That the young man shouted, he and itself plainly did not remember subsequently, but from own shout he almost became deaf. And when the sharp-clawed paw seized him by a boot and with an inhuman force pulled to itself, the young man was convulsively killed all over. Without having kept balance, like a rag doll having powerlessly spread in sides of a hand and leg, it departed down. Breaking on the fly branches, it with a crash and a roar fell down directly the earth fortunately covered with a thick layer of a soft moss. Having hit the head against a ledge big, curved as a snake, a fir-tree root, fainted, became soft and calmed down.
3.
But shout already made the business …
Only two dark humanoid figures stretched sharp-clawed paws to fallen as from the wood an arrow the snow-white fallow deer with gold hooves took off. With astonishment looked at Volkolaki on the yesterday's fugitive: really this mild and timid animal is capable to threaten them? But far from it! After a fallow deer on a glade flew, loudly buzzing as an angry bee, a strange being, with huge, in a floor of human growth, transparent wings behind the back.
At first it was impossible to sort what the being is, so promptly it flew. But when it stopped, at last, the flight, it was possible to consider it as it was presented to the surprised look of volkolak.
By sight it was the slender young girl of years 18-20, average height, with long, falling the cascade honor to a belt with the golden, glowing even in total darkness hair, slightly pinkish, gentle as at the child skin, big bright blue, colors of the mountain lake, eyes. As clothes to it served the short silk celestial-blue tunic intercepted by a belt on thin a waist aspen. On a silver buckle of her belt two capital letters of "software" which crowned three tiny gold crowns bound between themselves roses were engraved by a fancy ligature. On her head the silver hoop with a blue stone in the center flaunted. She held the nacreous stick shining from within with the same stone at top in hand. Yes, and still - on a neck at it the medallion in the form of a three-headed blue dragon hung on a silver chain, and thin tiny legs are put in soft sandals.
The beautiful winged girl waved a stick and two long beams of celestial-blue color departed towards forest monsters. Dazzling flash, a deafening roar - and already two running live torch captured by a flame unusual blue, colors, ran away deep into the woods. But, having taken only couple of tens of steps, fell and broke off forever.
Meanwhile the girl in due time noticed a new source of danger because the leader of the burned-down monsters was already going to jump on it directly from the most top branch of a tree. One more wave the magic "lattice" weaved from celestial-blue beams to which the hairy creature fell from everything to scope arose a stick - and already over a pretty head of the girl as if, having broken itself all bones. The blood-stained and still convulsively twitching hulk slowly rolled down "lattice" on the earth as soon as the winged girl inclined a stick. One more wave a hand - and the throat of a creature was cut with the sparkling beam not worse than an edge of the sharpest razor. The creature convulsively moved, began to wheeze and calmed down, zakhlebnuvshis streams of black blood. And in a moment from all three corpses some black fetid smoke suddenly went, it was distributed abstruse sad howl. But once the girl blew on a sensitive magic stone of the stick - and the poisonous smoke carried away goodness knows where from the appeared breeze, and on the place of the lying corpses there were only stinking dark bald spots.
But they did not interest the girl any more. Having coped with monsters, she right there ran up to the young man lying dead and its fine face was distorted by a suffering grimace. The face and his hair were wet from blood, the clothes are torn, skin all in bruises and grazes, and the right hand and a leg were bent for a back unnaturally.
- He died! This unfortunate young man died! I was late! - the winged girl exclaimed and in despair closed the fine face palms. - Oh, the Creator, I came too late! I am an utterly worthless fairy!
Tears, leaving damp paths on pink peach cheeks, a hail poured down from her eyes. She rushed to the young man, the fast movements broke off the remains of a jacket and shirt on his breast. Having bared it, she dropped an ear to the place where heart settles down, and began to listen attentively attentively. There came the intense silence.
Several seconds a look at the girl remained disturbing. But here, at last, the smile lit up her lips, eyes began to shine for pleasure, and she whispered:
- He breathes, oh, the Creator, he breathes, he is living! - and, having risen, joyfully clapped the hands, exactly as the little girl to whom presented hotly desirable gift on birthday. - He is living, and I will surely cure him, I swear! - and the winged girl even jumped up from delight.
4.
It is unknown what would occur further, but rustle and a crash in a forest thicket and the girl was distributed at this time, having sharply developed to the opposite side, was going to hit into an emphasis.
- The hostess, the hostess, madam darling, do not shoot! - the voice was distributed begging, interrupted from fast run, thin, almost children's. - It we, Animals! I and the Puppy, mya-at-at! I Umolyae-e-e-em!
The girl, having frowned eyebrows, rested handles against sides, just like strict mummy who was going to lecture decently the careless kids:
- Well and where you were unsteady, fighters, a-a-a? I here the whole gang of volkolak did in while you tailed after! Here the human young man, by the way, dies!
Two unusual beings fell out of forest thickets on a glade, just like mushrooms from a bast basket. Bright silvery lunar beams lit up both. It were awfully nice, absolutely not an aggressive look small animals, small, in a floor of human growth that gave them similarity to children. One small animal was similar to a puppy (it therefore called - "Puppy"), and another - to a kitten (it was called "Kitten"). Both were entirely made of plush, but different color: A kitten - from gray in a black strip, and the Puppy - from brown. They differed from a cat and a dog only in the fact that went on two pads, and for the rest were absolutely same. The Puppy had long trailing plush ears, the big, made of color glass, brown eyes, an amusing brown attractive face with a black nose from an imitation leather and a good-natured mouth with a long pink uvula, and the tail at it always joyfully wagged, as well as at any dog. The Kitten had sharp ears on the top, long moustaches-vibrissy, glass green eyes and a long striped tail. Both Zverenk seemed surprisingly good-natured, tender and absolutely harmless so the girl, having looked at their confused and such amusing attractive faces, right there ceased to become angry about them.
- Madam is expensive, the hostess, for the sake of the Creator forgive us, but we is perfect, well it is perfect, mya-at-at, could not keep up with you! You on wings, and we on shank's mare ran! Mass media-and-and-and-iluysya!
- All right, not time to argue! Let's get down to work! you have all with yourself? - already more softly zolotovolosy madam told them.
- You offend! - angrily the Kitten mewed. - All in the best look! - And then turned to the Puppy who hid behind his back and it is guilty waved a tail, ordered: - A puppy, get drugs and for work! Quickly, meow!
The puppy, without thinking twice, threw out on the earth of the bag hanging at him on one side, all its contents, and the Kitten pompously of the expert right there was accepted for good reason.
The puppy and Kitten dexterously straightened the young man's body, removed from it the remains of dirty and fragmentary clothes, dragged it on the lightest place on a glade where the moonlight directly fell, and the fast, professionally perfected movements of plush pads imposed tires on changes. They greased all grazes with iodine, tied up bandage of a wound, and here - the wounded is already ready to transportation! Right there, as if on wave of a magic wand, there was stretcher on which Animals put the young man's body, and undertook handles.
- Animals, go so far forward. I will catch up! - the winged girl told. And Animals, strong holding a stretcher in such in appearance brittle plush pads, were behind a dense wall of shaggy and dark fir-tree thickets. The girl, having remained one, turned to the sno
w-white fallow deer forgotten in turmoil now, gently embraced a beautiful and slender animal and gave smacking kiss to her in a forehead.
- Thanks to you, expensive, without you I would not find it so soon. It is terrible even to think what would be if you did not guess me nearby! Well it is fine, go, you are waited by yours an olenyata, they already, probably, got hungry. Say hello to them from me bo about - olshushchy hi! I very much love them and I will surely visit soon! I promise! - With these words the girl presented a snow-white fallow deer with one more kiss, and that, having exempted from her embraces, jumped to the opposite side and disappeared in a forest thicket. And the winged girl, having buzzed wings as a big bee, went after Animals.
5.
In a breast at the fairy everything exulted. Long ago it was not so happy!
Really, she lost count of centuries, dreaming of rescuing such weak, such defenseless people and to care for them: to prepare curative medicines from magic herbs, to tie up wounds the patient, to feed with tasty lunches of hungry and to protect the kind magic wanderers that all of them found a shelter in its small lodge on the bank of the quiet forest small river. However in her dreams there was one, but very considerable defect. The matter is that neither sick, nor hungry, nor wanderers in its hut were and could be because in their Tselestiya simply exists.
Very long time ago fairies are powerful winged magicians whose family also our new acquaintance treated, - protected mankind from all these troubles. They exterminated all infectious diseases, they forced vegetables and fruit grow much at self-sowing all the year round so any poor could satisfy hunger without effort at any time. The winter and bad weather remained only on pages of textbooks of history here. In addition they destroyed all monsters and predators, and also lulled Oblivion aroma of flowers, and then re-educated all robbers, villains and all those at whom and hands itched to do some fighting so from now on any wanderer could even sleep peacefully absolutely under the open sky. Thus, in all part of Tselestiya inhabited by the human race Hera Poryadca and Prosperity so any person did not need any help any more was established.
Only one place near manned lands was still and rather dangerous - a mysterious Limit with which on border our hero came incidentally in a pursuit of a wonderful fallow deer. The power of fairies which is not allowed to destroy by it as said for some reason did not extend to this Limit, even it there is directly forbidden Creator as Whose obedient and faithful attendants they considered themselves. However always the flourishing Tselestiya's inhabitants almost plainly knew nothing about the Limit, except very few most curious. Fairies so sharp-sightedly watched that monsters did not cross its border that even cock-and-bull stories of hunters for adventures about travel were perceived by most of people precisely "woman's fables" there.
The winged magicians keeping order in this mysterious place were called Keepers of the Limit whom also our Fairy was among. And this important mission - protection of the human race against monsters because of the Limit - it executed, it is necessary to tell, with great pleasure. And suddenly sometime she will manage to rescue some unfortunate traveler?! - not once or twice tremblingly in heart eternally young, but also eternally lonely magician thought.
"Oh, I would do it so much good how many can only give my big loving heart! I would surround it with such inexhaustible care and love that he never even would think of leaving pink walls of my cozy lodge!" - our Fairy so often thought and waited. Waited for long and long centuries, at all, however, without doubting that such miracle surely will occur once.
6.
And meanwhile Animals dragged a stretcher with the wounded to a hut of the Fairy. The last represented a small two-storeyed wooden lodge with a pink tile roof, a cellar and an attic, an open verandah on the right, couple of tiny balconies on the second floor and an accurate porch. Anything special. If which of people saw this lodge, then would not think for anything that there can live a fairy, in such constructions there lived all most ordinary villagers of Tselestiya. It differed from them only in what was painted with monophonic pink paint whereas people prefer to do the houses multi-colored.
There was dead of night, the lodge shrouded the cool twilight long ago, having absolutely hidden it for public eyes. Only one place - a porch because on it there was already Oslenok with a small small lamp in pads was lit.
Oslenok was made of plush too, as well as familiar already to us the Kitten and the Puppy, only of black. He danced attendance too, he had large long ears and a long muzzle, good-natured and mild eyes from black glass. On the head he wore a big straw hat with wide fields, mice a little obgryzenny at the edges, and round old-womanish points on a nose that gave it at the same time both a somewhat eccentric, and intelligent look. And it is not sophisticated, Oslenok was a poet and gramotey.
Oslenk's appearance in the middle of night on the street was business, it is necessary to tell, improbable for all those who knew it, he was very big hunter to sleep. However this miracle very simply spoke. The matter is that the Fairy, having been ahead of the Kitten and the Puppy as the angry wasp flew through an open window directly on an attic where the bedroom of Animals settled down, and right there suited a dressing down to Oslenk who peacefully snuffled at himself on a bed.
- Oslenok! You sleep, the idler?! And well, rise! - having again rested handles against sides, the Fairy struck a pose of "strict mummy".
- And? What? - in a hurry not woken up Oslenok jumped from a bed still plainly. He hasty smoothed a disobedient hair on the top and vainly looked around short-sighted at points.
- Fell asleep? Fell asleep!!! I to you ordered to be on the watchman! Well it is fine, quickly march - prepare a bath! Immediately! We have a wounded human young man! - and the Fairy imperiously specified by the thin finger towards the bath which was settling down on the first floor.
- Wounded?! Young man?! Oh, the Creator as I could fall asleep! - grievously Oslenok murmured, clutching at the head. - Forgive, madam, I will correct everything! - and headlong rushed to a door.
But it was stopped by a sharp hail of the Fairy.
- Yes, madam?
- Oslenok, the bungler you such, forgot the points!.
The fairy departed towards to the Kitten and the Puppy, and Oslenok began to heat a bath. It is necessary to tell that from Oslenk at the same time big efforts were not required, the bath, as well as all in the house of the Fairy, was magic. Wooden basins one by one as clumsy ducklings, hobbled to the river to gather water, in the furnace fire flashed magic, not demanding firewood. Oslenk needed only to watch the events, specifying where to rise to the basins which came back with a burden, where to pour out water and all something like that. And therefore, when, at last, Animals with a stretcher approached, Oslenok already waited for them on a porch with the lit lamp.
Animals, funny puffing, dragged a stretcher inside and put the young man on the wide bench laid by a waterproof mattress. The fairy with concern watched that they placed it with all possible care, but it is vain - Animals knew the business. And then the Kitten efficiently turned to the Fairy and, for bravery having slightly coughed in a plush cam, important told:
- Well, everything, the hostess, further we will deal with the Puppy. To unmarried girls here not the place. So, excuse! - and with these words inconsiderately slammed a door before her nose! The fairy, having reddened as a peony, however, kept silent and sat down right there, nearby, on the brought stool. Infinitely long minutes of expectation stretched …
When Animals stopped to wash the young man and to update to him bandages, the Fairy already flew into a rage from impatience.
- Well so long?! And suddenly he will die?! You examined its wounds more attentively?! - a tongue twister she blurted out, having caught sight of the Animals who were dripping wet who head over heels fell out of a pair bath. They between times managed thoroughly to be washed.
- You offend, the hostess, m-r-r-myau! - the Kitten told efficiently and important, licking big pink, rigid as a brush, a uvula the plush skin. - Examined! Except f
ractures and concussion, apart from grazes and scratches, there is nothing …
- Generally, will live, and-av!!! - joyfully the Puppy gave a yelp and began to shake all the body, having drenched all standing including the Fairy, a stream of splashes why right there, however, got it from the Kitten in the neck.
But the Fairy did not even pay attention to it. She piously put hands on a breast and narrowed the radiant celestial-blue eyes which lit up with pleasure:
- Slava Sozdatelyu, he is living … - is hardly heard she whispered, but in several moments her face accepted the serious and anxious expression again, and she passed to language of teams again:
- So, Animals, carry it to the room for guests! Oslenok, prepare everything for the patient there! Immediately!
And Animals started skipping executing command of the hostess again.
When the young man appeared, at last, in the bed, the Fairy right there showed the door from the room of Animals.
- All, thank you, my dear friends, - she told with a smile, embracing all three at the same time at once. - Now go for deserved rest. You well worked today. And I will remain here, I will sit and I will look for the patient. Good night!
Oslenok and Puppy very were delighted to such turn of affairs and right there, without any arguments, rushed to an exit - very much they wanted to sleep, especially to Oslenk! But the Kitten somehow strange looked at the Fairy with the very sly green eyes and discontentedly murlyknut:
Unconquered Sun Page 2
