- Yes, darling and, you is right, and to me is not terrible any more, is not terrible any more … - the Fairy whispered and, having strong embraced Prinze, kissed him.
And then, as in anything all-time, ordered:
- And now, time you woke up, and well march in a bath, to wash, and you to me all bed will dirty that - lie on the earth, and then carry this dirt here! March, in a bath, immediately! - and Prinze obediently trudged to wash, he really was such dirty.
Epilog. Outcast.
White, snow-white cover of snow below, black, as coal, the sky above - eternal and uncompromising struggle of light and darkness, not razrushimy antagonism. The thin line of the horizon dividing them - only illusion.
Here, in this ice heathland forgotten by the Creator, eternally the penetrating cold wind drearily howls, the white drifting snow runs on snow. Around - not a soul. And really, who will want to come to light, in such weather?
An, no! The reindeer who is alone going on the ice desert heaved in sight. A large animal with big branchy horns, long legs with sharp hoofs and the powerful body covered with warm rather dirty-white wool. To a deer it is not cold in such fur coat even in the most severe frost, but put, of course, not in it. Hunger forces to wander about the ice desert it.
The deer continually stopped and broke off big long hoofs snow in search of some vegetation under snow, but so far everything was vain. It induced a deer to go further. At last, it stopped and already for a long time. He managed to dig out in snow a small clearing of a reindeer lichen - a polar moss. Having joyfully sniffed, it greedy was accepted to food.
But he did not manage to be sated still properly as suddenly something disturbed him. The deer raised a muzzle and timidly looked round, with bated breath. Staid some time absolutely not movably, and then, probably, having decided that it seemed to it, again stretched to with such work to the got delicacy.
Singing of the lowered bowstring was muffled by a snow snow-storm, and the long thin arrow released the invisible archer through pierced a breast of a deer. Having loudly taken a nap and having with astonishment stared covered with red streaks, the animal was slowly filled up on the right side and, several times having convulsively pulled legs, calmed down.
Enthusiastic shout of the invisible shooter was distributed and one of snowdrifts of white snow began to move. And the hunter hiding there got out of it. It was all white - all his clothes were sewed from fur of a polar bear, even a big shaggy big-eared cap. Standing - fur high fur boots from the same fur, on hands - mittens. Behind shoulders at it the quiver with arrows hung, he held onions in hand.
To the hunter was from what to rejoice. First, he had to sit long enough in a snowdrift, almost without breathing not to frighten off a deer. And it is difficult test even for the skilled hunter. And, secondly, the shot was excellent - right in the heart - even at it it turned out such not always!
The hunter got the sledge hidden there from a snowdrift, charged them with hulk, dressed the hidden skis - without them in this ice desert far will not leave - snow very deep! - also carried the trophy home.
"Well, everything, - the hunter with satisfaction thought, - for a week the food is. Let's not starve definitely". And, having determined the direction by stars, went strictly to the South where in five miles the coniferous coppice began from here.
At the northernmost tip of Tselestiya, in the forest-tundra of Far North it was cold, always cold. The penetrating wind blew through, to bones. Almost all the time snow lay here, there was a severe frost. It was possible to survive here only at an extreme tension of forces and only hunting and fishery.
Fairies in this severe land was not and could not be.
"Where such s-s-s-s-syuda, yes-sss … Net-sss, it masses - with - with - with - the m for nas-s-s-s-stoyashch-shch-shch-shch-shchikh muzh-zh-zh-zh-zhchin, for nas-s-s-s-stoyashch-shch-shch-shch-shchikh okh-h-h-h-hotnikov, for nas-s-s-s-s-toyashchikh of soldiers, yes-sss" - with pleasure thought Azail, rubbing forward pads as if a big fat fly and rejoicing to the fact that to it the idea of "s-s-s-s-slinyat" exactly here came in due time. - "It to you not mountains S-s-s-s-skalis-s-s-s-s-tye, s-s-s-s-s-yuda precisely fairies not s-s-s-s-s-sunutsya are s-s-s-s-s-s-ebe …".
Before the izba dugout secludedly disguised from a foreign look by fir-tree paws in the middle of the shaggy, covered with white caps of snow dwarfish fir-trees, the skier - the tall slender youth, in fur clothes from a skin of a polar bear stopped. Rebellious ringlets of a fair hair were beaten out from under his big-eared fur cap. Onions and a quiver with arrows hung on his back, he held a rope for which he pulled sledge in hand. And on sledge - carcass of the killed deer - the arrow still was in a wound. The hunter specially left it there to show to "uncle Azail", in an anticipation of how that will praise it for a well-aimed shot, and was not mistaken.
Together, the hunter and Azail, cut carcass of a deer. The part was put in a cold cellar - at such temperature it will be stored though month and will not deteriorate! - and the part began to be prepared in food. The hunter gathered a full tub of snow and put it on fire which lit a simple spell, snow began to thaw, it will be possible to put to cook meat soon.
- Well that you, s-s-s-s-s-synok, well you, yes-ssss!!! Again z-z-z-z-z-spells! Opyat-sss!!! What did I teach you to, and? Where flint, where kre - with - with - with - fat?!
- Uncle Azail, well you? It is also simpler and fire is hotter … You know that I am able and to extract so fire, but now there is no need for it!
- There is no es-s-s-s-t, there is no es-s-s-st, e-ssssst!!! Da-sss, e - with - with - with - st!!!! You to be not only the magician, yes-sss, but also the soldier, yes-sss!!! Not ne-zh-zh-zh-zh-enkoy, and hunter, yes-sss!!!! As wild z-z-z-z-z-animals S-s-s-s-evera, nas-s-s-s-stoyashch-shch-shch-shch-shchim, yes-ssss!!!
- But why, uncle Azail?
- Yes therefore-sss that your late mother vz-z-z-z-zyala s-s-s-s-s-s me-ssss s-s-s-s-slovo-sss before s-s-s-s-smertyyu, yes-sss!!!
The young man, only was going to argue with an arachnoid monster which settled down at not hewn wooden table and on the quiet greedy devoured still warm bloody venison, loudly champing and slobbering, right there cooled down. The name of mother who was shown once to it in vision by Azail was sacred for the young man. He right there became silent and reconciled, even on the contrary, quietly, almost on tiptoe, approached a table, sat down and having pensively propped up a chin strong brawny hands, told:
- Dyad Azail, well please, tell me about my mother … And it is better, and about the father too, you never, about are NEVER mute told me!
- Your father - I do not z-z-z-z-know-sss, he died, I z-z-z-z-z-know-sss only, long ago-sss … - Azail waved away, continuing to champ and expire saliva.
- And how he died? In fight, huh? With a sword in a hand or with onions? As Roland who died from the sword … Truth?
- Da-sss … your father … was poisoned-sss as Rolanda, yes-sss … One belobrys - with - with - with - saya poisoned him … Da-sss, the cheat-sss, belobrys - with - with - with - with - aya letunya-sss …
- And what it was what it had armor, the weapon, the uncle, I beg, tell!
- Fine sss, slush-sh-sh-sh-ah - Azail told, it is full falling off a table - he always ate only crude bloody meat, the young man for himself cooked meat. - At it were-sss bles - with - with - with - with - with - tyashchiye a z-z-z-z-gold armor-sss, z-z-z-z-z-olotoy sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-lem mass with - with - with - with - which-sss with scarlet I plyuma-@-@-eat with s-s-s-s-s-plosh-sh-sh-sh-shnoy, purpur-r-r-r-rny a raincoat and two fiery swords. It could fly bez-s-s-s-s of wings-sss and killed to the right and on the left s-s-s-s-s-svoikh of enemies … Da-sss. And then it was z-z-z-z-z-enticed in lovush-sh-sh-shku belobrysss - with - with - with - sye and poisoned … Da-sss … s-s-s-s-s-ynok …
The young man gritted teeth and powerful hands him contracted in fists. It struck from all force in a table and that, having plaintively creaked, burst. Bright blue eyes of the young man sparkled for anger:
- Day, the uncle will
come, and I will revenge them for everything - both for mother, and for the father, and for all your people, Azail - they for everything will pay, for everything!
- Da-sss, s-s-s-s-s-ynok, yes-sss, for everything-sss, for everything-sss, a he-ha …
And at night, lying on an oven, the young man slept and had a dream. He saw the soldier in a brilliant armor, with a mask on a face and the mother - a round face, a shock golden as sunshine of hair, big eye-sockets without eyes from which sunlight streams streamed. He looked at them and thought of that, as if he wanted to take off this mask and at least once in life to see a real face of his father, to unmask also mother … It pulled to them hands to make it, but could not reach in any way them because their figures moved away from it further and further, did not disappear absolutely yet. And then the young man cried …
Unconquered Sun Page 81