hills, and besides to bring with itself all firewood: there, among gray rocks and
boulders, anything suitable for a fire it was impossible to find.
The old road conducted the wonderful woods which from olden days were famous
rich hunting and "untamed" as Ertan was expressed, mushrooms.
- It was required to me once... to sit down, - raising smiles of men,
cheerfully and without shadow of confusion she told about the trip there. - And
ferns height to me here on here and such were there entirely
spreading not to see the earth. I sit down, means... and under ferns
- an aspen mushroom on an aspen mushroom! Yes what - about a bottle! I forgot about everything
the affairs, let's collect rather... and though one worm-eaten would get!
... Nevertheless, Staraya Road was almost abandoned, and there is already enough
long ago. Reasonable people went more and more on New. It also was
it is designated by red paint at the Wolfhound on the card: Sense Nesmeyanovich,
traveling to Velimor and back, preferred to go hills. The wolfhound asked
velkhinka, why so.
- All this because of swamps, - she answered reluctantly, and veins noticed how
she made a hand the sign which is driving away evil spirit. - Old road
passes the region of swamps... Bad it places. Bad.
- Why bad? - the knesinka of Elen asked. She sat on a front
vehicles and from time to time took away reins from the old nurse governing
horses. Ertan answered not immediately, and the knesinka shrugged shoulders: - Unless
there can be in the bad place such mushrooms how you just spoke? Yes them
in the earth worms would eat. And you unless would begin to bring together them?
Ertan sighed and again with difficulty crossed fingers that not
the evil ghost overheard.
- At us tell about it so... - it began, rocking in a saddle
and thoughtfully looking forward. - I heard it from the grandfather, and you, madam,
decide that here to what. There was a business in days of the Last war when lived
there are absolutely other tribes and what - nobody remembers now.
It happened so that at will of Dark Gods the group from army came here
the powerful conqueror who broke before that mountaineers-irvanov...
- Gurtsat Veliky, - the knesinka of Elen told.
- Truly you know a lot of things of those times, noble
the ban-riona, - bowed Ertan. - Only we, the western velkh, it is more
we call its Gurtsaty Cruel. And irvana which it a part exterminated,
part took away in slavery, differently as Damned it and do not call... They say,
that group managed to steal not only a few riches, but to the commander everything was
it is not enough. It did not spare anybody on the way and inadvertently not to pass
some forest village, seized one young man from local, staying
at friends, also ordered to show a way. Yes threatened to put him on a stake,
if he conceals from them though small Winter quarters... The young man did not want
to die, and he led them from one village to another. At us do not remember how
he was called, and do not call him the hero.
Yes, the Wolfhound grinned about himself. To whom in senses hunting to die
on Coca. And you will refuse - now another will be found. And however, so far
did not face such choice, do not judge others.
- Many days moved army, - Ertan continued. - And where it
passed, people, speak, still do not live. Only morning came,
when its native village had to become following...
So it our legend, dawned suddenly on the Wolfhound. Only at us
the guy not of enemies on the wood drove, and to Moeran Smert dragged on shoulders!
About himself the Wolfhound was sure that two legends connected no more
relationship, than happens at two incidentally similar people. Still he knew that
Tilorn, it appear the wise man here, till the evening would explain to him that any
accident was not trace and.
- And then the young man understood that he will not be able to give to cruel tyrants the
the house and the family, - Ertan told. - Better any death
to die. And time lives will not be, it is good and foes with itself
to take. It was solved and led enemy army a hunting track directly in
Kayeransky bogs. And a path if not to know secret landmarks, die - not
you will find. So they left, and more them nobody ever saw. Live that
is. Three thousand were them, and any did not return.
Ertan became silent, and already Aptakhar asked her:
- So why nevertheless place bad? Left, disappeared, and Hegg tidied up them.
And the road not directly through bogs conducts?
- To people the story about treasures which carried away with itself was remembered
the gone army, - Ertan explained. - Time passed, there were daredevils,
eager for neutral riches. How many they sank in Kayeranakh, nobody not
considered, but someone, it is visible, nevertheless reached. At us think that those people
rummaged in searches of gold and disturbed bones of deceased. Then
neupokoyenny souls woke up fiercely to revenge... Here also it happens,
that the travelers who spent the night on Staraya Road disappear forever.
The wolfhound asked then Likhoslav and Likhobora, brave guys
confessed that felt a chill between shovels and rendered thanks the Eye
Gods for the fact that it stood highly in heaven, slowly to leave in
Sunset sea.
While Ertan told, together with Dungorn and Muzhila drove up to them
boyar Luchezar. Left hardly waited that the girl finished the
story; a crow felt impatience of the horseman and curved a neck, rolling
in a mouth tasteless gnawed.
When all became silent, Luchezar told with a snicker:
- I heard, "velkh" meant the courageous people earlier"...
Ertan exchanged glances with Mal-Gonoy and answered with an equal voice:
- And I heard, my master that this word and now the same
means.
- Well so it is time to replace, - Luchezar told. - Or this courageous
act - because of some ghosts to throw the excellent road in desolation?
Yes who though saw them?
- Allow to remind you, the relative that earth of the western velkh we are already
passed, - the knesinka of Elen gave a vote. - Not they that road
laid, not they also threw it.
Very much it was not pleasant to Knesinke when Luchezar was accepted someone
to lift up. There will be enough also fact that it was nearly at daggers points with the Wolfhound.
- Prizrakov saw my grandfather Kiaran Puteshestvennik and anybody has no he
the reasons to doubt truthfulness of his words, - having sustained respectful
pause, Ertan told. Told also exactly and quietly, as well as about the name
the people. If the Wolfhound understood though something in people, anything
doubted was waited by very serious call. - When the grandfather was young,
he as all young people, looked for adventures and wanted to confirm the
courage, - Ertan continued. - Once, wandering together with the friend, they
came on the region of Kayeransky bogs and stopped there on a lodging for the night. They
made it purposely because a lot of things were heard and decided to prove that
are afraid of nothing. They did not begin to make fire as they hoped
to hunt and did not want to frighten a game by a smoke s
mell. When the sun sat down, with
swamps fog stretched, and in fog the horn voice was heard. Grandfather
said then the first gray hair seemed at it in moustaches. Still it
said that neither before, nor then he did not hear that live so blew in
horns. The grandfather and his friend hid and began to wait and look, and that
the unscrupulous liar who will tell that he could lie in wet reeds with
them nearby and not to do full trousers for fear. The grandfather's friend is
the respectable father of our Kesan a threshing barn, and everyone who wants can him
to ask as there was a business. And so, after a while they saw
Going through the swamp. Fog crept low, and the grandfather considered helmets with
feathery crests. He recognized them at once because at our place from old
times remained just the same: my praprababka fighting in the Last
to war, brought it from the field of battle. The grandfather began to pray to Trekhrogy, and
ghosts did not scent them... Otherwise I would not exist because
then he was not married yet. Here so.
- Now I see that I was wrong and impolite, - ceremoniously bowed
Luchezar. - You, velkh, did not lose courage at all. But if two young
hunters were not frightened of otherworldly shadows and returned live whether it is good
it is coward to whole army to recede before incorporeal natives of graves?
It is not enough honor to living men of courage to give way long ago to the died enemies! Let
do not call me the voivode if I with the soldiers do not pass on Old
to path I will also not spend the night where someone disturbed merchants!
- Segvana will not be conceded in anything to solvenna, - Aptakhar grumbled.
- And velkh and even less so, - grinned It is small - Ghosn. Ertan looked back with
type of the winner.
- Us, velimorets, too did not blame for a lack of courage yet, - told
Dungorm. - But your sovereign Gluzd, kind commander and soldier, whose courage
does not need in any proofs, after all preferred to go
hills. And on the way to us, and coming back...
- And correctly made, - the Wolfhound told. He already saw to what went. And
what he saw was a vein across soul. To the person you will not forbid to climb
on рожон, if to it so hunting. But let his bungling kills him
one, but not others. And in particular those who to it are entrusted to be protected.
It happened to wolfhound to be perplexed earlier how easily turn
the adults who are turning gray, the growing bald men in the boys who are contemptuously throwing
each other: Poorly! It was necessary to hope for female wisdom. Women are able
to find some words and at once to drive from a fence раскукарекавшихся roosters.
Yes besides yet to offend nobody.
The monarchess a knesinka resolutely nodded and kept saying:
- We will go on Staraya Road.
The wolfhound annoyancely erznut in a saddle. From where to it was to know that
knesinka, having only caught about fruitless stony hills, at once
remembered the dreamed track between rocks. And now thanked
Heavenly Mother for the prevention, for a prophetic dream to which it will be allowed
not to come true.
- Two roads meet then again, the Wolfhound, - cheerfully called
Luchezar. - You can if you want, one to go hills. Then us
you will catch up, and we still a knesinka posterezhy.
Someone laughed, apparently, even Ertan. The wolfhound directed Serk
closer to a vehicle front where the knesinka of Elen sat, and told it:
- Your father traced to us to go Novaya Road, madam. To honor
it.
Knesinka, without answering, stood up in the vehicle and, holding marongovy
side, angrily shouted Left:
- Do not cling my bodyguards, Luchezar! They it is not worse than others about ours
the benefit take care!
The boyar, very happy, that insisted on the, readily
bowed, but right there told:
- In my opinion, the sister, more you protect them, and they only a menacing look
do yes to you specify where to go, where not to go.
Know a knesinka about the marksman on a fir-tree who was guessed by the Wolfhound,
it would find what to answer. But she was told nothing: did not want to frighten,
did not begin to sadden a travel. And in vain did not tell, the Wolfhound reproached himself.
You will think, would be frightened. Not to death. And pugany, probably, it was easier
to protect...
The sun only passed midday when the group reached rosstany. Where
here Old where New to understand it appeared easily. Old road
conducted directly on the South, New sharply turned to the East, promising decent
hook. At New the look was though started, but nevertheless the traveler. Old
entirely grew with a bush and young trees, and over it, in
the warning to ignorant travelers, the sign of the ban, death and grief hung:
white rag on a long pole. Such hang out at a log hut where recently
somebody died.
Luchezar the first let the horse on Staraya Road. Having reached to
sign, it rose in stirrups, extended a hand and broke a white rag.
Having cried out a solvennsky war-call, the boyar threw a rag under hoofs
the spinning stallion, the sword jerked from a sheath and jumped. Inspired
the army reached for it. Who, eventually, will be charged that about it
campaign and about brave Luchezar's act the song will not be put?.
The Wolfhound was never afraid of evil spirit. That is he knew, of course
that around loads and loads to arrange any beings only waiting to the person
trouble. Knew the nobility, but was not afraid. To be afraid, in his opinion, followed enemies
from flesh and blood. Live, tangible and capable to anything unexpected
to tricks. With spirits it is simpler. Spirits are invisible to a usual eye, but also
the living person is not seen. If only it some act not
will break this invisibility. Will neglect clarification ceremonies after murder
the enemy, will not comply the ancient bones which are incidentally found in a hole... So biting
gadflies snatch and painfully sting a dusty and sweaty body. And on
the person who was just redeemed in the river do not pay attention.
Dish of in purity, learned Vienna However, and nobody in vain will offend.
The wolfhound considered himself not the righteous person, but that dark force here
so unexpectedly will appear suddenly on his soul, did not trust. Especially if it
in advance will see to it about something...
... And the woods along Staraya Road indeed were magnificent. Wolfhound
askanced on the parties and vainly endeavored to comprehend as, for the sake of Gods, so
the marvelous place managed once to start up in itself evil spirits. How many it
saw the most beautiful places which are irreparably profaned by violence, a crime
and war! A time, apparently, would be already and to grow wiser, but something in it is deep
inside still fondly marveled: as supposedly left that wonderful beauty
stopped nobody and did not save?.
Concerning mushrooms too everything was in accuracy as predicted
Ertan. The huge hard handsome the whole families looked out of a moss
along all roadside if are not right in the middle expensive. Young soldiers
entertainment and vainglory for the sake of bent down in
saddles and picked up mushrooms,
without holding zealous horses. And that the good, broken in vain did not vanish
mushrooms were handed over in vehicles where cooks went. Will be
halt, coppers will hang over fires, cooks will begin to clean mushrooms and
to throw them into boiled water. Whatever it was started to evening, will not spoil
aspen mushrooms with mossiness mushrooms neither porridge, nor noodles, nor soup. And even
the segvana which from time immemorial were not gathering mushrooms and which did not get used to trust them
it is unlikely will be able to cope with curiosity. For certain will glance to
to fires of neighbors-solvennov. You eat supposedly yes you praise, so, maybe, it
and to us not a poison?.
In the beginning the wood was almost like to what the Wolfhound spent the childhood.
Mossy, with a rare underbrush, a transparent pinery, in which somehow
by itself the thought came to pray to Gods. Then it is expensive gradually
spread under a bias, there were enormous, twined a gray-haired lichen fir-trees.
The wolfhound began to worry, having imagined a lodging for the night in the similar wood. But
fir groves lasted not for long. Soon on the parties solemn walked again
hordes of pines. Mysh continually broke from a shoulder of the Wolfhound and, promptly
winding between trees, it was carried away far in a thicket. Venn it is attentive
looked narrowly at it when it came back. But is not present, any signs
the big-eared black small animal meanwhile did not show concern...
To Kayeransky bogs the Wolfhound guessed approach at first on
to smell. The breeze died towards, and before a mind's eye were stretched
the magnificent peat bogs overgrown with cloudberries and a cranberry, and slightly in a distance rose
dense reeds in human height also lay spill of black water with
not movably stiffened floating islands. The wolfhound saw even
slow bubbles which rose from depth from time to time and
burst, extending a smell of rotten eggs.
He was only going to ask Ertan whether seemed to it and
whether really bogs when the road turned once again will open soon, and
before them stretched to the neboskat well-known Kayerana. Precisely
such, as well as the Wolfhound imagined. At the left was seen
kochkovaty peat bog in which is closer to the coast Even sickly were seen
Bloody Revenge Page 46
