Kairos stood astonishingly still, until we were too skillful at putting on the horse harness, but he slipped surprised and snorted. I couldn't help but feel that the stallion was laughing at us. Somehow we looked at the saddle.
- It didn't look so bad," her friend said confidently.
I laughed skeptically, exhaled and got into the saddle. The horse stretched out his neck, looking at my exertion.
- Well, I'm sorry," I grunted, "as I can. Kairos snorted scornfully. Xenia climbed up much more cleverly, and joyfully sat down in front of me, touching the horse's sides with her heels.
- Fr Fr," said the horse, but still moved towards the exit. I waved my hand to the sleeping mare and clung to Xenia more firmly.
Fortunately, in spite of my fears, the horse listened to the leaders unconditionally and sensitively. Having swung the bird over the collapsed fence, he jumped onto the forest path and ran along it so that the wind whistled in his ears.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa!!! - joyfully pushed Xenya. I also relaxed a little, the familiar feeling of flight enveloped me. darkness and prickly branches of firs interfered greatly with the speed of acceleration, but still we reached the Wasteland so soon that I was not even scared.
On the way to the dark, as if it were not a residential village, Xenia stretched her reins, forcing Kairos to take a step. I didn't want to draw attention to myself, so I was glad to see the weed house on the outskirts again.
At the puncture, we were in a hurry to look out at the dark windows. There were no signs of life in the house, but a white smoke was gently pouring out of the pipe. Isn't Danila here? Or is he just asleep? There was an unpleasant feeling that someone from the black shadows was watching us. I quickly turned around, looking into the darkness and tense eyesight.
- What are you doing? - I whispered to Xenya, looking back too.
- It's okay. It seemed like... Hold Kairos, I'll knock on the wicket door.
But no one answered my knocking. Maybe he just can't hear it. Does he sleep that hard?
I caught it harder, looking back anxiously. I don't want to wake up the neighbors and the pile.
Did it show or did the curtain on the window move a little? I tiptoed up, trying to see something behind the palisade.
- Danila," I whispered loudly, "Danila!
The curtain swayed clearer, and in a moment the knocked door flew away, showing us a distorted guy in one of our coats, but with an axe in his hand.
- Get out of here," he whispered desperately through his teeth.
We took a friendly nap and sat down for a puncture.
- Danila," I squeaked from there without risking to stick out, "what are you doing? It's me, Vetriana!
The guy was freezing desperately, coming to his senses.
- Vetritsa," he said, calmly and surprised, "what are you doing there?
- I'm hiding from you," I answered honestly.
- Why are you hiding?
- So that you wouldn't chop me up with an axe!
- By whom? Я?
Xenia twisted her finger eloquently at the temple, evaluating the boy's mental abilities. I sprayed and took a chance to get out.
- Danila, I said with an insight, you have an axe in your hand. And you waved it very threateningly!
- Ahh... - the guy looked at his gun and put his hand down in a little surprise, - so I'm not you... come in the house, what are you doing there?
- Only I'm not alone, with a friend, I warned you, and the horse has to be put somewhere. It is desirable that the neighbors do not see.
- Is it a thief or something? - The son of the herbalist hummed. We chose not to go into details. Danila took the reins and looked suspiciously at Xenia.
- Are you sure you can trust her? - He asked me skeptically.
A friend snorting offended her.
- We can leave now," she said, "let's go, Vetriana.
- And I didn't ask you to worry about me! - He snapped at me. Xenya took his reins and pulled me to the wicket door.
- All right, stay there," Daniel said, grumbling dissatisfactorily, and rubbing her eyes tiredly...
And I wove to the vane. We stomped for the view, tied Kairos under a canopy, and moved into the house, too.
In the house, Daniel looked out the window anxiously, pulled all the curtains tightly, tickled the door, and only then lit the beam. I suppressed an involuntary sigh. The guy looked bad: His eyes were red, inflamed, circled in dark circles. His face drooping, his back slouching like it was heavy.
We kept silent, looking at each other and not knowing where to start.
- Why don't you come to the chapel," I dared you, "did you know anything?
The boy sank heavily onto the shop, bending his shoulders like an old man.
- Yes... I saw them again.
- So what? - So Xenia and I asked at the same time.
- The two of them... are gone," he said painfully, "the boy... and that girl, the headmaster's daughter. I saw them... I saw them killed. With a blade right in their heart!
We're out of here. Xenia clutched her mouth with her palm, her eyes widening to look at Danila.
- Blessed Mother... and the others? Did you see who did it?
- The monster! - the guy said in pain, the monster did it! But I couldn't get a good look at him. He was wearing a black hoodie. And I can't see him, he's like in a fog...
He was silent, unable to continue. His shoulders have dropped even lower. I was astonished to be silent.
Xenia stood up resolutely, sat down on the bench next to Danila and put her hand on his shoulder.
- You must tell us everything," she said firmly, "in every detail. There are still children left and everything has to be done to save them. Tell us.
The guy leaned on her palm, but he didn't clean it up. He even straightened his shoulders a little.
- It's dark there," he started, "like some kind of crypt... or dungeon. It's cheese. There's a window at the top, but it's so small that a cat can't even get through. The only way out is through a heavy oak door with an iron bolt on the outside.
- Are the kids trying to get out?
- They're very weak. They're not fed well and I think they're drugged with something. I see through their eyes and it's like through a diaper, everything floats, changes... And I feel a wild weakness and a strange desire to go... somewhere.
- Wait... - I jumped up excited, - recalling, - but I had one too! A desire to go, a strange weakness, an inability to resist...
Danila and I looked overwhelmed and said at the same time:
- Call!
- Well, of course! - The guy jumped up, too. I couldn't have guessed. These children hear the Call, as we do!
- Maybe that's why they were locked up there? - Ksenia suggested that they shouldn't go on the Zov?
- No," shook Daniel's head, "they're afraid of something quite different... and they're being killed there. And so scared... it's some kind of terrible ritual...
- What else did you see?
- Last time I saw everything through that girl's eyes. She woke up before the very last moment... she didn't even understand anything... just saw the light columns, and then the swing... and the blade entered her body... and I died. I mean, she... died.
Xenia shook her head sympathetically. No wonder Danila looks like that. We're scared to listen, and he was there. Those kids are worse, though.
- What kind of blade?
- A thin stylet," the guy shrugged his shoulders, "made of some light material that looks like bone. The blade has the wrong flowers, the wrong vine. At the base of the handle is a milky stone, opaque.
- Bone stylet? - I was surprised.
- Yes... but it enters the body like in butter... so thin, there was almost no pain... at once... it died," he said bitterly.
We were silent, thinking about what we heard, and not knowing what to do.
- And who did you expect to see at the gate instead of us? - suddenly Xenia asked.
- No one..." Danila burst o
ut, but I think I guessed it.
- Did you see any of the dead people?
- How do you know..." he said, and he said, "did you see them, too?
I nodded. The guy shrugged his shoulders.
- My sister was coming. The little one. She died of decay three springs ago. And the lady stands by the gate and smiles at me. I know if she's gone, it means she's undead... or a ghoulouse has moved into her body. I thought it was her again... it... came, so I grabbed the axe.
- Danila, it's not a ghoul," I said sympathetically, "and not undead. It's a ghost. She wouldn't do anything wrong, she just... missed me. She accidentally... came out of the shadow world.
Xenia and I looked around and immediately turned away frightened. I wonder how many more of these ghosts are wandering around? I was stunned.
But Danila was noticeably cheered up. The news that his dead sister wasn't a ghoul, seemed to make him happy. The horse sobbed up in the yard as if it was hurrying us, and I got up.
- It's time to go back. Danila, cheer up, we'll figure something out. And try to get some rest, it's scary to look at you. Come on, Ksenia, we have to go back before somebody misses us.
- Or the horse, which is more likely, is Danila, the vain one. Xenya, according to the humming.
Kairos, under a canopy, was eagerly digging hooves and snorting, looking around.
- But," I patted him on the neck, trying to calm him down, "quietly.
The stallion snorted, but he calmed down and let himself sit down.
- Tomorrow after the evening meal we meet in the chapel," Xenia said and commanded Danile, "don't be late!
The guy was stunned to look at the cheeky, but for some reason did not object. He just nodded silently.
- Thank you for... worrying about me," he said quietly, looking at me. I smiled, and a friend touched the reins and we went out for a quickie.
In the dark sky, the silver month swam silently, diving fish into the dark, swollen clouds, then showing up again above them, and then the black and blue shadows of the trees were cutting the track with cones, as they had done with a pen: a light stripe, dark, light ... dark. The student wind chased dry needles on the snowy tincture, tangled in the crowns of pine trees and burrowed to climb under the cloak, to make the body cold. Hands without mittens were chaffing, the hood was constantly flowing off my head, and I regretted not taking my handkerchief.
The way back seemed longer and scarier to us. We galloped on the dark road, though we were afraid of it, walking by trot, almost not pulling the reins and trusting the choice of the road to the stallion.
I couldn't stop thinking about Danila's story, I imagined that girl dying of a blade. Who did it and why? The guy's right, only a monster can do that... and where do we look for him? And even if we do, can we stop it? What kind of terrible dungeon did Danila see in his dream vision?
Maybe we should tell someone about what we found out. But to who? Where can we find the person who will believe us: the two novices and the village boy, will not consider it as a fiction, and even more terrible - the accomplices of sorcerers?
Some of the prioresses? Brrr... certainly not. Then who? And some other vague thought-remembrance gave me no peace, spinning in my head like an annoying mosquito, and in my hands...
Xenya screamed, knocking me out of her mind. Kairos snored and stood on his feet, we couldn't help but fly to the ground. The impact was softened by fallen needles, carpeted paths, and covered with snow, but it was still very painful. A friend was fighting somewhere nearby, tangled up in the cloak that had covered her, so I didn't ask if she was still alive and raised my head. On the path in front of the blazing stallion, three wolves froze, sparrowing.
The largest was in front, gray with its silver-burnt and large, powerful paws, slightly bent for the jump. The scalded jaws are almost pressed to the ground, the yellow beast's eyes look at their victims with murderous rabies. The two beasts on their sides and slightly behind them seemed the shadows of the leader: the same pose, the same wild eyes and the same readiness to jump.
We were separated only by a horse that was garzzling on its hind legs and rusting around. Xenia hunted, then gently reached for the nearest stone and squeezed it in her fist.
- Don't move," she said with her lips alone.
I was even afraid to breathe so as not to provoke the beasts. I couldn't even breathe, not to provoke the beasts." She glanced up at the stone wall of Riverstein, which was very close to us.
- As long as the horse didn't ride," whispered Xenia. Kairos rushed along the path, throwing his hooves high and keeping the beasts in line, and the leads hanging freely along his sides. But I knew we wouldn't be able to jump in and out of the saddle," Ksenia whispered. As long as one rides on the horse, the wolves throw themselves at the other. It was as if Xenya had heard my thoughts.
- I'll distract them, and you get in the saddle," she said, "I'll... follow you.
- You won't make it. So I don't see the point in it.
- And the fact that we'll both be eaten here, you see the point? Get down, I'm telling you!
- Get on your own! - I snapped at you, and I'm right behind you!
- Yeah, you'll be fine in the morning..." Xenia said frowningly and clutched the second stone in her fist, "Come on, Vetriana, don't be stubborn!
- I can't go anywhere without you! - I shouted out. The wolf ducked even lower and murmured. In his frenzied eyes there was fury, white foam boiling on his fangs.
Kairos rose to his feet, desperately threshing in the air with his front hooves. While we were spinning, the wolves changed their position. The center stayed in place, and the sides gently began to bypass us left and right, clutching us in a ring.
- Chickenpox, get in! - Xenia screamed and threw the cobblestone at the left beast. He swooped, ducked and jumped. Ksenia rushed aside, one second jumping out of the cloak left in the teeth of the predator and somersaulting on the road, stuck her face in the mud. The wolf bounced, dragging the cloak on the ground and waving his head perplexingly.
I clung to the reins, but I couldn't hold it, the powerful horse threw itself aside again, and I lost my balance and fell down. But immediately I jumped up, looking around. Kairos rushed between us and cried out almost humanly as the wolf bumped him in the front leg. Sobbing, the horse bounced, tripped, falling on the wounded hoof and awkwardly fell forward. But immediately he rose, stubbornly waving his neck shining from the foam.
But his hitch was enough to clear the wolf's way to me, and the beast did not fail to use it. It rushed with one firm, strong movement like a gray lightning... and the wheezing flew into the roadside ditch.
- Arch'arrion," I whispered. The black clot of darkness was only human for a moment, but it was enough for the second wolf, who had jumped on Xenia, lying on the ground, to wheeze with a broken ridge.
Kairos was laughing without stopping. The stallion's violet eyes became completely wild, he rattled as if he couldn't feel any pain. Lord Darrell jumped out from under the edge of the forest with a whip in his hand and the third wolf boasted like a puppy under his strong blow, whimpering under the protection of the pines.
And everything was quiet. Even Kairos was quiet. I quickly turned around, looking around. Xenia was rising on her feet, rubbing her broken knees, Lord, glancing frowningly at us, rushed to his horse and whispered something to him, soothing him. Kairos ponuro put his head down and mowed at us with a black eye.
The Arch'arrion was gone. Black shadows are just shadows. Only grey wolves give off the spirit in the roadside ditch. Oh... I landed on the trampled ground, my legs were not held. Xenya thought and plunged next to me. A minute later, two legs in gagged boots stopped before us.
- I should have cancelled the physical punishment for the novices! - Lord Darrell furiously said, "A good whipping would be good for both of you!
- I'm sorry..." I squeaked without raising my head, "we didn't mean it.
- Empty-headed fools! Sala Mon Walls... to be eaten by the evil one! What w
ere you thinking? Why did you even go to the woods at night? Are you tired of living?
- We went to the Wastelands... - said Xenya hoarsely. I think my friend broke her voice.
- But why?
- We had a friend there... got sick... - I kicked my friend in the side, and she slammed her mouth, - we wanted to see him. And they won't let us in...
- So you decided to borrow Kairos and take a nice walk through the wild woods at night!
The Lord spit under his feet, showing what he thought of our idea.
- Is everything all right with Kairos? - I was worried to ask.
- He'll heal," the Lord replied dissatisfiedly and added, "If you'd been foolish enough to ruin my horse, I'd have chewed you up myself!
Xenia raised her dirty face on the Lord, going to object, but for some reason she changed her mind and kept quiet. We were afraid to come up, though we had already begun to freeze to the ground, but rightly thought that we looked more pitiful. Only the lord didn't seem to have much insight into our unhappy species.
- Come up, we'll talk in Riverstein," he said grimly, and we realized that we'd better get lost on the way and feed ourselves to the beasts left behind in the forest.
- And where are the wolves," Xenia whispered to me in surprise.
- One was Kairos, the other Lord Darrell. And the third... ran away," I whispered in a hurry, whispered in a ditch. Fortunately, Xenia did not go into the details, and the explanation was quite satisfactory. And the Lord must have seen only one beast running up, which he had taken out with a whip. I gently looked over my shoulder. Dark streaks of shadows were lying motionless on the path, blackened under the trees. Somewhere in one of them, wrapped in darkness like a cloak, stood a demon. But I never saw it. I only felt a longing for emptiness inside.
And it was also stupid to feel sorry for myself or... wolves.
We sneaked at the Lord, barely keeping up with his strong, swinging step. The man walked ahead, leading under the stars of limping Kairos, as if he had completely lost interest in us. He was wearing one thin shirt, no cape or hood, but it didn't look like he was cold. At least he didn't look like he was. Through the failure in the wall had to climb, Lord and did not think to help us, skeptically watching us, confused in skirts. In the courtyard I fell bluntly, Xenia cleverly jumped, but crooked, grabbing the side. Kairos jumped hard, but he lowered softly, as if someone had held him above the ground.
The Wind of the North Page 13