"Yes, overdid …" - the Fairy thought - the blow left stronger, than she wanted. Skin of black overalls on back places of witches melted a little and slightly opened not absolutely decent part of a body for a public inspection.
The fairy densely reddened and ordered:
- Back … e-e-e-e, that is a back, to a trunk, here so! And now to sit down, to sit down I speak! To sit! Here so, well. Not to move!
Witches, spitefully looking at the Fairy, mudflows around a thick trunk of a huge old pine, and the Fairy already quickly carried out by a stick a magic circle on the ground. Even a moment, and her captives appeared under magic "cap". The invisible magic field interfered with them now not that to skoldovat something on the Fairy, but also in general to leave its limits. They were in it as butterflies in the glass turned upside down.
- Foo-at-at! Slava Sozdatelyu! - the Fairy wiped labor sweat from a forehead - now they will definitely not escape and will not play dirty trick. - And now answer - why attacked these young men, and? Quickly!
- Yes nobody attacked them … - having with insult inflated sponges answered senior of witches. - We know them long ago, they from the neighboring village, miles in twenty from here, and took we them on a wedding. Two of our sisters marry them at midnight, in the Reserved Thicket, that's all today …
At the Fairy intercepted breath. The head of it began to spin, and paint densely filled in all face.
At first she understood nothing. And wanted to shout on senior that did not muzz it, but suddenly bit to herself tongue. And really, about customs of dryads she plainly knows nothing. In School they were not passed as these customs are confidential.
In a breast at it all grew cold and she interrogatively looked at boys.
They reddened too.
At last, one of them, chernyavenkiya, with already making the way vegetation on cheeks and a lip, without lifting up eyes quietly told:
- It is true, madam, we ran away from the house on a wedding … To us appointed this clearing … For a meeting … Generally … Brides …
- And what for shouts, a shouting, belts? - the Fairy frowned, still hoping that she is just fooled.
- And it is our customs such, the darling which, by the way, your Knowledge perfectly knows! - everything is also impudent, with a call their senior continued. - We have such custom - to abduct husbands. They just were aware not, were frightened a little. Happens … - and all five together suddenly swept with laughter.
- And … you … you … allow to treat yourself so?! - with anger the Fairy exclaimed. - Where your human dignity?!
- And you what, not so whether to yourself you get husbands, and? - maliciously senior parried. - Stir up them the head so that they as the trained rabbits to you in pads and run. At us everything is more honest. We have force and besides without any deception! - and again all five together swept with laughter.
The fairy understood that she fell into an idiotic situation. And last time tried to get out of it, without having lost face.
- So, boys, you will go with me, I will take away you to your village, to parents, there is nothing you with these abnormal to be found, clear?
But boys loured at the Fairy, on its angry, but at the same time finer, than usually the person, and did not even move to rise.
- What? It is it is unclear told? To rise quickly!
Both of them got up, and dark again, despite the Fairy, told:
- Forgive, madam, we not for this purpose ran away from the house to come back. We fell in love with those girls who wait for us this midnight, and back we will not go. This our right whom to marry and where to live. Here, I told everything.
The fairy needed only to bite a sponge from disappointment.
- Here you see, tow-haired, you were guilty! And the complaint will be written "upward" by us, but not you. You interfere with our internal life, you provoke the international conflicts … Boys already ours, but not yours!
To the fairy it became suddenly disgusting and vile at heart. To it these barbarous customs of dryads were disgusting, but boys spoiled all game. Really, if they agree what here you will do? The law on Guardianship only protects the rights of people from violation, but if they so want … Here the law is powerless!
But the Fairy did not want to give up so simply.
- And why you attacked me? Why Animals were caught?
- And there is nothing to cross border, the darling, nothing, - the rough impudent voice was again distributed. - The line is drawn not for this purpose that hung around everyones here! The admission is necessary from our queen. Without admission - only with fight! Contracts, the grace you ours, are written not in order that to violate them, isn't it?! - And senior, having maliciously squinted an eye, rapaciously grinned.
And the Fairy reddened even more densely. And here they were right. Yes, the Fairy really went across their territory, and it would be strange if they did not attack it.
Another thing is that it had no other choice. To the Sea straight it was possible to get only through Drevlyandiya - the country of dryads - and it should bypass through all human Commonwealth, doing a considerable hook to the South. It would take few months, it is not less. Moreover it was necessary to go not on the suburb, and on densely populated agricultural areas - there any incognito you will not keep also in mention. Of course, it was possible to come to "top", those would address personally the queen Cora for the admission … But then both time, and conspiracy would be lost.
- All right. Will be enough. I caught you and you are my hostages. You will return me Animals, baggage and an easy access to the Sea - I will release you and your boys. No - you I will fry, do not agree yet. I see?
- And what not clear? Might makes right. Let's us contact ours only. Let's return you your menagerie to integrities and safety, be not afraid …
6.
Business quickly took a turn for the better.
The fairy gave senior her hoop, she quickly left on telepathic communication on senior other group.
- Everything is all right. Release us, and we will lead you to your animals. They already on the place. Don't be afraid. Let's not deceive. We for this purpose are present no reason, it is time for ourselves to make haste, - senior quickly looked at the West. - The decline already, and at us wedding ceremony burns in the Thicket. Besides the Empress Cora gives you the admission. She wants to have with you an audience so war anyway ended, the darling.
"Yes, got! - with disappointment the Fairy thought. - Whom-whom, and this thief of foreign husbands moreover and other people's children, I would like to see only on magic duel! But there's nothing to be done - Animals and baggage should be rescued".
Probably, the destiny built events so that meetings with this powerful magician not to avoid, and fairies always fanatically believed in destiny so it was necessary only to obey it.
Having deeply sighed, the Fairy took off magic "cap" and returned to witches trophy property, retained boys:
- I will give them when Animals I receive in an integrity and safety, clear?
- Why … Fairly, all frankly, - shrugged shoulders senior and, having imperiously upraised a hand with a magic wand, went forward.
During a moment of an eye the thicket before it parted and instead of the impassable wooden jungle to a look of travelers the wide, smooth and equal footpath on which to go opened was - it is a pleasure.
However soon the wood began to change again, and the Fairy understood what it is connected with - they approached the center of Drevlyandiya - the Reserved Thicket.
The reserved Thicket was really terrible place. Trees were or mossy and kryukovaty oaks, or the dried dead pines, or some blackthorns and other muck here.
Nobody plainly knows why this Thicket called Reserved. Perhaps, this tradition lasts even since Great Split. Then the uniform community of winged magicians broke up into Fey, Mermaids and Dryads and Thirty years' war began between them. Nobody won war as Dryads and Mermaids concluded the Eternal Alliance among themselves and there we
re not less strong, than Fairies. As a result, magicians divided the world into three parts - fairies Skies and Tselestiya's territories, the mermaid inhabited by people - Mora and forest creeks took themselves, and dryads got the dense woods and bogs.
The reserved Thicket became the favourite place of concourses of dryads on the Last Midnight Suppers which were carried out four times a year since then - in a summer and winter solstice and in a spring and autumn solstice. By hearsay, on these Vespers they sang the obscene, wild dances danced, feasted, rode brooms and mortars and did other strange things. Actually that - nobody knew as witnesses to it were not. For this reason I Speak rapidly and nicknamed Reserved - the leg of "Others" did not go there. The prince got on such Vespers only thanks to the Sea Queen Laura once - the sister Cora.
But now the track persistently conducted the Fairy together with group from the former captives in the center of the Reserved Thicket - to Cora's hut.
At last, the last thicket from the branches of mossy oaks bound among themselves remained behind, and travelers came to a round clearing. On a clearing of that there was a big house. Or rather, the house stood on a wooden platform which in turn held the account of the big thick log hammered with one end into the earth, and other end, like a giant column, holding on itself a platform and the house. The design of this strange house reminded something huts which are built by inhabitants of the rivers to avoid flooding in a high water.
Looking at this house, the Fairy only guessed now from where undertake at people and even fairies have terrifying stories about "hut on chicken legs". It is simple to build custom of the house on such base thus it was rethought by the national imagination. Perhaps and all other cock-and-bull stories about witches and about the Thicket had same "reliability", as well as baizes about "huts on chicken legs"?
Near this "izba" there was a big round table. Or rather, it was possible to call it a table very conditionally. It was the big flat smoothly polished stone of absolutely black color. Speak, such stones sometimes are on a silver platter and are called fairies astronomers "meteorites" and it is not anything in them. But in some of them as many fairies consider, some unfamiliar magic force which properties are up to the end not studied, but which surpasses all our imaginable representations dozes. One of such stones was here. And dryads nicknamed him "the Black Stone". It was their main shrine. On it all their sacraments and vespers were carried out from time immemorial, on it swore and vowed, on it guessed and told fortunes.
At a stone table the tall woman sat. As well as all magicians, it was in appearance young, but the eyes executed by multithousand-year wisdom gave its enormous age.
Unlike fairies and mermaids who, respectively, had hair fair and green, her hair were bluish-black, colors of a vorony wing, and skin was swarty. Eyes also were black, big, framed with long black eyelashes. The nose was with a small hump, reminding something a beak of a bird of prey. On her head the wreath from eternally fresh forest flowers, and on a neck - a necklace from teeth of a panther flaunted. The woman was dressed in the black fitting overalls from a skin of a panther and a black raincoat from the same skin, and the hood of this raincoat was represented by the head of a panther. Even nails its, very long, similar to claws, were painted with a bluish-black varnish, as well as her lips. Black color in general was favourite color of dryads what they were not loved by fairies for.
In general, dryads their fairies "scientifically", in a habitat - in the woods called. And inhabitants of the woods called themselves "night hunters". They, unlike fairies, adored killing on hunting, to suck blood of the killed victims and to arrange ecstatic holidays with dancings and songs of wild character, and were engaged in it at night, under the moon and stars. In this sense they were an antipode of the fairies loving day and hating shedding blood …
So, the black woman who was a Dark Empress Cora sat on a reed chair at the Black Stone and waited for travelers. On a surface of the Black Stone magically the card of the Reserved Thicket was highlighted and on it all eight travelers going to the center of the Thicket, directly to "hut on chicken legs" were displayed.
- The heroine liberator came, at last, - with a smile Cora told, having blinked black, impenetrable for a foreign look, an eye. - I see, you did not go astray.
- Why you took us to yourself, Cora? - the Fairy asked. - To what all this theater? Speak directly.
- I will tell, but not now … At first let's finish formalities! - Bark imperiously clicked fingers and the izba door by itself opened. From it Animals literally took off and with joyful shouts rushed to the Fairy. They jumped it directly on handles, embraced her and kissed.
- Oh, Zveryatki you is my dear! Oh, babies! Well how do you feel? What with you was? - the Fairy began to groan, smiling from ear to ear. Animals looked perfectly as though nothing happened.
- And we also do not know, the hostess, we do not know, and-av! - the Puppy barked, licking the pink wet uvula a face of the favourite Hostess.
- M-r-r-r-mya-at-at! Just in fog something clicked in the head, we fell asleep, and woke up only half an hour ago. That's all … - the Kitten added.
- Well and it is nice, children, well and is nice! Slava Sozdatelyu! All is good! - the Fairy continued to smile and lowered both Animals on the earth. And then her face became strict again, she turned to boys behind the back and told:
- You are free, go to your new hostesses. Though on your place, I still would think whether costs …
But all five "hunters" already ran up to boys and, having taken them by hands, with joyful laughter dragged them somewhere in a thicket.
- Well, now we in calculation, - Cora stated. - We will leave other mutual claims for later. The sun already set, and the moon just about will appear. We have a solemn rite on a nose. To stay for a while welcome. In any case, my presence is obligatory there. Let's talk then.
- What with you still to speak to us about? - having unfriendly sparkled eyes, the Fairy told.
- Is about what, expensive, is about what … Without me you all the same will not get out of the Thicket and, I think, to you it can be rather interesting. Let's go. Rise on the Bald mountain still is necessary to us. It is not close …
What to do? Reluctantly, the Fairy with Animals went to a way. And the way really was not close.
7.
From an izba the footpath really went sharply up. In the dark almost nothing was visible, and the moon did not ascend yet, and therefore the fact of rise could be felt, but what the mountain such as it looked from outside is - it was only possible to guess. Another thing is that what it really "Bald", became obvious even for going in total darkness. Soon the dense wood was replaced by a light forest, a light forest - a bush, and a bush - the naked stone here and there covered with rare bald spots of a rigid and small grass. It was not closer to the top even of a grass, there was one naked stone. The fairy easily imagined how the mountain can look from outside - from below is covered with the wood, a grass, and from above absolutely naked as a skull of the growing bald person, sideways still absolutely hairless covered with hair, and from above.
When travelers finished rise, the moon already almost reached a zenith and a white stone (whether quartz, whether marble) of which the mountain consisted began to shine a set of sparkles. The mountain became really beautiful, mysterious, some fantastic. The fairy widely opened eyes and, looking at this miracle, gasped. It seemed that stones were covered by a great number of glowworms.
- Well as, it is pleasant? - triumphantly Cora grinned, having noticed expression of her eyes. - The bald mountain - our main shrine in the Reserved Thicket though there are also other shrines - sacred groves, sources, stones, whirlpools. They are wonderful too and possess a big magic power - force of the wood and night. But the Bald Mountain is a special place. In total here it is penetrated by magic, especially in full moons …
Cora somehow mysteriously and pensively smiled, and in its black as night almond-shaped eyes some strange spark, something otherworldly and voluptuous flashed. But it la
sted only a moment, then it continued by the usual semi-derisive, haughty tone:
- Therefore we make sacraments of marriage on the Bald Mountain, in the period of full moons, but there is more to come … Look at its top, - the Fairy looked there where Cora specified and saw there, at the top, some strange construction. It reminded a set of the big stones which are vertically standing around in several rows. On vertically standing stones others from above were put.
In the center of this construction there was a big black flat stone - exactly same, as at an izba. Stones of a construction were from other material, than the mountain - deadwhite. They also shone, but some opaque, deathly light as a face of the dead person drowned man under the full moon. Therefore, looking at these stones, to the Fairy and Animals it became a little horrible. They reminded them oshcherivshiyesya the broken-off teeth (stones stood unevenly) on the lower jaw of some prehistoric skull which is just taken out from a grave.
To distract from gloomy thoughts, the Fairy asked:
- What strange such structure is? The first time I see it …
- No wonder. From fairies you the first who for many millennia stepped into this mountain. It is our main shrine on the Bald mountain - the temple of the Moon. You see, stones are put round - they repeat a silhouette of the full moon. Here we make our most solemn rites - marriage, the contract, an oath (Cora told, having expressively looked at the Fairy) which have indestructible character as during lifetime, and on death. But not we built this temple. This place - very much, very ancient, not less ancient, than the Limit zone. Its history is up to the end unknown to us, roots leave deep into Dark Centuries, and I will better hold back the guesses …
And Cora really became silent. Her look took a pensive otherworldly form again and to look at her face was even more terrible, than on a structure. It also as the Moon reflected some deathly otherworldly light and it seemed rather-faced some ghost, than the living being.
The fairy turned away and chilly shrank. Animals drearily trudged at the legs, being afraid to depart from the Hostess not to be lost in this strange terrible place.
Unconquered Sun Page 22
