has to be found between citizens and the leader.
Because the knesinka of Elen knew on names and Kesana, a threshing barn, and his wife,
and all their posterity. Here she was among old friends.
Klyuchinka stood near the big round lake which spread on
to the low plain deep Sivur. From South side of a flood in meadows
long tongue high, steep ostanets pressed. Here on it
ostanets, having become related with the solvenna living here from time immemorial and
once alien velkh were proved.
Hardly ahead the lake and the village opened as from chariots gave again
voice copper fighting pipes. Soon the response, and towards with shout reached and
joyful noise the people ran. The first dogs and children, behind them rushed
adult women and men, and in the middle of crowd solemnly acted
the chariot a threshing barn slid.
Ketarn's horses pricked up ears and pryanul was forward, but the elder's son
immediately restrained them the easy movement of hands.
- Your art, the descendant of a kind sort is big, - praised it
primetlivy knesinka. Thought and added: - But that that occupied yours
the place before you, operated horses so skillfully. Whether it happens to me
to learn who is she?
The flattered Ketarn answered readily:
- It to Ania from the marsh village, Fakhtna and Ledne's daughter.
His face and neck were dark from suntan, but the Wolfhound considered
the appeared flush also understood: the knesinka going to the wedding, nearly
it was on a visit on others and, perhaps, much more joyful. At velkh
it was accepted to enter into the house of brides, "when a skewbald stallion three-year-old
will break a hoof on a pool ice".
The elder Kesan was tall curly seredovichy. As all
velkh, it bare shaved a chin, and only magnificent moustaches fell down to most
breasts. It was very similar to Ketarn what that will be when
will get experienced sons. Near Kesan stood on the chariot
the spouse, and two men in full arms, with copies walked on each side and
long fighting boards. Successors. Pride of mother, father's support.
Threshing barns welcomed a knesinka and its suite almost same words, as
Ketarn before it. And too did not become as it was got at solvenn,
to be blamed before sovereign guests for the imaginary scarcity. In it
velkh and veins were close. That and others considered that entered under a shelter
master's honor, but not wealth is important, so and to apologize not
for what.
However, prosperity definitely was found in a churchyard. Allocated for Knesinke
the whole spacious yard with the big house, a round barn lifted on
columns from mice, and a bath under the coast, at the water. All this looked
just built, brand new, sound and pure, and straw on a roof
did not manage to lose fresh gloss yet, - shone as gold.
- In day when you, a ban-riona, from the house left, the last armfuls
knitted, - smiling, explained threshing barns. - And yesterday in the morning only made habitable. The first
you will be installed, Gluzdovna, so make favor, bless that also others
after you the grief was not known.
- Who will live here after the sister? - Luchezar took an interest.
- At us in the village as fall, so weddings, the voivode, - Kesan answered and
at once transferred a conversation to another, and in a voice to his Wolfhound was heard
certain reserved care and even caution.
What is necessary for the traveler after a long journey? Rest, food and drink, but before
in total, of course, kind ablution. Servants undertook to drag things to the house, and
the old nurse with the entrusted girl led a knesinka in a bath - to amuse
body the fragrant brooms which are steamed out over kvass.
Bodyguards settled at some distance, but so that by them to a bath was not
to approach.
Ratniki and Luchezarova soldiers unharnessed horses, pulled behind external
tyny tents, pulled down stale shirts, with abuse and a laughter watered
the friend to the friend styly, already autumn water from which on skin inflamed
hot spots. Podrostki-velkhi went for stately soldiers a trace to a trace,
willingly helped to settle, asked to take a chain armor, with knowledge
cases were considered and caressed horses. Adult guys not without jealousy
askanced at alien. Malyshnya and girls treated men with beer and house
pies, those otdarivat purposely sberezhenny galiradsky gingerbreads.
Someone - especially, of course, at velkh, - here had friends and even
the relatives, so the velkhsky group was sorted simply to spend the night on houses.
Knesinka still washed when the Wolfhound saw on a footpath going to them
Ketarna.
- To you to fit well here, men of a ban-riona, - the son a threshing barn told and sat down
nearby, having dexterously drawn in the crossed legs.
Velkh not really recognized benches and benches, from the early childhood getting used
to sit on a floor, on laying and skins. Brothers Dashing looked narrowly at once
to a dagger on the good fellow's belt. The gilded handle was made in a look
figures of the person with the hands upraised over the head. Little man as if
sat at an edge end face, as on wood to hemp. Ketarn was obviously proud and
flaunted with kind weapon. He having recognized in the Wolfhound of the senior from three,
addressed it:
- You are, probably, a great soldier and from a good sort, time you do not depart from
madams. Forgive if I never saw you in rooms where yours feast
heroes. How people call you?
Veins quietly answered:
- People call me the Wolfhound, and I am not a hero. It was necessary for the monarchess
to make me the bodyguard, and only therefore I all the time at it.
- Your person is decorated with scars, - Ketarn continued. - Whether there are a lot of heads
you brought from the field at Three Hills?
- I did not battle there, the son a threshing barn, - the Wolfhound told. Judging by expression
persons of a young velkh, it divided people into two parts between which in
what was no equality: on those who fought in the well-known battle, and on
those who were not there. And this last had no need even to try
to deserve it respect.
- And I thought, you are a hero, - escaped at him.
- Not everything to be heroes, - still quietly spoke veins. -
There will be enough also fact that you heroically returned with production and the heads. Unless at
you are not accepted that the younger son remained to store the house?
Ketarn nodded:
- It so. But my father told that for husbands of our sort a shame
to survive when the country and the best in it can die. And you,
means, the younger son also stayed at home at mother? Or... then already at
some worthy woman bread ate?
In days of fight Three Hills to the Grey Dog had even months to
the duel which named it.
- I was far, - the Wolfhound told. At this time Ketarna called
ryzheusy Is small - Ghosn, the foreman of velkhsky group.
- Approach here, the son a threshing barn!
Ketarn looked back to him and remained to sit.
- I am more senior than you, and my sort is not worse! - galiradets bellowed. - To whom
it is told, ap
proach!
It sounded with considerable authoritativeness so вельх considered young for
the best to rise and approach. It is small - Ghosn took him aside and was accepted for
it is strict to utter something to the guy. The wolfhound did not hear their conversation, him
hearing was reached by only one word: Arkatneyl.
- A wolfhound, and you were in the real fight? - Likhobor addressed it.
Veins grinned. Boys desperately wanted to see the
mentor hero. He asked:
- In the present, it in what?
- Well... - the adolescent hesitated. - It when... army... it is a lot of to people...
- Happened, - the Wolfhound told.
- And... how? - greedy Likhobor asked. The wolfhound shrugged shoulders and is short
answered:
- Terribly.
Twins exchanged glances, and already Likhoslav gave a vote:
- And how many to you was years when you for the first time killed the enemy?
It did not happen to him to take away enemy life yet, and he considered it
shameful.
- Twelve, - the Wolfhound told.
Started competitions of chariots in the evening.
About what such stadia arranged quite often, testified
purposely the taken-away path closed in a ring. It was fenced
the earth roller and to stone hardness it is beaten out by horse hoofs and
set of the flown wheels. Stop to use it, and still
several years will not want to grow a grass here.
Twins did not happen to see velkhsky jumps yet, and the Wolfhound solved
to give them ease. Released both to cry out and to whistle together with crowd.
Do not make it it, it would be all the same difficult for brothers to appease the
curiosity, and from such bodyguards I pound as from a goat of milk.
The stadium not especially occupied the Wolfhound. It stood at honourable
knesinka seats, having put on a hand breast, and to it was to spit that will be told
velkh concerning the chain armor seeming from leather sleeves.
Here pipes bellowed, and three chariots darted off at once. Horses,
provoked not less owners, plastatsya in mad run. From chariots
the boards appointed to cover the soldier in fight from copies and arrows were removed.
There were small platforms, the size in a fighting board, only
to be located to the soldier and the driver. Simply it seemed feat to resist on it
the patch, without having fallen down under wheels of rivals. However fearless
to drivers and that was a little - they jumped tenacious bare feet on
most дышло also ran on it from комля to a hook, shouting in an ear to horses. At
Klyuchinki's velkh it was not accepted to okhazhivat faithful racers hot
lashes. The people esteeming Kaplona, the Goddess Koney believed that
the sacred animal itself chooses to whom to serve. So, and to service it
it is necessary not to force, and to induce love and caress.
To a rappberry of the audience the laughter when for adult horses was added
the zealous foal was coordinated immoderately.
- A fighting horse will be, - with a smile predicted threshing barns, addressing a knesinka,
to which sat next.
The wolfhound occupied by crowd of the audience almost did not watch an outcome of races.
And only when the won driver, foamy is not less racers,
approached places of honor of leaders, he saw that it was not the winner,
and winner. The tall, stately, gray-eyed maid with magnificent lots
bluish-black curls. Hair at it were cut to shoulders, almost
as a real man. Meadow velkh got this custom besides since
The last war when their girls took up arms as equals with guys,
defending the future of the people.
The wolfhound looked at the young velkhinka accepting from knesinka hands
silver, with green enamel a head nimbus of galiradskiya of work, and in
which time was surprised about itself to variety of maiden beauty. He remembered
Niilit and tried mentally to put it near these two. Wild
kitten. Swan. And sokolitsa. Chernokudry it was easy to imagine in
chain armor and a helmet, with a fighting spear in a strong hand. Proud, strong,
courageous. Quite capable to oboronit itself and others. Such what wanted
to become a knesinka, but hardly sometime will become...
As if having overheard his thoughts, the winner trampled down wet curls
the presented nimbus, turned to tribespeople - and suddenly let out
war-call and such iridescent and ringing that it was picked up by crowd,
and draft horses responded neighing.
So it so, was thought to the Wolfhound. Let the woman do that to her
it is pleasant more. But to put the head under the axe, after all
there are men.
Again three chariots rushed, and this time the first there arrived Ketarn.
The wolfhound very would be surprised, allow somebody to overtake he yourself.
The young groom should be the first guy in everything. At it in eyes
fire, and behind the back wings. The mountain will follow ways, he also will pull up the tree,
if only the bride smiled.
To it a knesinka, having consulted with threshing barns, too presented women's
ornament. A necklace from a beads, blue, red and gilded, cast in
workshop of the glass maker Ostey. Ketarn accepted an award and with a celebration shook
it over the head, showing to fellows villager. It was possible not to doubt, at
whom on a neck now in the evening the nice necklace will begin to shine.
- And that, ban-riona! - suddenly safely Ketarn told, addressing Elen
To Gluzdovna. - Whether which of your people will wish to test good luck,
competing with us in some art? Perhaps your bodyguard
missed, protecting you from friends?
At the same time he stared at the Wolfhound. Threshing barns frowned, dissatisfied
impudence of the son, but the knesinka looked back on a vein too and asked him:
- You do not want поразмяться, the Wolfhound? He unperturbably answered;
- No, the monarchess, I do not want.
Ketarn looked at him up and down, is clear to speaking: from the person who got used
it is quiet to stay at home while others fight, to wait for other answer not
it is necessary. Also departed.
- My sister employed in security guards of the soldier who not really cares about
the honor, - Luchezar sitting at the left elders hemmed.
"But cares for that I was live and healthy", - could
to answer a knesinka, but did not answer. Probably, the Wolfhound, it thought too
considered that insufficiently desperate bodyguard did not ennoble it in
eyes of citizens. However, she also did not say it aloud.
Arranged a feast in the round, covered by shaggy straw house in the evening
elders. On a pise-walled floor spread the carpets sewed from several
wolf skins it is dexterous before that similarity of one unreasonable turned out
animal. Entering, guests and the first of all welcomed the father a threshing barn -
the gray-headed ancient old man who very long time ago already put from himself heavy
elder's rank. It was still quite firm reason, but noisy fun
quickly tired him, and broad-shouldered grandsons under hands took away the grandfather to have a rest.
The wolfhound with two wards settled behind the back of a knesinka. Velkh
were the hot people and on feasts, напробовавшись intoxi
cated, quite often
began to compete. Here, in Klyuchinke, happened once
the knifing which led to death of two young people Udaltsov; since then
to anything who had no married grandson, weapon on feasts yet
it was forbidden. A wolfhound and twins, using the privilege
bodyguards, sat with swords. And they were only who not
took in a mouth of intoxicated. The wolfhound fiercely forbade brothers Dashing further beer.
Not to mention wine, from which at the clear, it seems, head for some reason
legs refused to go. And about honey, from which at reliable legs
thoughts were confused and language was braided. The Wolfhound was indifferent to binge.
Twins sighed and envied guests, but the ban was clear, and they not
grumbled.
At the beginning of a velkha feast almost in open were passed concerning three
the armed men who are unknown to the ban-riyena why it was required
to hold beside itself. And who besides observed absolutely indecent, on
to their opinion, sobriety. The twins taught by the mentor and the more so
Wolfhound on catches did not respond in any way. And eventually owners from
them lagged behind, apparently, having settled to consider bodyguards by something it seems
the sentry dogs which are not costing special attention.
Thanks and that fed them, unlike dogs, not with scraps, and
honest food.
Drinks here on custom carried women. Velkh considered a gift
med the considerable art demanding concentration and skill. That
one, other beauty passed between feasting with a jug and bone
cherpachok, smiling in response to enthusiastic praises of men and times
dexterously turning aside from someone's too ardent embraces.
The wolfhound slowly chewed mushrooms pie and from time to time
askanced at Ketarn sitting together with Ania near a wall. He saw how
the young soldier nudged the girlfriend, mysteriously whispering something to her on
ear and nodding in its party. Not otherwise, started some trick. To Ania
obediently rose, approached a low little table near an entrance, entirely
filled ladles and jugs. Chose one, armed with carved
cherpachok also went to the Wolfhound and brothers.
Veins admired how it held a jug: on a palm under a bottom,
without allowing the clay misted sides to concern a thin linen shirt,
Bloody Revenge Page 40