The Dead Princess and the Seven Dreams. Immortals

— Now! — their son shouted, and quickly sat down at the table, laying down unfinished new onions along the way, which still had to be pasted over with birch bark.

— Son, do you remember what Snoya did when she treated you?

— No, I cut the felt boots and pants, touched the neck, and I fell asleep immediately, but I woke up — my leg was wrapped, there was little blood in the pelvis at all. Yes, I told you how many times.

«Mila, did you see what?»

— Yes, I ran after the pelvis, and came back — everything is fine, — and she shrugged her shoulders, — why did you get attached to her! The blood is red at the glory, what are you? — and she already looked evil at her husband, — or it’s bad that she saved our son from death, — and she rested her hands in the belt, putting her elbows to the sides, preparing for a quarrel.

— What, you’re a wife. — the Magi was taken aback, — But who is she? Where did it come from? You ask your friends, maybe someone will hear something.

— This is different — and her voice warmed up — I’ll talk. Maybe Ora will tell his friends what, Zae da Nege.

— She’s good, kind and beautiful, what are you, father? — said the son, — she happens to come to look at our lessons together with Alena, and Van- you can’t say a bad word about him.

— Eat come on — and the wife moved the pies to her husband. «Did you like the girl?» she said, smiling, to her son.

— She doesn’t eat meat, — Bohr remembered, taking a pie in his hand, and thoughtfully biting off a piece of it, — but she eats pies, — and smiled happily, remembering, — like the Spikes. At least something. So, she also gave a lock…

The next morning, according to custom, the Magi went to congratulate the leader at his house. Novices behind him carried gifts as usual. Nothing unusual — fish and mushrooms, and in response Zigi will give away the same. The novices remained in the human, and Bor went up to the leader.

— Happy holiday, you Zigi.- and bowed to the leader.

— And you, Bor. — and also bowed to the magician, — Will I say hello to the family?

— Everything is ok. Did you hear that my son suffered, but the witch is a student, saved him?

— Quite a lad, see, but Ora learned it well. We were lucky with the new witch.

— Are you lucky? And not what werewolf? Did Ora teach her? I don’t remember that she would cure so much. — Bor frowned, — well, colds, wounds are not severe, yes, she knows how. Childbirth takes well, also true. But this? — doubted the magician.

— Almost a year has passed, Vedas, and misfortunes have passed us, neither diseases, nor pestilence, cattle does not get sick, which means that evil has not come to us.

— You yourself know, — the magician sighed, — who does all this, decides everything, and protects us, and we all, and everyone around us lives in fear.

— Elga, — the leader sighed, — everything is not so bad, Magi. The tribe has grown tenfold over the years.

— It became more difficult with food and grazing for cows. Have you heard that again the Wends quarrel with the Danes?

— No,» the leader answered, «there are unoccupied lands on the Dvina.» We will send hunters there, we will agree. And below, according to Kama, our old allies live.

— With this okay, Zigi, but what about Snega and me? Maybe we’d better go to Alatyr?

— As long as there is no evil from her, and we have no quarrel with her or with the Spikes. And I realized what you were driving to, Magi, — the leader grinned curiously — that she was from ice giants, from Elgin people? And then there is no need to anger the Ice Princess, if that’s for sure from her. Yes, I heard — and he grinned — she shed Red Blood, not Ihor. And you need to look after, you never know what.

— Here I am about that, — the magi enlightened, — Let’s look after. And how are yours, home? Wife, children?

— Everything is fine with Nara, Fat learns from Liszt, Zell will go to him the next year, while the traps of the house make every beast, but Gilda… Already that year does not get up… — Zigi said sadly.

— Or maybe… — and Bohr looked expressively at the leader.

— You about Snow, like me, so you thought? Zigi answered him in an instant.

Magus nodded his head, and all broke into a satisfied smile.

Gilda cure

— I myself will go to ask her, I will take my vigilantes, two or three for honor, and gifts for Winter and Snow, and I will not forget the grandchildren.

— Try to invite to your house to your house, or ask to be present at the cure of your daughter. Just don’t tell your wife, otherwise suddenly nothing will come of it — and the magician sighed blankly.

«That’s right. So, Nara is not herself. I will say, I took my daughter out, take a walk, ride a sled, look at a snowball, show myself.

«Will you take me with you?» Bor asked with little hope, I will not say a word. You won’t regret it, chief.

«Better not,» he said, thinking, Zigi, «who knows how everything will turn out.» Okay, I’ll go to my wife, and I’ll send gifts to collect the youths, and I’ll go to Snaga with a scarb.

— Well, I’ll go home to my family. Joyful days, and the son survived.

«Greetings to them and a bow from me. Zigi added.

Magus hastily gathered himself and went out, and Zigi went to his wife in a cell. The wife sat and embroidered a towel, often putting her palm to her forehead, and winced in pain.

— Nara, what did I want… I’ll go, I’ll ride Gilda on a sled, everything will be more fun for her…

— Go… Thank you… — his wife answered him with a weak voice, holding on to his sore head.

The leader hurriedly left his wife’s chambers, and went to his daughter’s room. There was a nurse with her all the time, from the distant relatives of Nara. An elderly good woman, her children grew up, and now they live in Yamal, they hunt whales, in the sea all the time. So they left the mother in the care of his wife, and she began to look after their weak daughter. Zigi was not happy with the Light, what a lot of help from her, and her daughter fell in love with them, and her temper is not evil.

The husband and wife quarreled, asked Zigi’s wife to tearfully go to Gandvik in winter, when Elga was visiting her lands there. Yes, the leader did not even want the Dead Princess to bow that she would heal Gilda. And here, in the upper Ob, in Varta, according to the old memory, Elga does not go, he remembers resentment, but does not take revenge, no.

— Hello, daughter. Let’s go, I’ll sled you. Not cold in the yard, snowball, very beautiful.

— Thank you, now Sveta will help to dress, — Gilda gladly agreed.

The leader carried his daughter dressed in warm clothes in his arms, and put her in a sleigh, but the sleigh was special, he pushed them from behind, holding on to special handles, so that he could follow his daughter tied to the sleigh with a belt. Previously, there were ordinary ones, but once Gilda fell from the sled, her father did not watch. And then she cried for two days, but not from pain, because she fell into the snow, but from resentment that she was so weak. Three dozen soldiers walked behind him, and carried on a sled lar with gifts for the witch. Zigi pushed the cart, smiled in response to the joyful Gilda, who finally got out of the boring tower, from which she rarely left in winter, others are busy, and she cannot get up from the bench alone and not go outside. The father thought that he would tell Snega that he would not refuse, and he dreamed of everything to himself, something good should finally come for his daughter, and for him and his wife. Moreover, what a holiday.

Gilda looked around, because we left the yard, and where did her father take her? And at least in the forest, the girl thought evil. Faster to die than to live like that. Death is not fierce from the cold, she thought, closing her eyes.

Soon the house of Winter appeared, one of the soldiers knocked on the gate, deaf blows were heard far away, two dogs barked, and a boyish voice asked:

«Who’s here on Bright Day?»

— I, this, Zigi, visit you on a holiday, and I want to ask.

The boy, dressed in a sheepskin coat, opened the gate, quickly looked around at people, and to say that he was surprised is to say nothing.

«Hello, Van,» Gilda said in a gentle voice, opening her eyes, «will you let us in?» Father brought you gifts — and looked back at his father, smiling.

«Thank you,» said the taken aback boy, «and happy holiday to you.»

«Van, call your grandmother and Snow,» the leader said in his ear, «not a conversation for other people’s ears.» — and put his hand on his shoulder, nodding for importance.

«Okay,» Van said immediately, blushing, and rushed into the house.

«It’s beautiful,» Gilda said to her father, «but where did Van run?» ’she said, blushing.

— What did you like? Zigi laughed, a prigozhe lad. Yes, they were unlucky with their sister. You see how it happened to your father-mother — drowned in the Studen Sea, the red beast was mined.

Then hastily dressed Winter and Snow came up, going hard, already with tense faces who did not know what to expect. Zigi went to meet them with a quick step, with a sled in front of him and rolled his daughter.

— It is necessary to talk, with you, Slavnitsa, — he turned to Snow, bowing to her, — we will step aside. Gilda, «he leaned towards the girl,» I’m next to here.

A daughter with a serious face nodded to him, and the leader approached Snow, and they moved away from the others. They walked together, so that no one would hear them, and the girl will look back at her grandmother, and waved her hand, everything is fine, they say.

— I want to ask you, the witch, — and he sighed heavily, lowering his eyes, — not as a leader, but as a father. You see how much grief we have — Gilda immobilized, pity her, not me. Take it to cure, I will not regret anything, I brought rich gifts. Do mercy.

— Zigi, — and the girl turned painfully red, — I cannot refuse treatment to anyone, such is my lock. But it may not work for me. Go to Gandvik, Elga does not refuse help to anyone who asks for her.

— I can’t, — and suddenly the leader blushed, — if you fail, then…

— Then, Zigi, — and Snezha looked at him with her eyes, which became like sharp ice floes, — and you swear that you will not send me there without Alatyr and will not allow anyone to send me there. And my other voice is for life and death- Swear that you will not ask to resurrect anyone, no matter what happens.

«I swear,» the chief muttered, feeling his hands and feet cold, «don’t be afraid, girl.

— I’m not afraid of anyone in the whole world, leader. And now you will stop being afraid. If only I didn’t get scared. — and she approached him, — Take your daughter in your arms, and let’s go upstairs to the upper room.

Zigi picked up Gilda, Zima went ahead, with a stone expression on her face, followed by Snow. In the canopy, as if nothing had happened, she dusted off her boots, grandmothers and guests with a broom, smiling at that Gilda.

— Van, Alena! — Winter shouted, — go, the youths of the leader ask you, show them in the yard how slyly you make your chariot in the barn.

— Now, grandmother, — and grandchildren — twins, quickly dressed ran into the yard.

«And where did Wang go,» the youth gazed, and pale with resentment, Gilda said, «is because I am crippled,» and cried bitterly, wiping away tears with her palms.

— Don’t, girl, — Snow rushed to her, herself with a reddened nose, — why will you recover. He is a boy, he would have all the swords and horses, but he is kind and brave. Don’t do that. Now I will treat you with herbs, like no one else can here.

— Exactly? Aren’t you kidding? she said with hope, looking around the very young witch.

— Everything will be fine with you, — said the agitated witch herself, — everything is fine, now your father will remove the sheepskin coat and felt boots from you, otherwise we are warm, you will meet.

Zigi rushed to his daughter and quickly took off his warm clothes, and sat on the bench. Gilda was left in a knitted dress, fur sleeveless and felt onuches. Winter brought drink by the nod of Snow, the witch herself gave the bucket to the girl, she took it with both hands, looked at her father and the witch and drank everything, began to fall asleep, bowing to her chest with her chin.

— Will you watch? — once asked Snow the leader, — how will I do my witchcraft?

«I don’t want to, but I have to. the leader said stubbornly, I will not be afraid.

«Okay,» the witch said.

She sat next to the girl, pressed one place on her neck, which made her fall asleep. Then she stroked her hair, took off her bracelets from her hands, pulled her sleeves to her elbows, exposing her forearm tattooed, and put her palms on the girl’s forehead. This did not last long, Zigi noticed how the shanks’ hair turned white, and his face seemed to be icy, his eyes turned black, his lips turned blue, like his fingernails, and his girls’ legs and hands, lo and behold! They began to involuntarily shrink and unclench, like a weak-willed doll, but she had not yet opened her eyes. The father tried to approach his daughter, but Zima held him tightly with her own hands. The lamps illuminated the whole action, finally, exhausted, with a heavy sigh, Snoya got up and moved away from the girl, barely moving her disobedient legs, and clinging to the wall with her fingers, sat on the bench, circling the upper room with invisible eyes.

— Grandmother, — she asked plaintively, — I would have to drink… Honey…

Winter rushed after the bucket, filled it and brought it, putting her granddaughter in her weak hands now, and she, clutching the bucket, touching the edges with her teeth, instantly drank everything.

Zigi rushed to help, but his grandmother raised her hand and shook her head, showing that his help was not needed.

«I’ll leave for now,» Snezha said, «I won’t scare the girl, now she will wake up. Grandma, help me.

Winter took the rising Slavnitsa by the arm, and led her into another room, the witch put her left hand forward, in front of her, afraid to hit the walls. Zigi sat down next to her daughter, the weak spasms of the muscles of her arms and legs continued, and finally she opened her eyes.

— Papa, — I feel my legs, and my back too, — where is that — What did you like? Zigi laughed, a prigozhe lad. Yes, they were unlucky with their sister. You see how it happened to your father-mother — drowned in the Studen Sea, the red beast was mined.

Then hastily dressed Winter and Snow came up, going hard, already with tense faces who did not know what to expect. Zigi went to meet them with a quick step, with a sled in front of him and rolled his daughter.

— It is necessary to talk, with you, Slavnitsa, — he turned to Snow, bowing to her, — we will step aside. Gilda, «he leaned towards the girl,» I’m next to here.

A daughter with a serious face nodded to him, and the leader approached Snow, and they moved away from the others. They walked together, so that no one would hear them, and the girl will look back at her grandmother, and waved her hand, everything is fine, they say.

— I want to ask you, the witch, — and he sighed heavily, lowering his eyes, — not as a leader, but as a father. You see how much grief we have — Gilda immobilized, pity her, not me. Take it to cure, I will not regret anything, I brought rich gifts. Do mercy.

— Zigi, — and the girl turned painfully red, — I cannot refuse treatment to anyone, such is my lock. But it may not work for me. Go to Gandvik, Elga does not refuse help to anyone who asks for her.

— I can’t, — and suddenly the leader blushed, — if you fail, then…

— Then, Zigi, — and Snezha looked at him with her eyes, which became like sharp ice floes, — and you swear that you will not send me there without Alatyr and will not allow anyone to send me there. And my other voice is for life and death- Swear that you will not ask to resurrect anyone, no matter what happens.

«I swear,» the chief muttered, feeling his hands and feet cold, «don’t be afraid, girl.

— I’m not afraid of anyone in the whole world, leader. And now you will stop being afraid. If only I didn’t get scared. — and she approached him, — Take your daughter in your arms, and let’s go upstairs to the upper room.

Zigi picked up Gilda, Zima went ahead, with a stone expression on her face, followed by Snow. In the canopy, as if nothing had happened, she dusted off her boots, grandmothers and guests with a broom, smiling at that Gilda.

— Van, Alena! — Winter shouted, — go, the youths of the leader ask you, show them in the yard how slyly you make your chariot in the barn.

— Now, grandmother, — and grandchildren — twins, quickly dressed ran into the yard.

«And where did Van go,» the youth gazed, and pale with resentment, Gilda said, «is because I am crippled,» and cried bitterly, wiping away tears with her palms.

— Don’t, girl, — Snow rushed to her, herself with a reddened nose, — why will you recover. He is a boy, he would have all the swords and horses, but he is kind and brave. Don’t do that. Now I will treat you with herbs, like no one else can here.

— Exactly? Aren’t you kidding? she said with hope, looking around the very young witch.

— Everything will be fine with you, — said the agitated witch herself, — everything is fine, now your father will remove the sheepskin coat and felt boots from you, otherwise we are warm, you will meet.

Zigi rushed to his daughter and quickly took off his warm clothes, and sat on the bench. Gilda was left in a knitted dress, fur sleeveless and felt onuches. Winter brought drink by the nod of Snow, the witch herself gave the bucket to the girl, she took it with both hands, looked at her father and the witch and drank everything, began to fall asleep, bowing to her chest with her chin.

— Will you watch? — once asked Snow the leader, — how will I do my witchcraft?

«I don’t want to, but I have to. the leader said stubbornly, I will not be afraid.

«Okay,» the witch said.

She sat next to the girl, pressed one place on her neck, which made her fall asleep. Then she stroked her hair, took off her bracelets from her hands, pulled her sleeves to her elbows, exposing her forearm tattooed, and put her palms on the girl’s forehead. This did not last long, Zigi noticed how the shanks’ hair turned white, and his face seemed to be icy, his eyes turned black, his lips turned blue, like his fingernails, and his girls’ legs and hands, lo and behold! They began to involuntarily shrink and unclench, like a weak-willed doll, but she had not yet opened her eyes. The father tried to approach his daughter, but Zima held him tightly with her own hands. The lamps illuminated the whole action, finally, exhausted, with a heavy sigh, Snoya got up and moved away from the girl, barely moving her disobedient legs, and clinging to the wall with her fingers, sat on the bench, circling the upper room with invisible eyes.

— Grandmother, — she asked plaintively, — I would have to drink… Honey…

Winter rushed after the bucket, filled it and brought it, putting her granddaughter in her weak hands now, and she, clutching the bucket, touching the edges with her teeth, instantly drank everything.

Zigi rushed to help, but his grandmother raised her hand and shook her head, showing that his help was not needed.

«I’ll leave for now,» Snow said, «I won’t scare the girl, now she will wake up. Grandma, help me.

Winter took the rising Slavnitsa by the arm, and led her into another room, the witch put her left hand forward, in front of her, afraid to hit the walls. Zigi sat down next to her daughter, the weak spasms of the muscles of her arms and legs continued, and finally she opened her eyes.

— Papa, — I feel my legs, and my back too, — where is that — What did you like? Zigi laughed, a prigozhe lad. Yes, they were unlucky with their sister. You see how it happened to your father-mother — drowned in the Studen Sea, the red beast was mined.

Then hastily dressed Winter and Snow came up, going hard, already with tense faces who did not know what to expect. Zigi went to meet them with a quick step, with a sled in front of him and rolled his daughter.

— It is necessary to talk, with you, Slavnitsa, — he turned to Snow, bowing to her, — we will step aside. Gilda, «he leaned towards the girl,» I’m next to here.

A daughter with a serious face nodded to him, and the leader approached Snow, and they moved away from the others. They walked together, so that no one would hear them, and the girl will look back at her grandmother, and waved her hand, everything is fine, they say.

— I want to ask you, the witch, — and he sighed heavily, lowering his eyes, — not as a leader, but as a father. You see how much grief we have — Gilda immobilized, pity her, not me. Take it to cure, I will not regret anything, I brought rich gifts. Do mercy.

— Zigi, — and the girl turned painfully red, — I cannot refuse treatment to anyone, such is my lock. But it may not work for me. Go to Gandvik, Elga does not refuse help to anyone who asks for her.

— I can’t, — and suddenly the leader blushed, — if you fail, then…

— Then, Zigi, — and Snezha looked at him with her eyes, which became like sharp ice floes, — and you swear that you will not send me there without Alatyr and will not allow anyone to send me there. And my other voice is for life and death- Swear that you will not ask to resurrect anyone, no matter what happens.

«I swear,» the chief muttered, feeling his hands and feet cold, «don’t be afraid, girl.

— I’m not afraid of anyone in the whole world, leader. And now you will stop being afraid. If only I didn’t get scared. — and she approached him, — Take your daughter in your arms, and let’s go upstairs to the upper room.

Zigi picked up Gilda, Zima went ahead, with a stone expression on her face, followed by Snow. In the canopy, as if nothing had happened, she dusted off her boots, grandmothers and guests with a broom, smiling at that Gilda.

— Van, Alena! — Winter shouted, — go, the youths of the leader ask you, show them in the yard how slyly you make your chariot in the barn.

— Now, grandmother, — and grandchildren — twins, quickly dressed ran into the yard.

«And where did Van go,» the youth gazed, and pale with resentment, Gilda said, «is because I am crippled,» and cried bitterly, wiping away tears with her palms.

— Don’t, girl, — Snow rushed to her, herself with a reddened nose, — why will you recover. He is a boy, he would have all the swords and horses, but he is kind and brave. Don’t do that. Now I will treat you with herbs, like no one else can here.

— Exactly? Aren’t you kidding? she said with hope, looking around the very young witch.

— Everything will be fine with you, — said the agitated witch herself, — everything is fine, now your father will remove the sheepskin coat and felt boots from you, otherwise we are warm, you will meet.

Zigi rushed to his daughter and quickly took off his warm clothes, and sat on the bench. Gilda was left in a knitted dress, fur sleeveless and felt onuches. Winter brought drink by the nod of Snow, the witch herself gave the bucket to the girl, she took it with both hands, looked at her father and the witch and drank everything, began to fall asleep, bowing to her chest with her chin.

— Will you watch? — once asked Snow the leader, — how will I do my witchcraft?

«I don’t want to, but I have to. the leader said stubbornly, I will not be afraid.

«Okay,» the witch said.

She sat next to the girl, pressed one place on her neck, which made her fall asleep. Then she stroked her hair, took off her bracelets from her hands, pulled her sleeves to her elbows, exposing her forearm tattooed, and put her palms on the girl’s forehead. This did not last long, Zigi noticed how the shanks’ hair turned white, and his face seemed to be icy, his eyes turned black, his lips turned blue, like his fingernails, and his girls’ legs and hands, lo and behold! They began to involuntarily shrink and unclench, like a weak-willed doll, but she had not yet opened her eyes. The father tried to approach his daughter, but Zima held him tightly with her own hands. The lamps illuminated the whole action, finally, exhausted, with a heavy sigh, Snoya got up and moved away from the girl, barely moving her disobedient legs, and clinging to the wall with her fingers, sat on the bench, circling the upper room with invisible eyes.