Bloody Revenge

by Darrell Guidry

  naprosvt was to see. What trouble can trap here, under supervision

  the soaring pramaterinsky, praotechesky souls?.

  Mother put in a basket a pot for ferment, but is more useless to ask,

  not otdarivy in exchange. And the pot was filled levashy, crimson yes

  bilberry. How becomes леваш? Berries razvarivat, dry up and

  the turned-out flat cakes skatyvat a tube. What it is simpler than. However and in most

  simple business the cunning is found. In the next sort were able to do too

  kind delicacy, but such tasty, bright and transparent at Badgers

  for some reason it was impossible.

  - Look at me, do not eat on the road! - strictly punished to the girl mother.

  - Yes not рассиживай on a visit, home hurry up!

  The girl only nodded in reply though manual seemed to her

  offensive. After all the twelfth year drove, not small probably! But

  mothers do not contradict. Olenyushka picked up a basket and went from the yard.

  In a birch forest she saw a large trace of a wolf paw and was surprised: people

  did not remember that wolves when got on buyevishche. The girl put

  to tell itself about it. houses also went further, gazing about.

  The neighbour's bolshukha, the father's aunt, tenderly accepted it, was delighted

  to levash ("Just me, toothless, to suck..."), generously measured

  ferments, treated with pie and sent the girl back.

  This time, hurrying through dressed by autumn gold of Liski, Olenyushka

  was lost in contemplation of a shirokokryly golden eagle, the messenger Boga Grozy,

  fallen to have a rest on top of a thick tree, the girl carefully

  approached, throwing back the head. The enormous brown bird passionlessly looked

  from top to down, considering the human child.

  - Hi, the father an eagle, - the girl told. - You want, pie to you

  I will give?

  She put a hand in a basket, groping for an entertainment, looked away from

  wood top and...

  Where the familiar redenky birch forest got to? Instead of a transparent grove,

  which she knew to the last otmetinka on white trunks, darkened

  around impassable thicket. Were piled up, topyrit fragments of roots

  the tumbled-down trees, the gray-haired moss hanged down in a long shaggy hair... Only a little

  moments back ahead behind a meadow the roof communal at home was already seen. And

  this wood looked so as if on hundred versts was not human around

  housing! And over buyevishchy there was a clear day, and here shaggy terribly flushed

  decline...

  The girl closed eyes, shook by the head, trying to disperse

  delusion. Then looked again. Others wood also did not think to disappear.

  She groped for the charm pinned on a shoulder... did not help! Gloomy wood

  strange was silent as if expecting something.

  - Father eagle... - the girl sobbed. The sacred golden eagle acted with

  tops and, slowly waving wings, floated over trees to the South.

  - Father eagle!.

  The girl began to cry and ran after it.

  Prickly branches whipped it on the person, frayed hair, is tenacious were enough

  clothes. Eagle flew slowly, but after all gradually left. Girl that

  lost sight of it behind fluffy tops, again found... At last

  it disappeared absolutely, and it remained one.

  Now she would hardly manage to find even for that birch at which

  everything began.

  Smearing on the person of a tear, it ran some more steps and

  came to be on a long narrow glade. The girl has a look down to the ground,

  looking out whether is not present where a footpath. Also started back, having seen on faded

  to grass blood.

  She timidly listened, but still reigned in the wood, motionless

  silence. The girl carefully went on a trail of blood and through some

  time came across a big dead wolf. Then on one, it is sensible

  not the person killed: both raspolosovala throat someone's canines. The trace lasted

  further, and not clear presentiment ordered to hurry to the girl.

  She saw it at edge of a glade, under the inclined mountain ashes. It at once

  recognized him though not to see gray fur was behind caked blood. Mighty

  the gray dog quietly lay in two sazhens from a stream to which, truly, endeavored

  to crawl, but did not crawl.

  The girl vividly ran up to it, kneeled nearby. Carefully

  concerned the felted wool and felt under a palm unsteady, dotlevayushchy

  warmly. She looked at wounds again. It was surprising that a dog to these

  time of veins.

  What could she make for it how to help?. Though all shirt

  tear apart on bandages, so will not be enough. Having left a basket, she ran to

  to stream, brought in water palms, tried to wash the broken-off muzzle:

  - Do not die, nice... Do not die...

  The dog did not open eyes, did not move, even ears did not tremble. Girl

  brought still waters, tried to allow to it to drink, but it left too far and

  could not drink up any more.

  Then it it is careful not to hurt, embraced a dog for a neck and

  nestled, trying to share at least heat. Nestled lips to

  also began to whisper to a shaggy ear what came to soul. It greedily

  told Gods about how it is impossible that the dog died. It

  convinced a gray animal, such huge and strong, still slightly

  to pull the socks up and linger here, under this sun, on the green earth. With

  it.

  The dog did not answer it in any way, and the bead in his collar did not shine, filled in

  blood. The girl thought of the grain ferment pining in a pot and about

  volume as, probably, houses already got agitated. Where you will find it now,

  footpath home? And however, it all the same would not leave anywhere. Could not

  . Did not throw.

  Animals and birds it was not heard in the wood, and the girl scaredly turned back

  on rustle. The first thought was: how to protect?. But through a glade tripped

  long-eared myshasty burro, and on him swarty sedenky astride sat

  old woman.

  The girl jumped and ran towards:

  - The grandmother, the darling, help!. The old woman responded on-vennski:

  - So I, the child, then here also arrived. - Then easily came off

  down to the ground also bent over a dog: - You are not protected at all, the kid... Unless

  it is possible with itself so, foolish?

  Chubby peremetny bags hung on grain of a burro, and there was everything, about

  than just grieved Olenyushk: medicines in jars and tuyeska, rags

  for bandages.

  - I will begin to treat, and you hold it, - the old woman disposed.

  - How, grandmother?. - the girl did not understand and was going to palm off hands under

  head of a dog.

  The gray-haired woman sharp-sightedly looked at her:

  - The same as hitherto held. Call the Gods. Drive death... - And

  added something already at all mysterious: - If it returns, just for the sake of

  you.

  Olenyushka not really understood it, but did not dare to ask. Together they

  pottered over a dog all rest of evening. The girl dragged from a stream water in

  the bucket made of smooth bark unknown by it a tree. Broke off

  dry branches, arranging a fire. Pounded something in a white mortar. And all

  time prayed, great Mother, eternally the Land Outside, then to the Old Deer,

&
nbsp; to the ancestor of its sort, and, of course, God Grozy, whose eagle brought it to this wood.

  Sometimes she thought of what alarm it had now, probably

  houses. But about it it was thought somehow deafly, from far away. Came to an end in the fact that

  the got tired Olenyushka and fell asleep, having clung to a shaggy side of an animal and

  listening as inside, under wounds, the exhausted heart stubborn knocks.

  She woke up, as from a push, in the middle of night in the deafest hour,

  opened eyes and saw that near a fire one more guest appeared. And

  such is there was this guest that the girl embraced a motionless dog more densely,

  as if its pathetic effort truly could protect it. On border of light

  circle there was a thin tall woman. In long, to toe, white shirt and

  to dark red poneva with proshvy, embroidered white on white. Fluffed up

  locks of a gray hair reached knees. Person... The terrible guest was not

  old, young. Time simply had no relation to it.

  - He finished singing the Song, - she told, and the voice went from nowhere. - It mine.

  The old woman to whom the girl helped all evening threw in a fire

  brushwood and quietly answered:

  - Not the first time we meet you, and happened so that I to you

  conceded. But you will not receive it.

  Fire encouraged by a new portion of firewood flashed more brightly, and the thin woman

  receded on a step. But also only. She told:

  - It belongs to me. Your fire, the priestess will go out, and I will take away it.

  The priestess answered almost cheerfully:

  - Here you will not take away.

  The girl heard as grain ferment in a pot angrily sighed,

  and it seemed to it as if the prishelitsa was frightened of this sound. On everyone

  case Olenyushka tightened a basket with a pot closer to herself, then

  sat down and took it on knees.

  - It who else here? - as if having for the first time noticed it, cramped eyebrows

  uninvited guest.

  The girl from fright answered nothing, only grasped wool on

  pesy nape. The animal endeavored to begin to roar, but could not. The priestess answered:

  - It is that whom you especially will not receive. In the voice which was distributed

  the sneer sounded from nowhere:

  - Sooner or later I will receive all.

  - Is what to be proud! - the priestess sniffed. - All your power - on

  moment! And then again Life!

  The flame of a fire began to fall down, and it threw in it still brushwood.

  The girl with horror saw that in a stock there was only one branch. That

  then?. Though in the wood run, look for in the dark dry trees!. Overcoming fear,

  the girl was ready to jump and run when to a fire from the different parties

  people began to leave.

  Strange people. Men and women...

  Very different externally, they were similar in one: darkness of night as if

  did not concern them, parting before almost inaudible, the shine proceeding from

  their bodies and clothes. It seemed, in the middle of the dead of night they were lit by hidden

  sun. People bore with themselves logs for a fire, one after another approached

  they to the priestess also put brought at her legs. The heap of brushwood was accepted

  quickly grow.

  Very first, holding hands, the man and the woman appeared.

  Beautiful, absolutely young. They seemed to Olenyushke very similar on

  the person to whom she presented a bead half a year ago. Having given logs, they

  approached a dog and zhaleyuch were inclined over him as if trying to share

  shine of the sun. And then both looked in eyes to the girl, and her,

  cold, it became warm. Also went - but not to darkness.

  Olenyushka saw a fragile young arrant with cheerful pensive

  eyes. It seemed, this young man during any instant was ready to upraise to heaven

  hand and to burst in the inspired poem, other people were severe and

  borodata, with plod of convicts. Still the girl saw a couple

  velkh: the grandfather and the grandma together dragged whole бревнышко, and the old man all

  smiled, rejoicing that again found two hands. Before leaving, the grandfather with

  the grandma looked narrowly at Olenyushka and approvingly nodded each other.

  The girl felt how in air for an instant aroma of fresh apples spread.

  The fire stormed. Hot languages rose with a cheerful and furious roar,

  moving apart a night gloom, forcing the bad guest to recede further and further

  away.

  So proceeded till the dawn, and brushwood at the priestess's legs not

  became scanty. When the sky in the east surely blushed, the old woman

  turned back to the girl and told:

  - Sleep, the baby. Everything is good.

  For some reason Olenyushka believed her at once. She touched a pesy nose: that

  was still dry and hot, but nevertheless it seems not so. Girl

  quietly kissed a dog on a terrible muzzle, was curtailed nearby and immediately

  fell asleep.

  It seemed to it, she closed eyes of all for a moment. But when it

  woke up, the sun already rose over forest tops. And on a glade not

  it was visible not a soul. Neither priestess, nor dog. And any traces of a night fire.

  Only the basket still stood on the place, the girl sat down,

  anxiously looking around, also found out that squeezes in a fist something firm,

  in time to imprint in a hand. It opened a palm. It was small

  silver lunnitsa on thin, but very strong hair lace.

  The girl rose to the feet and noticed absolutely near herself the beginning

  the footpath which was taking away somewhere through dense bushes. On a footpath lay

  brown eagle feather. The girl thoughtfully picked up a feather, lifted a basket and

  went forward. She everything looked around at traces of a dog and itself did not notice how

  left to a familiar birch. At top sat again and unperturbably cleaned

  beak huge eagle. She could swear - that. Zavidev

  To Olenyushk, the golden eagle became straight, passionlessly examining the human child,

  the girl threw back the head and with offense addressed it:

  - That you, father eagle...

  The mighty bird kept silent. The girl sniffed, wanted to brush away

  the risen tears and...

  Around there were birches. Birches, native to it to the last otmetinka on

  white trunks. And behind them to see there was a meadow and behind a meadow - the house. And the girl with

  all legs of a pripustil in that party, even without remembering parental anger,

  that had to comprehend it inevitably. Anger parental - right, it

  whether to be afraid! The thunder-storm is summer after which with the doubled force climb from the earth

  green stalks...

  To her surprise, mother met the daughter so as if that returned

  точнехонько in time. And grain ferment in a pot did not dry up, was

  live, breathed by force. Then the girl looked at carved calendar

  board that hung under sculptures in the God's corner, and saw that notches

  on it did not increase. She came back home on the same day when she left.

  As if there was no night spent in others black wood at all.

  She suited an eagle feather in a bozhnitsa, behind a face of God Grozy. And light

  at all began to show a lunnitsa to nobody. It, of course, was bad.

  It was always taught that similar things have to belong to all sort.

 
; Or rather, to marriageable elder sisters. But a lunnitsa - she felt it -

  belonged only to it, it one.

  The wolfhound raised eyelids and saw over himself a stone ceiling, and on it

  background - an ostrenky black muzzle, two nice ears and couple shining

  eye. Mysh looked to him into face, quietly, tenderly zavorkovat and began to rub

  about a neck. Venn listened to himself and did not feel pain. That is absolutely

  anything, except tremendous ease. And a pleasant touch of fur to

  to naked body. Even light was dim, twilight and did not hurt the eyes.

  The wolfhound was carefully covered by a warm fur blanket and lay on wide

  to bench in the room of the big house. Most likely, there was a window, and

  it was opened for the sake of freshness of air: he heard how the rain outside rustled and

  the water which was flowing down on stone plates murmured.

  - See, makes up, - Aptakhar's voice reached. It was similar, сегван lay

  in the same room, only on other bench. Venn understood that Aptakhar

  spoke about Myshe, and wanted to turn the head, but changed mind, in time having remembered,

  what it came to an end for it last time in. And segvansky foreman

  continued: - Well, Koons that you did not give him to Luchezar. Eh, you would see

  it in business!.

  On a floor leather soles of boots slowly rustled.

  - I can imagine, - Vinitar answered with an equal voice. - I was

  at the bridge. Saw that yours did veins.

  - Wash!. - Aptakhar laughed loudly, but right there painfully sighed: nobility,

  awkwardly shifted a hand stump. - Yes, - he told, having recovered the breath. - That

  veins was mine!. And, Vinitar?

  That grinned:

  - And that you went under the beginning at a vein, the old friend.

  The old friend, the Wolfhound noted about himself. Here is how.

  - At first it went at me under the beginning, - Aptakhar told. - In the spring,

  when Fitela employed it in the Big Churchyard. The merchant at first did not want him

  to take, besportoshny. As it накостылял to both of us, and me, and Avdike...

  - It is necessary to be very good fighter to overcome you, Aptakhar, -

  Koons spoke. - It will be necessary to get acquainted closer with yours wine if

  it will recover.

  - You learn a lot of new, - the foreman laughed again. - For you, Koons,

  it will not be charged, but I would not contact it in private!

  The wolfhound heard steps again: Vinitar walked about the room, stood at