it. Four pairs of eyes kept looking, first at the band on her finger, then how it turned red, and finally a DROP OF RED BLOOD fell to the floor.

— Sorry, Snow Maiden, — and, sobbing, fell on Mila’s lap, — forgive my husband, and my son, and me, unreasonable, — and continued to cry, not letting go of Snegi’s sundress. The girl was terribly embarrassed, turned pale, then blushed burning, tried to free the floors of her clothes, and began to hastily lift the woman from the floor, holding her under her elbows, and squeezing her finger so as not to stain the festive outfit with blood. Bohr was embarrassed, not knowing where to put his eyes.

— Sorry, beauty girl, — and bowed in the belt, as he had not bowed to anyone for twenty years, — to be afraid of everything… What if you’re the Icemen? Or did the Ice Princess send you? Forgive us all for the sake of the Guardians of the Tree, and more than all of me, «he said, cradling his sobbing wife. Orm looked at the girl in admiration, and did not hide it.

— Stay with us, taste the treats, — suggested Snow, speaking in such a way as to remove the awkwardness and resentment hanging in the air, and the grandmother nodded, agreeing with the wise granddaughter.

— Sit down at the table, dear guests — and sat down at the table in the best place, moved a bowl of deer stew to them, and poured honey into the buckets. Near the village of Snow, without removing the gift, and Winter put her fish, and Alenka and Van are also deer.

— You cook well, Winter, venison with lingonberries is amazingly good, — said Bor, wielding a wooden spoon, — try it, Snow.

«I’m a fish,» said the girl, separating the ridge from the boiled cod, «I don’t eat meat.

— Well, that’s it, once again with the holiday, and separately we will drink for you, young witch, — Bor proclaimed, — and do not hold a grudge against me. I am not evil. To be afraid of everything — he grinned bitterly — and for a long time to be afraid, since Elga turned. And there are no wars, and terrible diseases, yet she, undead from the Forbidden Island, did it. And to be honest, not Zigi, not our neighbors to be afraid of our soldiers, but to be afraid more of death fierce, if suddenly the immortal sorceress Elga gets angry with them.

The snow drank honey, and lowered her eyes into the table, smiling faintly, only furtively looking at the guests. It seemed that she wanted to run away from here than to listen to it. Suddenly she raised her head, wanting to say something, and did not say.

— And what happened? — doing round eyes, vied with each other asked Van and Alain, — tell me, Bor.

— It was a long time ago… Two hundred years ago… — he said, picking up the words of the Magi hard, — The strangers attacked, we fought back, it was hard, and Elga came from the Student Sea… With the army…

«And what kind of men?» asked the impatient Wang, even despite the venison in the bowl, which smelled just magical.

— Inanimate, — reluctantly, as if pulling out words with ticks, said the magi, — Elga raised the army of the dead, and at night the inanimate warriors killed all the enemies. She erased all enemies to dust, only bloody streams remained, then she came, bowed to people, and her terrible army disappeared, but there were thousands of her soldiers. Well, many, warriors, put a sign on their forehead, on the transfer. That when they die, she took them to her army, to Her Kingdom, to the Forbidden Island.

— Where did she hide them,» Zima asked, also breaking away from food, «so many?»

— Nobody knows,» Bohr said slowly, looking into the fire of the hearth.

Fears of Bors

In the evening, Bohr and his wife, Mila, returned to their home. Their novices, disciples of the Magi of the tribe, opened the gate to them. Bor took to his training two or three boys, intelligent, fast in mind, capable of herbalism. I never invited more than three, believing that it is impossible for a mentor to show wisdom to many at the same time, the direct communication necessary for the transfer of knowledge is lost. Three of the Seven Magi of the tribe were his disciples, and then, as they should, all passed the Initiation on Alatyr. He remembered this day, as he himself threw bones with ancient runes, and one of Pryakh interpreted them. Bohr did not tell anyone about the prediction, and about how he visited the cave, where Time himself asked how he went there, and now he often dreamed of that day — he wanders between multi-colored columns, and finally finds the cave, passes over the polished floor, and touches or rather, plunges with his hand into Something, and this Something asked him questions, and he passed the test by responding that he was only human. And here, in misunderstanding, trying to see what he could not yet understand, but felt some kind of unknown, it was connected with the find that came from the forest. No, he was happy that she saved her only son with Mila, but how? How did she do it? Many witches and witches tried to repeat this, but could not. Only one thread, one thought tormented him — his grandfather told him, and his grandfather told him that Elga was capable of such miracles, in that distant battle with strangers, cured even the dying. Yes, so ice princess, the lord of the dead. Elga was here a hundred years ago, the strife took away. Magi Preya, his great-grandfather, the leaders did not obey, they say, who is the Magi? He monitors customs, protects people, and they, the leaders of warriors, defenders, why should they be admonished by some magician? But he warned that Elga was not a stranger, she would feel, come to humble. So what? She killed the skolt leader with one finger when he began to contradict her, and became her servant forever. Who is Snow? And kind, for sure. And bold, and it is. Orma cured, did not ask for anything, in an incomprehensible way, and there was no scar left. And Mila is silent, which was really, and the son slept, did not see anything. Bor squeezed the staff still firmly in his hands, and got up to think. It’s good here, in the upper room it’s warm, hot, you can catch your breath here. But still, it’s good that the blood is real, red, the girl, like people, means she is not from ice giants.

He still wandered around the snow-covered courtyard, trampling the paths with felted boots, rolling chilly into a sheepskin sheepskin coat, and adjusted his hat, tightening its ears around his neck so that the wind would not blow out. It snowed, falling in soft flakes and on the head of the magician, and on the gable roof of his house, and without lingering, rolled down the shingle.

«That’s it, snow goes to snow, and people to people,» Bor thought, and did not know yet how to solve this riddle, and then it dawned on him that he needed to talk to Dubrava and Podaga, Ora’s novices. And as soon as it becomes clear, you see, they will help to send news to Alatyr, although they did not want to contact them and ask them for anything. They hide- You cook well, Winter, venison with lingonberries is amazingly good, — said Bor, wielding a wooden spoon, — try it, Snow.

«I’m a fish,» said the girl, separating the ridge from the boiled cod, «I don’t eat meat.

— Well, that’s it, once again with the holiday, and separately we will drink for you, young witch, — Bor proclaimed, — and do not hold a grudge against me. I am not evil. To be afraid of everything — he grinned bitterly — and for a long time to be afraid, since Elga turned. And there are no wars, and terrible diseases, yet she, undead from the Forbidden Island, did it. And to be honest, not Zigi, not our neighbors to be afraid of our soldiers, but to be afraid more of death fierce, if suddenly the immortal sorceress Elga gets angry with them.

The snow drank honey, and lowered her eyes into the table, smiling faintly, only furtively looking at the guests. It seemed that she wanted to run away from here than to listen to it. Suddenly she raised her head, wanting to say something, and did not say.

— And what happened? — doing round eyes, vied with each other asked Van and Alain, — tell me, Bor.

— It was a long time ago… Two hundred years ago… — he said, picking up the words of the Magi hard, — The strangers attacked, we fought back, it was hard, and Elga came from the Student Sea… With the army…

«And what kind of men?» asked the impatient Wang, even despite the venison in the bowl, which smelled just magical.

— Inanimate, — reluctantly, as if pulling out words with ticks, said the magi, — Elga raised the army of the dead, and at night the inanimate warriors killed all the enemies. She erased all enemies to dust, only bloody streams remained, then she came, bowed to people, and her terrible army disappeared, but there were thousands of her soldiers. Well, many, warriors, put a sign on their forehead, on the transfer. That when they die, she took them to her army, to Her Kingdom, to the Forbidden Island.

«Where did she hide them,» Zima asked, also breaking away from food, «so many?»

«Nobody knows,» Bohr said slowly, looking into the fire of the hearth.

Fears of Bora

In the evening, Bohr and his wife, Mila, returned to their home. Their novices, disciples of the Magi of the tribe, opened the gate to them. Bor took to his training two or three boys, intelligent, fast in mind, capable of herbalism. I never invited more than three, believing that it is impossible for a mentor to show wisdom to many at the same time, the direct communication necessary for the transfer of knowledge is lost. Three of the Seven Magi of the tribe were his disciples, and then, as they should, all passed the Initiation on Alatyr. He remembered this day, as he himself threw bones with ancient runes, and one of Pryakh interpreted them. Bohr did not tell anyone about the prediction, and about how he visited the cave, where Time himself asked how he went there, and now he often dreamed of that day — he wanders between multi-colored columns, and finally finds the cave, passes over the polished floor, and touches or rather, plunges with his hand into Something, and this Something asked him questions, and he passed the test by responding that he was only human. And here, in misunderstanding, trying to see what he could not yet understand, but felt some kind of unknown, it was connected with the find that came from the forest. No, he was happy that she saved her only son with Mila, but how? How did she do it? Many witches and witches tried to repeat this, but could not. Only one thread, one thought tormented him — his grandfather told him, and his grandfather told him that Elga was capable of such miracles, in that distant battle with strangers, cured even the dying. Yes, so ice princess, the lord of the dead. Elga was here a hundred years ago, the strife took away. Magi Preya, his great-grandfather, the leaders did not obey, they say, who is the Magi? He monitors customs, protects people, and they, the leaders of warriors, defenders, why should they be admonished by some magician? But he warned that Elga was not a stranger, she would feel, come to humble. So what? She killed the skolt leader with one finger when he began to contradict her, and became her servant forever. Who is Snow? And kind, for sure. And bold, and it is. Orma cured, did not ask for anything, in an incomprehensible way, and there was no scar left. And Mila is silent, which was really, and the son slept, did not see anything. Bor squeezed the staff still firmly in his hands, and got up to think. It’s good here, in the upper room it’s warm, hot, you can catch your breath here. But still, it’s good that the blood is real, red, the girl, like people, means she is not from ice giants.

He still wandered around the snow-covered courtyard, trampling the paths with felted boots, rolling chilly into a sheepskin sheepskin coat, and adjusted his hat, tightening its ears around his neck so that the wind would not blow out. It snowed, falling in soft flakes and on the head of the magician, and on the gable roof of his house, and without lingering, rolled down the shingle.

«That’s it, snow goes to snow, and people to people,» Bor thought, and did not know yet how to solve this riddle, and then it dawned on him that he needed to talk to Dubrava and Podaga, Ora’s novices. And as soon as it becomes clear, you see, they will help to send news to Alatyr, although they did not want to contact them and ask them for anything. They hide- You cook well, Winter, venison with lingonberries is amazingly good, — said Bor, wielding a wooden spoon, — try it, Snow.

«I’m a fish,» said the girl, separating the ridge from the boiled cod, «I don’t eat meat.

— Well, that’s it, once again with the holiday, and separately we will drink for you, young witch, — Bor proclaimed, — and do not hold a grudge against me. I am not evil. To be afraid of everything — he grinned bitterly — and for a long time to be afraid, since Elga turned. And there are no wars, and terrible diseases, yet she, undead from the Forbidden Island, did it. And to be honest, not Zigi, not our neighbors to be afraid of our soldiers, but to be afraid more of death fierce, if suddenly the immortal sorceress Elga gets angry with them.

The snow drank honey, and lowered her eyes into the table, smiling faintly, only furtively looking at the guests. It seemed that she wanted to run away from here than to listen to it. Suddenly she raised her head, wanting to say something, and did not say.

— And what happened? — doing round eyes, vied with each other asked Van and Alain, — tell me, Bor.

— It was a long time ago… Two hundred years ago… — he said, picking up the words of the Magi hard, — The strangers attacked, we fought back, it was hard, and Elga came from the Student Sea… With the army…

«And what kind of men?» asked the impatient Wang, even despite the venison in the bowl, which smelled just magical.

— Inanimate, — reluctantly, as if pulling out words with ticks, said the magi, — Elga raised the army of the dead, and at night the inanimate warriors killed all the enemies. She erased all enemies to dust, only bloody streams remained, then she came, bowed to people, and her terrible army disappeared, but there were thousands of her soldiers. Well, many, warriors, put a sign on their forehead, on the transfer. That when they die, she took them to her army, to Her Kingdom, to the Forbidden Island.

«Where did she hide them,» Zima asked, also breaking away from food, «so many?»

«Nobody knows,» Bohr said slowly, looking into the fire of the hearth.

Fears of Bora

In the evening, Bohr and his wife, Mila, returned to their home. Their novices, disciples of the Magi of the tribe, opened the gate to them. Bor took to his training two or three boys, intelligent, fast in mind, capable of herbalism. I never invited more than three, believing that it is impossible for a mentor to show wisdom to many at the same time, the direct communication necessary for the transfer of knowledge is lost. Three of the Seven Magi of the tribe were his disciples, and then, as they should, all passed the Initiation on Alatyr. He remembered this day, as he himself threw bones with ancient runes, and one of Pryakh interpreted them. Bohr did not tell anyone about the prediction, and about how he visited the cave, where Time himself asked how he went there, and now he often dreamed of that day — he wanders between multi-colored columns, and finally finds the cave, passes over the polished floor, and touches or rather, plunges with his hand into Something, and this Something asked him questions, and he passed the test by responding that he was only human. And here, in misunderstanding, trying to see what he could not yet understand, but felt some kind of unknown, it was connected with the find that came from the forest. No, he was happy that she saved her only son with Mila, but how? How did she do it? Many witches and witches tried to repeat this, but could not. Only one thread, one thought tormented him — his grandfather told him, and his grandfather told him that Elga was capable of such miracles, in that distant battle with strangers, cured even the dying. Yes, so ice princess, the lord of the dead. Elga was here a hundred years ago, the strife took away. Magi Preya, his great-grandfather, the leaders did not obey, they say, who is the Magi? He monitors customs, protects people, and they, the leaders of warriors, defenders, why should they be admonished by some magician? But he warned that Elga was not a stranger, she would feel, come to humble. So what? She killed the skolt leader with one finger when he began to contradict her, and became her servant forever. Who is Snow? And kind, for sure. And bold, and it is. Orma cured, did not ask for anything, in an incomprehensible way, and there was no scar left. And Mila is silent, which was really, and the son slept, did not see anything. Bor squeezed the staff still firmly in his hands, and got up to think. It’s good here, in the upper room it’s warm, hot, you can catch your breath here. But still, it’s good that the blood is real, red, the girl, like people, means she is not from ice giants.

He still wandered around the snow-covered courtyard, trampling the paths with felted boots, rolling chilly into a sheepskin sheepskin coat, and adjusted his hat, tightening its ears around his neck so that the wind would not blow out. It snowed, falling in soft flakes and on the head of the magician, and on the gable roof of his house, and without lingering, rolled down the shingle.

«That’s it, snow goes to snow, and people to people,» Bor thought, and did not know yet how to solve this riddle, and then it dawned on him that he needed to talk to Dubrava and Podaga, Ora’s novices. And as soon as it becomes clear, you see, they will help to send news to Alatyr, although they did not want to contact them and ask them for anything. They hide… Eh… These crazy youths think that they are only praying in their grief, but they knit threads, we know that they can… Again he got up, sighed hard, shook his head, and went home. He went into the canopy, tapped his boots with a broom, took them off, changed into home shoes, and went up to the residential part. It was warm in the upper room, the windows were shuttered from the inside, everything was illuminated with lamps with bronze mirrors, it was not dark, but the shadows were cast long, and twilight reigned behind the larks with scarb.

«I walked up, Bor,» said Mila, «sit down, eat.» — and the wife put on the table pies, and stewed venison with lingonberries. — Orm, sit down to eat at the table!