автордың кітабын онлайн тегін оқу  The Dead Princess and the Seven Dreams. Immortals

Sergey Solovyov

Contents

From the Author

This book tells about the time of the Bronze Age, about the Priob of that legendary era, but even more about the people who lived then, with hot hearts, strong and bold, who, by the will of fate, became the ancestors of the peoples of Russia.

This is the first of the «Legends of the North» series of books.

The world is like a day: Light replaces darkness.

Preface. Ice and fugitives

The white wolf slowly cowered after a detachment of people, his paws did not get stuck in the snow, but the crust did not scratch the pads either. Sometimes, lifting up his black nose, and sniffing, the predator tried to catch smells, and twisted his shaggy head, trying to catch the wind. The beast did not understand what was the matter, but tirelessly followed the people along the frozen bay. He almost deliberately caught the eye of travelers wrapped in furs, but those sitting on three sleighs, into which two deer were harnessed, did not pay attention to the furry fellow traveler. People sometimes dismounted, giving animals a rest, and they themselves walked, holding on to a sleigh rolling on ice sprinkled with snow. The wolf saw how the caravan left a rut in the snow, sprinkled with sea ice. People wrapped in furs walked and walked, for quite some time, and when the deer had already rested a little, got into the sleigh, and then the wolf ran after them, so as not to lag behind. The beast remembered that the island was not so far away, which could not be reached in a short summer. The travelers got on wide skis, only one person sat motionless in the sleigh. And for some reason it smelled like a dead man. For some reason, people did not need rest, and even the polar night was not a hindrance to them. He lifted up his shaggy head, and saw the splashes in the sky, and the crackle emitted by the sky. Another beast would be frightened, one that does not come from here, but the white predator was accustomed to heavenly lights. But he himself was tired, and was terribly hungry, the wolf huddled in the gap between the hummocks, covered his nose with his tail, and settled down to rest, because he still did not wait for the scraps of a human meal, which he hoped for. The beast was a little forgotten from hunger, but the faithful black nose even in a dream warned him about strangers. The fierce beast instantly started up, spun around, opened his eyes and sharpened his ears, hoping to live. This time, fate was kind to him. Another detachment of people settled down on a halt, some lit a small fire, and other people stood nearby, with sticks in their hands, and they were dangerous in appearance, it’s true, but they smelled quite familiar, smoke, flesh. The polar wolf hid, and began to patiently wait until people finished the meal, he sniffed, and licked his lips, the travelers ate good cod and very tasty salmon. It was only necessary to take care of two dogs, with tails amusingly twisted into a circle, and wait for their share. Soon the people moved on, and the wolf stuffed his belly with delicious scraps until they froze, and hid the rest of the pieces, which would have been what he had on the way back. He ran to the track from the sled, and moved on and on, because he was drawn to those people who were walking north without stopping. Some time passed, the beast was finally full, and he was even pleased with the snow, gradually pouring from the sky, he caught it with his open mouth, and suddenly, he was simply amazed at what he saw.

Towards him, without dismantling the roads, and not noticing anything around him, the hunters, those who fed him with the remnants of their meal, fled with skewed faces. Someone went skiing, trying to roll into the distance faster, another, ran, stammering over a step, on snowshoes. The wolf jerked forward, and the hefty hunter, in a jacket made of the skins of his brothers, almost stepped on his head. Gray managed to jump away from the sleigh, with luggage lying sideways, rolling without riders after the fugitives. I ran even forward, and finally reaching the stone

island, the beast suddenly felt like in childhood, when the mother dragged him by the scruff of the neck, he immediately rolled up his paws, trying to get to the ground, squeezed the tail between his paws in reverence, but did not feel any smell of a living creature. It was raised higher a very strong female hand, he lifted his face to see who it was, and howled with wild fear.

— Hey, Gray Fuzzy. What are you afraid of? I won’t eat you, «the woman said in a low voice without expression, slightly shaking the beast, knocking the falling snow off her skin.

The wolf pressed his ears, looked at the northerner again with his golden eyes, and howled even more puffily, and there was a reason.

The beautiful woman had a face as if sculpted from white marble, blue lips and eyes blacker than the polar night, and what was even worse, she did not smell like ALIVE, but not like Dead.

Van and Alena

Elga released her hands from the young man, and the one who got up from the box did not become alive, but was not even more dead. The soul of the Guardians of the World Tree, the Kingdom of the Dead, the Divine Twins did not let go, and made it even worse, and Python made her inanimate or dead, and the Great Sorceress became the Dead Princess herself. Her eyes turned black, her lips turned blue, she did not need food, only drink, and she touched her face, — she violated the covenant not to revive the dead, and was punished, but not only she was punished, but the whole tribe. She and her servants fled to the North, she, and the seven Magi, who also became Neither-Alive-nor dead, always dreaming, and their faces became like ice, and their eyes became like night, — the mother told her grandchildren, twins, huddled under a bearskin, the old-old legend of their people.

— And then, — the boy quietly asked, clinging to his sister, and burying himself in furs deeper, so that he and Alena could only see out their eyes, glistening in the semi-darkness of the house, like two blue ice floes.

The woman adjusted the lamp, and put on the coals a bronze cauldron on three legs, their greatest value. It began to cook stew from stocks of frozen cod, brought by the older brother of the deceased son, the father of the twins. Their mother drowned with her husband in the Studen Sea when they were fishing for whales. Farne would often give fish a lift, and the ice cream milk and butter had their own, and all supplies were stored in a stone cage under the house. All families of northerners had incredible reserves, for a year, or even two, you never know what could have happened — crop failure or worse.. Fortunately, the icy land kept everything well, it was only necessary to watch out for arctic foxes, but the faithful dogs did not let them down. Their yard dogs, Zleika da Zubok, were sitting in a fence, next to the basement, and Zima did not let them into the upper room, but the twins, if the mother was not at home, were dragged to a warm house.

— Baushka (Grandma), and the dogs are not cold, — without pronouncing the letter, Alena asked with a thin voice, wrapping herself in furs.

— No, now it’s not cold for them, — Winter answered, — there will be a strong frost, let them spend the night in the canopy.

— What next, then about Elga? Wang said impatiently, looking at his grandmother, tell me.

— They settled on the northern island, it is now called Hidden, and they live there, like Pryakhi on Alatyr, in a mountain cave. On the way, they tried to capture them, and burn them, as Seven ordered, but the bravest hunters fled headlong, only meeting with the Ice Princess. Neither-Living-Nor-Dead can be killed by anything, they are already inanimate. They live there, they don’t touch anyone, and we have no evil from them, but everyone is scared of them. Only a few times the most desperate relatives tried to bring hopelessly sick people to Elga, but everyone drowned in the sea. The ice princess herself often happens on Gandvik, she helps badly, she cured everyone there, and did not ask for anything in return. Pomors themselves carry gifts to her. But only the Seven Chosen are allowed, but then, if one of the cured dies, they are buried in a special way so that the dead do not offend the living.

«But it has become easier to live,» said Zima, grinning, our leaders and elders, all the neighboring and distant tribes obey, with great respect the messengers from them come. Previously, it happened, and there were swars, fights among themselves, but now Elga said — It is impossible, no one dares to disobey, although someone happens, the discord starts, — and she grinned, — but quickly reconcile. So we, the Hans (geese), or we are also called the Huns, cannot start swars among ourselves.

«How are they buried in a special way?» Wang asked, «not like everyone else?»

«By the dead, after nine days,» she said slowly, looking into the fire, and the tongues of flame were reflected in her eyes, and she clenched her hands so tightly that the knuckles of her fingers turned white, — the magi cut off the feet of their feet and hands, so that the Dreaming would not raise them from the dead, and after a year they would mix their bones, — and she lowered her head, — Stop telling fairy tales, it’s time, everything is ready, but we will sleep.

— Geese, geese,» the grandmother began, smiling.

— Ga- Ga — Ga, — the children sounded like geese, smiling at the top of their mouths.

«Do you want to eat?»

— Yes, yes — and the twins ran, throwing back the blanket, to the table.

Winter put wooden misis and wooden spoons on the table. The children jumped on the bench and grabbed spoons, looking around the table with impatience, and the boy even looked into his plate, but it was still empty. Winter scooped up the brew, which exuded a pleasant aroma of fish and dry spicy herbs, and the village is nearby.

— There is no bread today, but there are a lot of fish, eat while it is hot, — said grandmother, and the twins cheerfully pounded with spoons, cracking down on food. The stew was delicious, and the children were not capricious, so they finished everything, even licked spoons and bowls.

— Let’s sleep, — and grandmother extinguished four lamps and left only one to burn.

Wang tossed and turned for a long time, covering himself with fur and so on, all imagining Elga on a distant island in the Studen Sea, how is she there? Does she have children, and will he see the Dead Princess?

Snow Maiden

The family woke up, everyone washed themselves with water from a clay jug, and the grandmother fed the children with the remains of dinner, and set the food for the dogs from the stocks of frozen fish. Cereal and Zubok waved their tails, got up on their hind legs, trying to get the front to the woman, then the shaggy defenders greeted the children, Alena laughed, dodging the tongue of the dogs, striving to lick her face. For the winter, cattle breeders descended to the sources of the Ob, in order to preserve the nurse cows, almost no one remained near the bay, it was too cold there in winter. The people of the union of their tribes, the Ghants and Mansi, have lived here for a long time, and their allies, the tribes of magicians, Mards, Uars and Wends, Sindh, Danes and Skolts, lived to the west, some on the Dvina, and some on the Kama and Upper Volga, sometimes simply called the River (Ra). Soon the holidays, comedians, hunters from the Puran clan went to get the bear, and after three days everyone was waiting for a big feast. The men went to the forest to hunt with songs, wearing masks so that their progenitor would not recognize them. The hostesses checked the stocks, thinking about what to cook and please relatives, prepared ritual masks, the young men harvested wood for fires, the girls checked new clothes, beautiful knitted clothes, preparing the best outfits with embroidery of their kind.

The boys fiddled separately, soon they will be prepared for initiation, how to deal with horny and strong cattle — horses, deer and bulls, how to cut sheep. And when they reached the age of fifteen, they were waiting for a trial — bull games, where the future man needs to sit on the back of a bull. So they jumped over stumps, shot from children’s bows, and much more, some were taught to ride chariots, to control horses. Now, in turn, they followed the horse, standing on skis, holding and driving the horse with a long bridle. Wang, in his turn, also rushed standing on wide skis past the girls, hoping to attract their attention, but they were busy with their business, only Zubok and Zleika ran after him a little in the melting snow.

Alenka played with her friends at the edge of the forest, in the glades of which the white cover of the earth had already descended. Spring was coming. The place was next to the river, the girls were guarded by two dogs lying next to the children in a dry place, and lazily putting their muzzles on their paws. Likes perked up, raising their ears, jumped up, but did not bark, sensing someone else’s nearby. Suddenly, at the edge of the forest, next to the houses of their kind, not far from the river, a girl came out, going fearlessly straight to the children. Alena was still fiddling with the doll, and her friend, Zarenka, pulled her by the sleeve of her fur jacket, and Mila gasped, turning around, only the imperturbable Krasa continued to dress her doll. The dogs jumped up and rushed to the stranger, and the girl only managed to shout loudly:

— Back! To me!

But the dogs only wagged their tails furiously, but looked into the eyes of the stranger, sniffed her hands, and calmly walked next to her. She walked towards them with a floating gait, a very tall, young girl, about fourteen years old, dressed in fox furs, very beautiful, and with dazzling blue eyes and very blond hair, but with a strangely motionless pale face, on which a slight smile played, rather inspired by a gust of wind than a good mood. She went up to the girls, and the first said hello:

— Be sound, girls. Have a nice day.

— And who will you be, Light… — Mila began the first, getting up, but not letting go of the doll from her hands, — where are you, what kind of tribe are you? — she said memorized words with which strangers were greeted.

— I forgot, — the girl smiled weakly, and spread her arms powerlessly, — and call me Snow Maiden.

— I m- Beauty.

— I’m Mila.

— I m-Alena.

— I m — Zarya.

The girls called themselves, and came up without fear to the guest they did not know. You won’t see embroidery under a fur coat, and you just won’t understand how to identify it without seeing generic signs, and temporal rings, and gold earrings, all this is a common pattern for all Hans.

— And who is it? — the voice of Winter, Alenina’s grandmother rang out, the woman came up, putting her hand on the handle of the dagger hanging on the belt.

— It’s Snows, she’s lost, ’her granddaughter explained turning to her mother.

— Where are you from, Svet Snegurochka, from what distant edges? — Winter spoke politely, hoping to understand the truth by the guest’s words.

— I, — the girl thought, — from the Northern Isles, a kind woman.

— My name is Winter.

— Light Winter, I am from the Northern Isles, wanted to see the country of ancestors.

— Come with us, Snow, in my house for you there are fish, and honey, and a place to sleep.

The children collected their unwise property, put everything in the cakes, throwing them behind their backs. Wicker soums were convenient, and hands are free, you never know what can happen in the forest.

They all went together to the village, did not speak on the road, but Alena looked after the guest, you never know, a stranger. She looked even more at Snaga’s gait.

«It goes as if the duck is swimming, but so deftly and okay, and does not slip, and did not even soak the hem»: the girl thought to herself — «I need to get used to it too, otherwise I’m not a beauty, snub-nosed, and my mouth is big, everyone is teasing with a frog,» Alena sighed bitterly again.

The snow maiden looked a couple of times at the face of the sad Alena, and said:

— Do not twist, five years will pass, you will not have a break from the grooms, remember my words.

— If so…

Snide girlfriends laughed, hiding smiles, covering their mouth with their palms, but their eyes betrayed their fun: «How, the frog will become a beauty.»

— Alena, go ahead to Ore, ask that the guest and I would accept, — and the woman again meticulously looked at Snow.

The sky was cloudy again. They walked past pines and spruces, green and in summer and winter, glades from snow were visible on the ground. Alena quickly went to the witch’s house, trying not to step into the mud, fulfilled her grandmother’s order, but did not understand why all this was, I thought it was good for my brother now, fishing, looking for fish under the ice with older friends, they would find, there would be a lot of fresh food for everyone. So house after tyn is low. The house of the witch, one of the Seven of their tribe, was overgrown, the witch did not live among people, although people came to her, asking for help and treatment. The girl came up, and holding the cereal by the leash, so as not to rush at the owners, knocked on the gate. Dogs barked in the yard, and easy steps were heard. The gate was opened by a girl of the same age, a pupil and novice of a witch.

— Good day, Dubrava. My grandmother sent me, you have to run back, warn Ora that she wants to come with a guest.

— And hello to you, Alena,“ and the girl bent down to stroke the dog, she just waved her tail, poking her nose into Dubrava’s palm, „you will come again,“ she turned to the dog, „I will treat you with something.

— Well, we went, see you,» said the guest, and quickly went to her grandmother.

At the turn of the path, only Winter and Snow were already walking, and Zubok was twisting next to the guest, and all Alena’s friends went home. My granddaughter understood that my grandmother was afraid, everyone is now afraid, no matter how unrecognized someone comes from the Dead Princess. Winter only therefore sent to the witch Alain, so as not to bring Evil home herself, but on the way she let go of her daughter’s friends, so that they would go home and not hear too much, and not spread evil gossip.

The witch’s house was ordinary, like everyone else, made of logs, and at the bottom there was a lining for stocks, so that a wooden staircase led up, and the house with the yard was surrounded by a fence. The witch had three children of her own, and two students. But her husband died in the north sea, drowned when the fishermen’s boats turned over. Even for witches, fate is not always merciful. Winter knocked, and they opened it, the bolt was opened by a girl, about twelve years old.

— Hello, Dubrava. Now in the students of Ora? And where is Podaga?

— Yes Baba Zima, now here. And Podaga helps the mentor to disassemble herbs. Vedunya said that I was a student, and my mother and father sent me to study. I will also treat people. Come on, Ora is waiting for guests. Tie the dogs here, at the gate.

Winter tied Cereal and Zubka, and the girl closed the gate behind them on a bolt and led them to the house. Near the door of the house were the children of the witch, daughters — Malina and Uta, and Uar, son, Jr. He concentrated on carrying a clay toy wagon, and at the same time nozzles are important. The girls were fiddling with rag dolls, they were without painted faces.

— Hello, Raspberry and you, Uta. And hello to you, Wear. And mom upstairs? she asked the children, distracted from important matters for the sake of the guests.

— Yes, — answered the eldest, Malina, — she understands herbs with Podaga.

— Thank you, — and Zima took out of her bag a honey gingerbread and gave it to the children.

Already the owner’s dog, a white husky, came running to meet, Zima did not pay the slightest attention to the family, but Snaga sniffed everything, at first incomprehensibly, then she did not leave the girl, and she thoughtfully stroked the dog. Dubrava approached them.

— Come on, she’s waiting for you, said the novice.

— Alena, stay here, talk to your friend. Why should you drag yourself upstairs, and Snega and I will quickly return, — the grandmother said in a whisper, bending over to her granddaughter.

Alena looked at her grandmother and pretended to believe her. In my heart I felt that my grandmother was cunning, but in agreement she nodded her head, doing what was said.

Winter and the girl climbed an oak staircase made of halves of a log. The columns of the stairs were decorated with skillful carvings and painted with ocher, so that the stairs were exactly Red. The floorboards creaked slightly, but the door to the upper room was opened to them, and they entered the house, illuminated by the dim rays of the sun, breaking through a bull bubble stretched over the window frame. The hostess sat in a chair, but stood in front of the guests, ritually bowed to the belt, taking out the ground with her fingers of her right hand.

— Will you be healthy, Light Winter?

— All is well, and children don’t get sick, yes Ilios and Summer gave me an addition in a family, — and she nodded on Snow, — her name is Snow Maiden. Do mercy, indicate the fate of the girl, — Zima asked her.

— I guess, — Ora sparkled with her eyes, — you know for yourself, the Snake needs a gift.

— Here, take it, — and Winter extended the witch’s golden ring with a bow.

— Generously.

— Come, Snow Maiden, and sit next to me.

The witch approached the supplier, took a silver bucket, and took out a leather bag with shaggy lamb bones, on which signs for fortune telling were applied. She closed her eyes, and poured the bones into a silver bucket, and shook it three times.

— Snows, come to me, «Ora told the maiden.

The girl turned her head to Zima, raising her eyebrows quizzically, while the woman nodded her head in response.

«Come here, it’s not evil for you. Close your eyes, and take out only three bones in a row each time and put them on the table.

The snow firmly closed its eyes, and took out three bones, and put them on the table, then again, and again. Ora just looked at them, shuddered, and her legs buckled, and she grabbed the oak table with her hand so as not to fall. The witch quickly threw an embroidered towel on the tabletop, covering the bones from the guests’ eyes, and smiled, first stretched, and then a light and some kind of guilty smile.

— Everything will be fine with you Snow, you want, come to me tomorrow, signs say that you are a born witch, I will teach you. And let Alena hello. I will tell you about the secrets of herbs, how to treat people and animals.

— And you are Winter, do not worry about your adopted daughter, there is no Evil in her, but you take care of her and do not let go of yourself.

— Ora, what is there, — Winter took a step forward, pointing with her hand to the signs covered with a towel, — tell me the truth, all without melting, — her heart contracted, suspecting the unkind.

— You know, Winter, I studied with Mary on Alatyr, with the Chosen, I can’t lie.

Winter lowered her eyes to the floor and squeezed her fingers convulsively. Yes, she could not lie, but she did not say the whole truth. Let Snows learn from her, everything will be under the supervision, and the girl will become a witch, and the family will be honored, and the benefits are considerable, and you see, the danger that Ora saw will pass her.

— All right. But if I understand what myself, then I will go to Mara with Snega. Let’s go, Snow Maiden home.

— Something is wrong, are you not happy with me? — jumped up and squeezed her lips into a thread, the girl blinked blue eyes, not understanding what was the matter, — then I’d better go back to the forest.

— No, — and Winter grabbed her hand, — what forest? I will stay, the house is big, there is enough space. And the witch does not want you evil, she calls to study.

— Well, — the forest guest smiled, — I will study the forces of herbs of different kinds, and treat people.

Houses at Winter

— So a dear house appeared, — Alenka exclaimed, and ran to the gate with the dogs together, but Cereal and Zubok came running first, and went to sniff the yard, were there any strangers? Calmed down, and returned to the hostess, showing, isn’t it time to feed them?

— Yes, I see, now I will bring you a stew, — said the woman, battering the wool on the scruff of both. Snow looked at one of the dogs, he began to hold his right front paw in weight, Zubok limped a little.

— What’s wrong with him? ’the guest pointed at the dog.

— It will heal quickly, pricked to see, paw in a clearing.

The guest sighed, pulled Zubka to her, Zima took the dog by the scruff of the neck, you never know what, but the dog behaved calmly, which was surprising — the girl was completely unfamiliar to him, and the dog only poked his nose into her hand. The woman looked at Snow, she took the dog’s paw, ran her fingers over it, and jerked the sliver out of her paw, then the girl froze, turned a little pale, and the blood stopped oozing from the wound on her paw. And after a second, Zubok was already stepping on the girl’s thigh, and tried to lick her face, she dodged and laughed. She got up and staggered a little, smiling weakly and helplessly, grabbed the wall of the house, but after a moment she came to her senses.

Winter opened the door, lit a fire from an oil lamp in a bronze basin of water, so that there would be no fire in the house. The woman rose, holding a burning lamp in her left hand, and her children and guest followed her. The woman opened the door, bending down habitually, and the door, covered with felt, let everyone home. The mother of the family kindled the hearth, the smoke pulled into the hole under the roof, it became warmer, but it was still cold.

— Sit down Snow. I even have smoked meat — and she moved a bowl of aromatic meat and a knife to the girl.

— No, I won’t, — the girl moved away from the plate in fright, — maybe there are fish or mushrooms?

— Well, look, — the woman took out a pot with a cooled stew from the underbelly, took out spoons and four wooden bowls, poured a boiled ear.

The children looked at the food, took off their hats and pulled off their fur coats, Snoya also took off her scarf from her head, a fox fur coat, remaining in a knitted dress with unfamiliar patterns and a fur sleeveless jacket. Children and Zima herself dressed the same sleeveless clothes.

— Eat for health, — the mistress of the house solemnly said, and everyone earned concentrated spoons. When they finished their meal, the woman took out the honey, poured it into small dishes, Alena and Wang smiled, pulled a treat to themselves.

— You eat, I will tell you a fairy tale about Purusha.

Children, already almost adults, looked up at their grandmother, but they did not let go of honey, they were already concentrating on licking spoons.

— Purusha was destined to create a new life on earth, and Ilios and Lada decided to give him a wife. And the apple tree grows there, but not simple, but the apples on it are gold, and Purusha stood under the apple tree, and the girl came to him in different guises. At first Krasa- girl came with a rod of power, promising great power, but the young man did not want such a fate. Krasa came to him, a girl with a weapon-rich expletive, promising that he would defeat everyone, and this was not what he was seduced by. And a girl came in all the brilliance of her beauty, promising him endless Love, and tore off an apple for Purush, divided it, and descended to the earth in human form with beauty-girl, Love, and all people are now their descendants. So Love has given rise to all life on earth.

I listened to snow attentively, did not interrupt, finished honey, washed down with herbal infusion.

— Thanks for the dog, Snows. How did you treat her? Zima asked with hidden concern, putting the spoon on the table.

— I don’t know, — the girl didn’t understand, — and you don’t have anything?

— Seven on Alatyr, and Pryakhi, probably can only be treated this way. They say that Elga, the Ice Princess, could have done this, and Winter said so, and out of the corner of her eye she noticed how Snow shuddered.

The woman was seriously scared. Suddenly a girl from ice giants. Everyone milked, Van licked a spoon, and Alena had already put hers on the table. And there was only one way to check, Winter sighed, took a bronze knife. Snow’s hair was cast in silver, and she was not gray, and her hair color was so extraordinary, ashy. The braid was draped behind her back, adorned with a double-helix hairpin, and hanging from a ribbon tied around her forehead were temporal rings. Winter approached her from behind, jerked out a bronze knife, threw it up to strike, then seemed to flinch, and dropped the blade on the floor, Snoya heard, quickly turned around, but did not understand anything, quickly bent down, and unsuccessfully, or vice versa successfully, grabbing the blade with her fingers, cut them.

The woman watched fascinated as small wounds swell with drops of blood, scarlet pearls drip to the floor, and Snows tries to lick them from the palm of her hand.

Winter sighed with relief, her heart stopped shaking, but her legs became as if stone, she breathed often, often, leaned on the table. It was as if something was pressing on my heart, not letting me breathe.

— What’s wrong with you, grandmother, — Alena ran up to her, hugging.

— All is well, granddaughter,» the woman replied happily.

Everything was really good, because the blood was all red, it was not their ice people.

Snow Maiden learns

The children finally finished everything too, ran to wash, and Alena then decorously brought washed and cleaned dishes.

— Go to sleep, and to you Snow, here on the bench to bed, it is wide with us.

Winter brought wolf furs from the chest to the basement, climbed the steps hard, grabbed the door jamb, trying to catch her breath, went to the bench, laid furs, and a good bed turned out. She put a sheet knitted from thin linen on top. The woman corrected everything, got up, again trying to breathe, but there was not enough air, finally put it down, examined everything again, beautifully, which means that the guest will like it. Now Snoya looked at the hostess with concern, without asking, grabbed her wrist, listened to her heart beating.

— So, — only she said, and her face became preoccupied and anxious, — sit down nearby and do not think about anything now.

Winter sat next to the bench, the girl touched only two places on her body and the woman fell into oblivion, only felt the heat inside herself, and that her heart no longer hurts when she woke up, opening her eyes, she shuddered with fear.

In the twilight of the room, illuminated by one oil lamp, stood an unfamiliar girl with a white face, not shaded by either a smile or a small wrinkle. She had black, invisible eyes and moved in small steps, groping the wall. Hearing that Winter was up, she turned to her voice, putting her hands with spread fingers in front of her.

— What did you do, I helped, but I did not save myself, — said Winter and cried, grabbing Snow’s hand, sitting on her bed.

— Do not be afraid, Winter, — the girl said in a whisper, — this will pass soon, — you just be silent, do not tell anyone.

— Where did you get that?» the woman continued with tears in her voice.

— My heart doesn’t hurt, does it?» — said Snow in a whisper, — and you don’t need to know the rest,

— You need to go to Alatyr, to Pryakh. They will teach everything, and how to avoid troubles.

— What I didn’t see there, in this grief sit? Lock up, but not let out. I want to learn from Ora. Herbs, decoctions, flowers, berries, birds sing… I have never seen them…

The next morning, when everyone woke up, Winter looked anxiously at Snow, she had everything, as before, a cute freckled face, blue eyes, she nodded to the woman, removing the sheet from her shop.

— Good morning, grandmother, — Alena ran up to her, — what are you looking like on the Snow?

— I went to drown the bath, — said Zima, turning to her granddaughter, — first we, and you Van, will wash after us. Bring water from the well, prepare five buckets, and twenty logs of firewood, in reserve.

Grandma prepared a bath, it was heated hot when everyone was undressed and Snega’s body was covered with tattoos, like a witch who had gone through the worst dedication — snakes covered her arms and legs, and her back was decorated too.

— What is it with you, granddaughter, — asked Zima, — everything is decorated, and the drawings are completely Vedic.

— I don’t remember, grandmother, only ice and stones I remember.

— You, Alena, do not even tell your brother about it, — the grandmother ordered her.

— Come on, wash. Lie down, Snow, now I’ll take you with a broom.

The woman washed one granddaughter for a long time, and then the other, washed herself, and wrapped the children in sheepskin coats, brought them home.

— Granddaughter, and you run to wash. It’s hot and hot water is waiting for you.

The boy quickly ran to the bathhouse until he cooled down, and Zima took out clean shirts, changed clothes herself and dressed the girls.

— Everything is fine, granddaughter, come here, I will comb your hair, — and she sat the girl down, and Alenina began to comb her blond hair with a frequent comb.

He managed to wash himself and Van, approached them, looked at them like that, and said:

— And mine, grandma?» Also combed.

— And you are childish, and there is nothing to comb, — the grandmother smiled, looking at the rare curls of her grandson on a shaved head. As the test passes in four years, he will have a mop of hair on the back of his head, and will become a leader — he will not cut his hair at all.

She looked at them, laughed, took her silver mirror, and began to comb her ashen hair with a comb with two geese carved on it. Having finished, both girls, younger and older, went to Ore to adopt wisdom that is not known to everyone. Wang sighed, felt his almost shaved head, and dressed, went to the mentors.

They began to teach not only Snow, but also Alena, who asked for it, and Van was taken away by the mentors of the clan, to teach all sorts of tricks, but wisdom, which are already necessary for shepherds and hunters to warriors. How in the forest it will not get lost, where to find food, they also did not forget about military affairs, and about medicinal secrets — an understanding of herbs, mushrooms, and how to look for the way through the stars.

Van began to teach Liszt, not only to shoot from a bow, but also to handle a club, an ax, a dagger and weapons of a few — a long bronze sword. Together with him, his friend Vett was engaged, the boy met other otrokami Respa, Gard and Gast and Safrak. The sun rose, and obedience began, future soldiers in the morning ran, jumped, threw a dart and learned to keep fire, which is also important, because it was a matter of life and death on a campaign in winter. The leaf showed how to set traps, and read the traces of animals in the forest, and how to confuse hunters and warriors, and to build a shelter in the forest both from the cold and from the rain. He taught and read generic embroideries on shirts to read, and how to communicate with strangers and not offend your own in conversation. He also showed the usual signs of writing for all relatives, so that they could send a message on a birch bark or a wooden board or read a message. The mentor and teacher of all the young men Zigi put Glom, an experienced warrior and one of the elders.

Snow’s classes were not easy either. Ora told and showed her herbs, and how to handle them, taught both secret runes and ordinary writing, how to guess how to throw lamb bones with secret signs. She began to go with the girl to the forest, showing herbs and flowers, mushrooms, and what bark, what trees are suitable for treatment. Dubrava and Podaga also worked with them, they also looked after the mentors’ children. Alena also remembered everything, and helped both, but she was also busy with household chores — helping her grandmother to watch the cattle, and the housework too.