Читать книгу Werecat Choice - Enrike Fluence - Страница 7

Marianne walked for a long time. The wind howled dejectedly in the forest, and it always seemed that someone was around. When dawn began, Marianne was completely exhausted. He could not go further, and besides, he wanted to sleep. The sleepless night completely wore him out physically and emotionally. Marianne looked out for a secluded spot under a tree, surrounded by tall snowdrifts.

“A good place for temporary shelter – no wind.”

He hastily made a depression in the snowdrift and lay down. Fearing a terrible night, a nightmare or something like that, Marianne remembered the medicine, but it was not in his pocket.

Marianne prudently lay down on his right side, so as not to crush Mignis in his sleep, and opened the flap of his pocket. He remembered nothing else. Consciousness fell into the abyss of dreams.

Snow and trees. This is the same forest. I think this place is familiar to me.

I see a red rose in the snow. Nearby is a beautiful bud of a flower unknown to me. I look at them and feel a rush of blood and warmth in my chest, near my heart…

I’ve seen them before. Am I dreaming all this?

This is a dream? Realistic vivid, but still a dream?!

And I can feel it… now, under my heart?..

Weird dream. But I like.

And where does all this come from in my brain?

I bend over and take a closer look at the miracle.

A plucked bud thrown in the middle of the snow. Its petals opened barely noticeably.

Covered with thin white sparks of diamonds, a beautiful creation of nature. Flower. The symmetry of shape and curved lines conjures up a blooming garden of vibrant colors and scents. And here is white snow and cold, lifeless, frozen forest. There is silence in the air. Not a soul in the area.

Where did the flower come from here? Who brought it? After all, someone cut it off, ripped it off. Why left here? Or maybe it’s not a rose next to him? Maybe it’s all the same…

Through the enveloping cold in his legs, Marianne felt himself awakening.

“This is a dream… just a dream.”

Marianne woke up late in the afternoon. Birds shouted loudly somewhere. The sun was shining brightly on the frozen surface of the frozen lake, and the ice glittered with many small sparks.

Marianne felt completely chilled. Besides, I was very hungry and thirsty. In his sleep, he never changed his body position and was now rubbing his numb legs. Mignis looked out of her pocket as soon as Marianne stirred and sat on his shoulder. The mouse’s whiskers looked crumpled, and she began to diligently rub her muzzle.

– Bad dream? Mignis asked worriedly.

– No. Very beautiful. It is a pity that it ended. I didn’t want to wake up, “Marianne admitted, closing his eyes and trying to keep in his memory even vivid images. – And yes. A little bit bad… Everything is as in reality, and I’m really worried.

– Take it easy. It was a dream. There are no robbers here, “Mignis squeaked, taking a seat in front of Marianne’s face.

“There were no robbers in it. Only… Flowers… In a dream I find a flower. Very beautiful. So much so that not goose bumps. Can you imagine?

– And what is this flower? – asked Mignis, looking into the eyes of Marianne.

– It’s hard to say so right away. Hmm… Both white and yellow. Sometimes it seems like purple and pink streaks and lines slip through. As if reflections on the surface of metal or silk, glass or mirror. Maybe it’s the sun’s rays that play on its velvety petals?.. Royal flower. I don’t know why I called it that, it’s just spinning on my tongue. This is the most appropriate name for him. It also gradually freezes, becomes covered with ice. I’m sure he’s still alive now. If you put it in water in a warm house, under the rays of the sun, it will thaw and… It will give roots, it will live.

It should be so. And so it will be.

– You like flowers. Maybe that’s why you dream about them.

– It’s not just a flower. There is something attractive in him. There is something else in this dream that I cannot see. I feel someone. I don’t know why, but it worries me very much.

Only then did Marianne feel how cold he was. Enough talking, it’s time to act.

The first thing he did was gather some branches and build a fire. But no matter how I tried to kindle it, nothing came of it. The ignited light was immediately extinguished. The air was humid and so were the branches.

“I’d better do it,” said Mignis. Marianne ran down her hand to the tinder laid in the center of the branches. Marianne froze in amazement. Mignis again managed to surprise him. A fire broke out. Not a small spark or tongue, but immediately a large and bright red flame. Marianne drew his hand with the lighter away from the fire. Mignis instantly jumped onto her sleeve.

– Great! – Marianne sincerely admired. – Do you still know how?

He hurried to put the branches in the fire, then sat down close to the fire and held out his palms.

“Maybe I can,” Mignis said happily, and then added: “I love fire. I remember always lighting it up when I wanted to.

Having warmed up a little, Marianne and Mignis had breakfast with cheese sandwiches, washed down with water from a plastic bottle. And Marianne ate the chocolate bar with great pleasure. The mouse has given up its share. She didn’t even smell him.

Marianne’s mood rose, her strength increased. The pain in the muscles reminded of yesterday’s journey.

Marianne took out his phone. As soon as I looked at him, against my will, I remembered Viator and his tragic death. Marianne unlocked the phone and looked at the screen. He made a zig-zag path, fixed on the map, and moved more east than north. Marianne tried to find Wolf Mountain or something similar. But here the card was powerless. The battery remained at thirty-three percent, and Marianne switched off the phone. The GPS application was constantly receiving signals from satellites, calculating coordinates and, therefore, consuming a lot of energy. And the charge must be saved, otherwise the phone will quickly become useless.

Marianne decided to better explore the lake. From the open ice, you can see everything in the area further. In the north, the forest went up – there was a high hill. And to the northeast, the forest was barely visible at the very horizon. The smooth surface of the ice rushed there and hid behind the right bank, on which there were much fewer trees. The right, eastern bank was very close. Marianne walked on the ice and almost immediately not far from the shore on the flat surface of the ice he saw a blue spot – unfrozen wormwood.

Coming closer, I noticed that the ice of the hole is uneven, knocked down by something hard at the edges. The ice is about thirty centimeters thick. And the polynya itself is a little less than a meter in diameter. Why such a large hole could be needed, Marianne did not know.

The lake was deep. The water seemed black and motionless, beckoning to itself with a serene charm. For a moment, Marianne’s heart fluttered with magical peace.

Marianne filled one bottle with water. Now you don’t have to melt the snow.

The water was not as cold as Marianne had expected. He took a few sips. Great taste as if from a spring. The surface of the water rippled. Large bubbles of gas from the depths disturbed the surface. Marianne leaned closer to the water, but saw nothing in its thinness.

He was worried that someone had cut this “well” in the ice and might come here again. It snowed yesterday, and all traces were covered with snow.

Marianne hurried back to the fire. The weakness still squeezed the muscles of the legs, but the closer the evening approached, the less the pain was. Marianne felt better and better and did not feel sleepy at all.

“Do you think, Migny,” Marianne said to his companion, “is it a good idea to hit the road at night?

Mignis sat on the branch of a tree overhanging the fire, and dozed, inhaling the smell of smoke. But then she revived.

– It is possible at night. If you walk along the coast in the same way, then it is even quieter at night. It’s harder to see us at night.

– Yes, that’s right. But we’re heading north. Here the coast goes to the northeast. We’ll have to go through the forest. Have you heard of Wolf Mountain in the north?

“I don’t remember…” Mignis answered after a minute. – Is there a big and warm house?

– Yes, of course, that’s exactly what I’m going for. Look for protection in it. – And he figured that he did not know anything about this place. Only the fact that they had to find refuge on Wolf Mountain, that there were people like him, not like ordinary people, but werewolves, inspired great hope. And that Mignis would like it there, Mariann had no doubt.

“At night, so at night,” said the mouse. – It’s up to you.

– It will soon get dark. Let’s wait a bit and go.

The wait was unbearably boring, but Marianne decided to rest his legs before the long journey.

New branches were required for the fire. The weather was good. Mignis also went with Marianne, sitting on his shoulder. She wanted to see the forest. Marianne got carried away collecting branches and went deeper from the parking lot than he expected. The fact is that he noticed a large old spruce, the branches of which hung low over the snow. Coming back, Marianne went straight ahead. He was approaching his fire from the opposite side when he saw…

– Mimarian! Squeaked Mignis. – Look!

“Traces! Fresh”.

They were located above the parking lot, were sheltered from it by high snowdrifts, which protected the fire from the wind. Marianne dropped some of the collected branches, wanted to pick them up, but then caught himself and threw them away.

Mignis left her place on her left shoulder and climbed to the top of the hood.

“There’s someone here. Traces left by man. A robber?”

A small step, probably someone crept up and watched Marianne, did not come close, kept a distance. Then this unknown person went back on his own way. Marianne moved to the track of the footprints, looking around carefully. He thought of the knife and felt for it in his pocket. Who could it be? He was sure that he had left his pursuers and now scolded himself for being naive.

The tracks were large, shapeless. Of course, this observer was in snowshoes. And where did he go now? Maybe he left this place, or maybe he hid until dark in an ambush. It’s not safe in the camp now. And there you need to return for a backpack and then run from here. Now Marianne was faced with a new choice: to return to the camp in the way in which he came here, or to follow the trail, see where they will lead him.

The first option seemed safer. If you follow other people’s tracks, there is a very high probability of coming face to face with an unknown observer. There was a third option, but it still did not seduce Marianne: go straight through the snowdrifts to the camp. Fortunately, the haze of the fire is visible. But then he will be caught between two fires. On the one hand, the enemy could enter the back, on the other hand, the same enemy could already be waiting in the camp or near it.

Marianne hastened to leave the way he had come, and, before picking up the backpack, decided to carefully study the situation around from afar. The branches he collected were left to lie in the snow and were striking. It came to Marianne’s mind too late when he made a detour around the trees and turned around for the tenth time. In vain he did not sprinkle them with snow. He did not go back to them – every minute was precious – and hoped that the branches on the opposite side were not so noticeable.

Mignis got down from Marianne’s head and sat on her shoulder. Marianne saw, when he turned around, how she stood up on her hind legs and moved her long mustache. Mignis was his eyes from behind.

– Do you see anyone? Marianne whispered, barely audible.

Mignis crawled to her ear and said:

– Nobody.

Marianne nodded. Mignis’s tail slid across her cheek, and the mouse was gone. The young man crept up to the lake and looked around his camp.

“And really nobody. Where has this man gone? Gone or is hiding somewhere nearby?”

Behind, from behind the lake, there was a prolonged howl. Wolf. A deadly cold ran over Marianne’s skin. This guttural sound burst into the peace of the forest like a thunderclap on a sunny day. It seemed that needles fell from the branches of the fir trees.

The source of this sound was nearby, somewhere behind the trees on the other side or closer.

Marianne ran to his backpack, forgetting about the fear of entering the camp. He threw it over his shoulders and rushed to the spruce. It seemed to Marianne that this was the only way out.

To his surprise, Marianne very soon found himself almost at the top of the tree. It was impossible to climb further – the branches bent dangerously, bent down and cracked. The palms were scratched, the jacket was covered with snow and small spruce needles.

Marianne looked down. Through the many branches below, the place of the fire was guessed. A faint haze rose from that place. The fire was almost extinguished. An excellent view of the lake opened up from the tree. No one around. No wolf, no man.

“Maybe the wolf will pass by?”

Marianne had no idea that he was afraid of wolves. Suffering to panic, Marianne forgot about everything. Now he found composure.

– Blink? – She is all right. Her nose was visible from a hole in her pocket. In addition, Marianne had to cover the fire with snow and hide the traces of his sleepover. Wolves can probably wait a long time under a tree if they realize where it has gone.

And then a cry came to Marianne’s ears. Quiet at first. Then a loud cry of pain. It was the voice of a man, not a wolf. And he called for help. Without hesitation, Marianne rushed downstairs. He flew from the tree, hitting thick branches and scratching against the rough bark, ran to scream. It was not far away. A man lay in the snow.

“Rogue!”

Judging by the clothes, one of them. The snow beneath him was scarlet red. The man floundered on his back and wheezed, holding on to his throat. A dog-sized animal was sitting on the robber’s fur coat. His fur shimmered with a silvery sheen as it fluttered. A giant fish with the paws of a lizard tore the robber’s chest with its paws and mouth, and he tried to throw off this creature. Marianne quickly took out a knife. Shouting: “Get out! Go away! " – rushed to the lizard fish and swung his knife. When he slashed the creature across its shiny back, it jerked, bristled, and grabbed even harder into the arms and neck of its victim. Marianne struck again and again. The creature’s body arched and fell into the snow. A bloody mouth with long, sharp teeth appeared in front of Marianne’s face. The creature screeched disgustingly, turning into a whistling whisper. Marianne stepped back, stumbled, and fell to his elbows. The lizard fish crawled away with unnatural movements, leaving a bloody line behind it. Marianne jumped to his feet, knife held out in front of him. But the creature didn’t think to attack. She crawled away and still hissed disgustingly. Marianne felt something pressing on his chest. It was Mignis who could not find a place in her breast pocket.

– Hush hush. She left. She’s gone, “Marianne said quietly, as if afraid that the creature would rush at his voice. Then he turned to the wounded robber. He looked awful.

Marianne dropped to his knees in front of the man and covered the wound on his chest with his hands. He saw in an educational film how to provide first aid to the victim, but in reality he realized that he was helpless.

The man’s neck was scratched, the fur coat on his chest was torn into small pieces. The victim first held his hands in front of his face, then carefully laid them on the snow. Fingers on both hands were seriously injured. What was left of them looked more like minced meat. The frightened eyes of the older man stared at Marianne. His face was also covered in blood, his mouth was twisted in pain.

Marianne shouted:

– Help! Anyone! “Perhaps the robber is not alone here. Then his friends will come to the rescue. – Help!

Marianne screamed and screamed until he was exhausted. Nobody showed up and shouted back.

The man was breathing heavily and looking at Marianne. It was clear from the wounds and blood loss that he would not survive without medical attention.

– Are you alone here? Marianne asked. – You need a doctor. Tell me where is the nearest village or at least one person, and I’ll go for help!

The robber was silent. Marianne looked around. See no one. I tried to remove my hands from the wound, but the bleeding intensified. I had to press on my chest again.

The man stuck out his tongue, then swallowed and asked:

“So you didn’t kill Cassius?”

– What? Whom? – did not understand Marianne.

“What he says? About whom? Is this the time to think about some Cassius?”

“And Barclay was furious. Thinks you killed him with an ax. – For a moment a smile flashed on the lips of the man. – I didn’t believe it… But Barclay thinks differently. Damn him with his ideas! I see you are just a child, you could not have done this.

– Cassius? Maybe you mean Viator? – did not understand Marianne. – I did not kill anyone! Didn’t kill! – He was shaking. – Better tell me where to find your friends. I will bring them, they will call doctors, rescuers. They will help you!

The man shook his head.

– Its end. And I managed to move here. In such cases… There is no one here. Even wild animals bypass these places… Here is my payback. And this damned Wolf Mountain is very close. So that she was wrong!

The man was confused in his thoughts, but the words about grief abandoned in agony alerted Marianne.

– Do you know where Wolf Mountain? – blurted out Marianne. – Are there people there? Can they help?

– Wolf Mountain? I saw her from afar. What kind of people are there! Inhumans! That’s who is there. A strange place. Damn anyone. No, people don’t live there. They look like you and me, but they are not. Even animals feel them and are afraid. Nobody knows how many there are and where they came from…

The man exhaled and closed his eyes.

– Oren Hadley. That’s my name. Tell people if you get out of here that I am dead. Tell me where it happened.

– Why don’t you tell me where to look for help? Marianne asked, not noticing that he was shouting. Now he was sure that this was one of yesterday’s robbers. – Where are your friends? They are close? I will call them…

Oren shook his head and croaked:

– Maybe before I die I will do at least one good deed. I will save you. And my soul will be sent to heaven. But my heart is still heavy…

Marianne did not know what to say to this.

– You have to leave these places. Go east. Oren tried to nod in the right direction. – Sooner or later you will go out on the road. On it you will come to the city.

Marianne shook his head. Tears ran down his cheeks.

– Only to the east! Do you hear? To the East!

Oren fell silent, closed his eyes. It seemed that he had already departed into another world, but his chest was still faintly heaving.

“Stay away from anyone you meet…” Oren said in a very weak voice. – There are different types here. Trust no one and…

The chest froze. Oren’s lips never moved.

Oren Headley.

Marianne slowly climbed off the blood-soaked body. He looked at his bloody palms. He felt very sorry for Oren, he was impressed by the death of this stranger. To distract himself from his worries, he began to wipe his hands on the snow, not noticing the cold.

A familiar sound sounded somewhere. Motorcycle motor.

The roar of the engine grew louder. Marianne stood up. Someone was riding a snowmobile on the ice of the lake. Another appeared after him. Marianne wanted to wave her hands and scream. But Oren can no longer be helped.

“What if they are yesterday’s robbers?”

They will be glad if Marianne falls into their hands. He was afraid of any person in these places. If he’s already figured out anything, it’s that he must stay away from everyone in this forest.

Marianne hastened to retreat from the open area, then rushed to his camp. They may not have noticed him yet. The sound has become quite loud. Marianne bent down by the tree and looked at the lake.

On the snowmobiles there were people dressed in white overalls – winter camouflage. They raced across the ice of the lake and were in full view. Having approached closer, we slowed down and parted in different directions. Then one, the one that was closer to the dead body, screamed. People on snowmobiles drove up and rushed to Oren.

Marianne heard the words of one of them:

– Who was that? Who attacked you? Was it a werewolf? Speak! Have you seen a werewolf here?

“He’s already dead, don’t you get it?”

– Yes, I just gave up the spirit. Did our werewolf do the job?

– Ha, this is too cool for a sucker!

And they both burst out laughing. In their hands, the people were holding some kind of short shotguns wrapped in white cloth. The first poked his weapon at the snow nearby.

– Look. What is it? It looks like scales. Aha! So the trail goes on the ice. Saber-toothed fish!

– There are still traces.

Two men in camouflage stood with their backs to Marianne and, bending over, looked at the find.

Marianne rushed to his camp, seeking cover.

He jumped to a hole dug in the snow – a hole in which he slept at night, and rushed into it. He began to quickly dig deep into the snow. One second, one more. Time is too short. Marianne hit the roof of the hole. She crumbled, covering him with lumps of snow.

The young man listened.

The snow was thin, and the light of the setting sun filtered through it.

Marianne was afraid that his hiding place was not enough for him and people in camouflage would notice him. And the snow could crumble unevenly, somewhere stronger, could bare legs or shoulder and give Marianne.

The footsteps came very close. And then he heard something that overtook even more fear, if he had not been scared half to death.

Loud frequent puffing. This man was sniffing the air. The wheeze grew louder. Marianne held her breath. He was smelled. A small lump of snow in front of my eyes shifted, opening a small hole outward. Marianne saw the shoes of a man who had approached.

– You are not looking there, Ersus! His breed should be looked for in the trees, not under them. Look, the branches over there were jammed. It was as if someone was climbing on it.

Footsteps rang out a little further. The boots trampled in place.

– Nobody. Ugh. Zero again!

– Look, there are traces too. Let’s see there?

– Wait, I’m behind the snowmobile.

There was silence for a minute. The boots were out of sight, and Marianne hoped they were finally gone. But he was afraid to get out of the snowdrift. The warm breath melted the snow, and the hole in the snowdrift became larger. Marianne huddled all over his jacket.

The second of the people started the engine and drove up to the first.

The boots appeared again.

– Well, what did you find?

– There is no one there!

– I’ll inspect that site now! – The end of the phrase was drowned in the roar of the engine. For a minute, a roar was heard in the area, now moving away, now approaching. The man who was near Marianne moved to a nearby tree.

There was a radio click and characteristic noises. Then a new voice came from her, like a growl:

– How are you? Get on the guy’s trail? No?

– He seemed to have sunk into the water.

– Well, well, – the man from the radio grinned. – And I can’t get better. I caught Junia Claire!

Junia Clare! Parallel class girl! And what is she doing here?”

Marianne could not believe his ears.

– Wow! You are clever. And where is she … – But the voice from the radio interrupted the man in camouflage.

– Which of you was torn to pieces by howling during the day? You are giving yourself away! Show your presence!

– I could not resist. There will be a great moon tonight. I can already feel it.

– Come here, to me. I need your help. She bites like a street cat! And without howling! – The crackling in the radio was gone.

– Ersus, did you hear? – Shouted the first from afar. – Let’s go. It’s clean here!

– I could say to the radio, – grunted the displeased Ersus. The footsteps hurried away. There was the rumble of snowmobiles. Then he began to move away.