Читать книгу Immortals. Twin princesses, Ella and Elle. Black Wings of the Night - Сергей Соловьёв, Ар'лан ис'Дрекхэм - Страница 5

The tree walked quickly, but looked under her feet. And then, in bast shoes, you always need to walk carefully, otherwise you can pin your leg with a bitch. And it hurts, and it’s a shame, you need to look at your feet. And it was not far to go from their village, to the witch’s estate, only two miles. It is possible along the river, but back, against the current, I did not want to rest so hard with a pole, it’s easier, to walk on my own two. Indeed, it would be better to dry, but she did not have her own elk, only she had a secret, this handsome Faithful clicked. My father drove cattle on it to the pasture.

Well, the girl went like that, leaning on the staff. Sometimes, she removed thick branches from her face with a long stick, or, she rustled lying branches or bushes, trying to scare the snakes. She did not want to kill forest inhabitants, but she did not want to be bitten either. So it was already once that a viper bit her in the leg. Nothing, survived, although the ankle was swollen, and she saw such visions — words cannot describe, no one would have believed. She never told anyone. Why? If you say, mother and father will swear, they will not be released into the forest, so sit in the house, wool strands. No, the girl knew how, but she did not like such a thing. Dull hurts, slow, leisurely. But now, she snuck through the dense bushes of hazel, and ended up at the witch’s estate, decorated with cow skulls hanging on the stakes of a solid fence. I also noticed a dog running up to the gate and merrily twirling its tail. She opened it herself, hearing how much the willow hinges creaked, pulling the door to the entrance bars.

— Well, hello Druzhok, — the girl greeted, ruffling the wool on the head of a hefty dog, — here, to you, — and handed him a piece of bread.

He instantly swallowed, and without chewing, with dignity led the guest to the porch of the house, and even pushed him to the seedling with his nose. The tree smiled, straightened the hem, and knocked on the door.

“Come in already,” came a deaf voice outside the door.

The girl pulled on the door ring, opening the entrance. The loops, already old, from the lashes of wild grapes, creaked mercilessly, but the guest has long been accustomed to this. In the canopy, on the wall, a small lamp hung on the wall, slightly illuminating the dark room. Here, Elle hung up her travel cloak, but left her paws so as not to trample in the house. And she dressed wooden sandals lying here. A simple thing, from a board, but with two leather straps that support the foot. They dressed the same shoes in the bathhouse so as not to get burned.

— Here I am! said the girl loudly, going into the basement.

It was not dark, yet two windows let enough light through the frames, with copper bindings with pieces of mica. Here stood in the corner a stove, built of stones on clay mortar, and oak shelves on the walls, with pots and pots laid out on them, and bundles of herbs. The table was also not free. And his mistress was sitting at home, rubbing the potion in a stone mortar with a pestle.

— Good day, beauty! said the witch amiably.

“And to you, Krasa!

It is unclear who called the herbalist that name. She was chrome and humpback, with one hand shorter than the other. But, was trained by good mentors, and used her potions sick well, so many recovered. But, no one except Elle wanted to study with a witch, so the girl was her only student.

— Here, here and pies, and the hitches baked you. And with poppy seeds, and apples and honey. Try… — the herbalist said with a smile, putting a wooden bowl with a treat in front of the guest.

The girl did not refuse, tried delicious cookies, pleased the hostess. She knew that Kras was very happy with her, and she loves to pamper her student. Washed down with a tasty berry brew flavored with mint.

“It’s time to get down to business,” the witch said her usual saying.

And she began to show and tell the girl again about the secret power of herbs, how to treat them. Simple drugs, like crushed willow bark, or dried raspberries, suitable for removing heat. Lily of the valley and valerian root, well suited for a tired heart, an infusion of burdock, for the treatment of the liver. Honey and plantain leaf, for the treatment of cuts and wounds.

Behind the whole thing, a persistent knock on the door distracted both. The dog also barked, as if warning the hostess about those who had come. Krasa sighed with displeasure, rinsed her hands in the washbasin, wiped it with a clean rag, and went to open the door. The tree remained with the herbs, and kept order. I knew that Ryzhik, a domestic ferret, could drop in and arrange his order in the canopy, turning all the plates and pots upside down. Yes, actually, he was already here, instead of greeting, poking his nose into Elle’s leg. But the girl did not sleep either, quickly took him in her arms, distracting. And she released a ferret rushing around the yard, doing business, catching mice.

— Good day, Krasa, — said the visitor, — here, she brought her daughter, look, fly her, do mercy! And I, here, brought the hotel, — put the basket on the doorstep.

“Let him come, I’ll see,” the witch replied amiably.

— Stasya, come here, — the woman called the girl.

She approached reluctantly, frightened by the sight of a hunchback. And then, after all, they talked a lot about Beauty in the village, and Elle heard these stories.

That they say, it can jinx, and curse. And at night, they say, flies in the sky, on the floor. To be honest, Yolka then asked her mother to send her to witch training. I saw in a dream that it flies in the sky, looks down at forests, fields… True, it does not fly itself, but carries its winged knight. And then she herself wanted to rise into the sky, what if the witch teaches? Let not on the wings, but on the dais.

And Stasya came up, and Krasa sat down sick on a bench near the house, in the light. She beckoned to Elle with her finger, she was reluctant to take a couple of steps.

— So what do you say, girl? — the witch whispered, grabbing her student’s hand, — look how she taught you… Do not look with your head, but with your heart…

And now the witch’s voice was heavy, heavy, as if pulling along, dragging and dragging, twisting. The tree closed its eyes, trying to concentrate. She blinked several times, but, now, she caught that mood, the right state…

And I saw something else… Stasya’s sad, pale face, and a black strip of thick viscous fog on her chest. The student looked at the mentor, and whispered quietly:

— I see everything… She needs a breast collection. Drink this infusion, and also In three months everything will pass. But, it is impossible for her, it will be bad.

— That’s right… And let the infusion of willow bark drink for two weeks, — added the hunchback with a satisfied voice

— Thank you Krasa, and you Elle, — the woman bowed, — health to both of you!

The afflicted are gone. But, they left, others came. Here, Krasa herself was engaged in a festering cut at the owner of the family. And the Christmas tree only helped. The witch worked for a long time, and then, washing her hands in a trough, she said displeased:

— Here, it became bad as Alma left… And at least how strict was the Dead Princess, but so many sick were not with her. Mistress, it happened, will lay hands, and that’s it, man came to life, although he stood at the very gate of the Kingdom of Death…

“Well, didn’t Alma cure you?” — the girl did not understand, — did not descend, did she pass by?

“So I hit my back a year later, as Alma fell asleep,” Krasa answered sadly, “you see, I was unlucky,” and dabbed a bitter tear with a handkerchief, suddenly rolling off my eyelash.

— You look, and I will cure you… I can, make no mistake!

— You don’t say! — and Krasa covered Elle’s mouth with her palms, — Elena the Beautiful will hear more, may she give you full measure, and give you what you ask… What good was Alma? Read, as hunchbacked as I am, no happiness, no joy. Except, perhaps, the power of the great… Well, from that strength the Princess had

No good. So Elena served, consider, one hundred and fifty years… But, the warrior was, where before her Ilse the First-Called!

Elle listened to this, wide-eyed, and almost open her mouth. After all, Krasa said something completely different about the Dead Princess, unlike what the storyteller Gorazd hung from their village when he sang at feasts. Not stories about the exploits and long campaigns of the lady and her invincible army. And about how hard it was for the Princess to carry this burden, unbearable for anyone else. And she dragged it on herself, and for more than one year…

— Okay, stop being sad! Let’s go and eat some pies, but let’s get down to business again! — Kras returned her pupil from thought.

The girl immediately thought to lose heart. The tree nodded, and carried a heavy basket inside the house. The hunchback walked behind, sighed, and looked longingly at her student, and at her sick hands and feet.