The clouds had dropped very low to the Earth. A girl in a white shawl walked barefoot on the bright green grass, which tickled her feet pleasantly. In her hands she held a basket. After a moment Elizabeth stopped at a small hut that looked more like the den of some forest animal. It was tiny, and it was covered with moss on all sides.

After waiting a few seconds, Elizabeth drew in more air and knocked timidly on the door. She was afraid the bark might fall off the walls. An old woman in her seventies opened the door. She was dressed in a brown dress, over which she wore an apron covered with soil. There was a strong smell of fertilizer mixed with forest herbs and mysterious potions.

– Are you sure, Elizabeth?" asked the old woman who was the forest witch.

– Yes. Edward and I will take her away as soon as she is eighteen and has wings. She won't be able to live in a big city with modern teenagers. It won't be easy for the poor girl.

– It's your choice. I think I'll teach the girl everything I know. Some things will come in handy in the big world.

–

Thank you, Galya.

The old woman looked at the baby's face, lying in the basket among the snow-white cotton sheets. Louise smiled cheerfully.

Chapter One

The kitchen smelled of freshly baked scones, but Louise hasn't woken up yet. She was barely twelve, but every night she dreamed that one day she would finally have wings and become a real butterfly. And Butterflies, as you know, can do the most incredible things: for example, even the youngest girl can turn an ordinary tree into a steppe cat.

Of course, Louise dreamed not only of magical abilities – more than anything else she wanted to see her parents and go to live in a big city, with ordinary people. Galya is very kind and caring, but a teenage girl really needs communication with her peers.

Louise opened her eyes, got out of bed and pulled back the curtains – the summer sun peeked into her bedroom. She went to the Forest School, which was attended by the children of the villagers who lived nearby. Now the long-awaited vacation was coming, which Louise was glad about. She did not like to communicate with her classmates, mainly because most of them avoided the girl, calling her strange. No one thought Galya was a witch or a fortune-teller – to be honest, she didn't know many people in the neighborhood at all. But Louise was often annoyed: her parents, of course, never appeared in the school, which caused bewilderment on the part of the few teachers, and rumors, as you know, disperse very quickly. But now it would be good to think of other things – sunshine, fragrant flowers and, of course, little butterflies.

Louise left her small room and went to the kitchen, where Galya was already spreading jam from marsh berries, which tasted very peculiar, on tortillas. Louise had long since gotten used to the unusual food – the old woman often made porridge from lingonberries and bits of earth, soup from wheat and mango, and stew from tree bark with a dash of hot pepper. The girl did not complain, for she had never tasted any other food. She had never heard of hamburgers with coke and fries being sold anywhere.

The girl went to the table and sat down on her stool. There were three in all in the kitchen. Louise often wondered who the third chair was for. "We are waiting for a stranger," Galina usually answered her pupil.

– Good morning, good soul," the old woman greeted Louise.

– Good morning, and good day to you," she replied.

– Louise! How many times have I told you! …

– What is up? " the girl didn't understand. She moved a jar of blueberry jam towards her.

– I asked you not to call me "you"! I'm your kin, I'm bringing you up. Am I not a grandmother to you, little girl? " sadly asked Galya, lowered her eyes into the plate and brushed away a tiny tear.

– No, not at all!" Louise immediately objected. She didn't want to offend her mother-nanny at all.

– When am I going to see mommy and daddy? " She asked.

– When you are eighteen, my dear, you know that. Until then, you live here.

– Well, six years is a long time. It's like an eternity.

– It's been decided for you. And let's not talk about it, " asked Galya.

– All right, Mother.

– That's it! That's another matter, " she rejoiced.

– I want to be a Butterfly.

– Everything will happen. Learn patience, child.

When you have breakfast, go to the Glade, the weather is so nice today! It'll do you good to be alone with nature.

– But it's so boring! I'd like to be friends with someone. Or fall in love.

– Louise! You're too young! And you know very well that boys can never become Butterflies.

– Fine," the girl replied simply and continued with her morning meal.

"What about my daddy? Didn't she marry my mom who was a Butterfly? Why are they allowed to be together but I'm not? It's not fair at all that I live apart from them!" out of frustration, Louise almost pushed a hole in the wooden floor with her foot.

– What's the matter with you? " Galya asked, looking at the girl's face.

– Nothing. I'm tired of being alone," she threw back.

– Go to the butterflies. Talk to them.

– I don't want to. I don't want anything. I'll go to the Glade. Alone.

– Mom, come on, stop it!" asked Niels, a sixteen-year-old boy. His family lived near the city's border with the Forests and Steppes, in a two-story cottage overlooking a small pasture where three cows and one lone sheep grazed every day. No one really knew who bred them – they probably lived on their own.

– That uniform looks good on you, though. Let me see.

– Come on, mother, I'm not a child anymore. I don't want to fight anyone. There's hardly anyone living in the Steppes, what's the point?

– You were born into a Mountain family, so don't try to run away from your destiny.

– All right, all right," Niels replied. His red and straight hair almost reached his shoulders, so the helmet was pressing a little on his head. In general, Niels was not very attractive (and he almost never socialized with girls, though he was influenced by his father, Henry Mountain, who did not recognize any modern realities), but he was smart enough to study for high grades. Now all schoolchildren are on vacation, but Niels and his companions had to take an exam at the end of summer. In half an hour classes would start, and he still hadn't gotten on the bus…

He threw off his armor and hastily put on jeans and a white shirt, threw his smartphone into his bag and slung it on his shoulder.

– See you this evening, Mom.

– Have a good day. Don't forget, you have Latin class at five today.

– I remember.

Niels knew that after school he would have to go to the knights of the village, but he still hadn't given up hope of getting a good degree.

Louise walked along the Glade, though she didn't expect to reach the border of the Forests and Steppes today and see the City. Sure, there were a few streets of private houses in that neighborhood, but the girl wasn't afraid of anything. Her wings hadn't appeared yet, so no one would be able to pick on her. Louise had long known that she lived in two worlds at once: the ordinary world of humans and the Forest School, and the magical world of Butterflies and those she would soon be able to meet there.

Louise sat down to rest on a rock in the middle of the golden ears – where she lived, the fields and meadows changed endlessly. It looked like a chessboard. Like it wasn't on this planet.

The girl straightened her hair and threw her head back – now she looked like a fairy princess. She's only twelve, with her whole life ahead of her. Louise looked at the houses and wondered who might live in them: shepherds, farmers or office workers? It would be nice to go to the City just once…

There wasn't a soul around. It was the same as always. Louise's soul longed for adventure and new discoveries, but her inner voice told her that it was better to keep a low profile and stay at home, under Galina's supervision. Galina… who was Galina, anyway? For as long as Louise could remember, her mother had never flown anywhere. Did she have wings? Or maybe they were in the distant past and now they're gone? Galya had always said that Louise's wings would be so huge that sometimes she wouldn't even be able to squeeze through a regular doorway. I wonder if other Butterflies have wings like that. There are insect butterflies, there are girl butterflies, and there are boy butterflies – just boys. How do they live without flying and toasting with wildflower jam? They must be unimaginably bored. By the way, Louise had never spoken to a boy before-she'd never seen one, not even at school. She's kind of weird, this Forest School.

When she got bored of sitting on the lonely rock, she simply climbed down to the ground and took off her wicker sandals (they were her favorite summer shoe, but in winter she and Galya preferred fur boots) to relax her heels. The spikes of wheat tickled them pleasantly. In the fall, local farmers would come here and mow all this wealth, and the soil would remain completely bare. It was a pity, for the cold weather would come, and there would be no shelter. "I've got a blanket, and the earth will do something about it," she thought, and then she lay down on her back and spread her arms as if she wanted to make a snow angel. This is how her summer days passed, each of which was exactly like the previous one. Secretly, the girl hoped that before the wings would appear behind her back, someone would come to her and take her with him – to another world. But for now she just fell asleep, listening to the quiet chorus of field butterflies that sang about blue dewdrops and a bright red heart. Whose was it, though? …

– Ha ha, look at him! That toothy Bobby forgot to wash his back again! " Roxy, one of the many students at City High School, laughed. Her friends giggled quietly, obviously in support, though they didn't want to let on that they had anything to do with it.

– Roxy, stop it! Why are you making fun of people? " stood up for the boy Niels, who had just come to the lockers to leave his backpack and change into sneakers.

– What's it to you? " she asked defiantly.

– I don't like it when someone gets hurt for no reason. What did he do to you? " the boy asked sternly.

– None of your business. Maybe I just don't like his existence.

Roxy turned to her friends, and the three of them walked off in a dignified manner toward the office, where math class was about to begin.

– Are you okay? " Niels turned to Bob, who was looking through the locker door at his back, which had a white "Kick Me" sign on it.

– I'm fine. But I'm sick of it. Okay, I'll go," Bobby said, and reluctantly went to class. The boy's belly was peeking out from under his black T-shirt, and the chalk on his back hadn't completely rubbed off. Looking rather ridiculous, he tried to ignore the caustic taunts. "It'll all go away when we're adults…"

"She's a girl, of course, and a teenager too," Niels reasoned, sitting in the second desk with his hand lazily resting on his head as Ms. Lipp explained how to draw a trigonometric circle. – But you can't behave so vile! If she were a boy, I'd challenge her to a duel…"

Meanwhile, Evie, Roxy's neighbor, did not take her eyes off the young man Niels for a moment.

Chapter Two

The butterflies kept singing, but Louise soon got bored of lying there. She was warming herself a little in the sunlight, and a little summer rain would be nice. Although a gray thunderstorm would be nice too. The girl stretched lazily, lifted her head and found a butterfly sitting on her gray dress, a very pretty butterfly. Louise was not very good at butterfly breeds, although Galya insisted on a good study of the theory of the other world. What was it? On the "mahaon" does not look like, and on the "cabbage girl" too. Maybe it would be possible to talk to her? Louise decided to give it a try:

– Hi. What's your name?

The butterfly only timidly wiggled its antennae. What if it just mistook the little girl for some kind of flower? Too bad Louise couldn't give her guests some pollen.

– You don't want to talk? That's fine. Then why are you sitting on me? " Louise tried to continue the dialog. However, it did not go well, but the butterfly answered:

– If you want to live among us, then learn the language. Our language. There are thirteen grammatical errors in your breath.

– They don't teach that in my school. What's your name? " asked the astonished girl. The lady butterfly had spoken to her – was it not a miracle? So Louise really wasn't quite human. And not quite ordinary.

– Linda-Jane-Madam-Wood-Mistress-Sarah-Wizard Field. Well, goodbye," she said, and then she flapped her wings and flew off into the sky. Louise remained on the ground.

"I had a chat with her. She is such a sweet mistress! I wonder if butterflies have kings and queens? In the City, as far as I can remember, some sort of Ministr rules. Or Minister."

– Galya, explain to me why mom left me here with you? Why don't I live in the City, because I don't have wings yet? " Louise stopped by the house for lunch and decided to do a little questioning.

– You'll find out a little later, baby," she replied affectionately, but Louise insisted:

– Why not now? I don't want to wait six years! It's like half my life from the one I've already lived.

– Your mother thinks it would be dangerous for you to be with people.

– And Dad? Isn't he a regular person?

– He is.

– So what…

– You'd have to ask them yourself.

– How can I do that?

– Don't be mad.

– I'm not mad! Not at all.

– Okay, if you are.

– How can I talk to my parents?

– Can't you write an e-mail? " Galya grinned.

– Who? Write what?

– Okay, forget it. You'd better stay out of the modern rhythm.

– But I'll be taken to the City when I grow up? " the excited girl went on. What if she could learn something very important now?

– That's what I said, but plans have changed.

– Whose plans? Mom's and Dad's? " Louise exclaimed, nearly knocking over a bowl of nettle soup.

– Almost.

– You hang out with them, and I'm not allowed to! " Louise even clenched her fists in indignation.

– Is that what you want? " Galina asked.

– What?

– To talk to them.

– We're having a stupid dialog. I talked to a butterfly today.

– That's weird.

– What about my parents?

– Do you want to?

– Yes, I do. I do!

– Then write a letter to your mom. I'll tell you where to send it.

– Where does mom live? Does Daddy live with her?

– Have your lunch and get started. There are sheets of parchment in the drawers," Galya continued to explain nonchalantly.

– Okay," the girl replied, but she could not calm down at once: the spoon was running in her hands, and the soup threatened to spill all over the table.

"Why didn't Galya say anything before? Why didn't tell the child that he could write to his parents? His own! Hmm, something's not right here. And I should know what awaits me after my eighteenth birthday. It's unlikely that the crown of some magical princess will fall on me on the same day".

The school day of the hot summer was coming to the end, but Niels was in no hurry to go home, even though he didn't like to miss his Latin lessons (he had to have time to eat and get his textbook). His red hair was even hotter, and it was as if the boy had suddenly become a walking sun himself. At the entrance to the school, Roxy and her friends lingered too. The girls were discussing their current idol, Edol, the boy from the eleventh grade. They were saying that he had single-handedly slain some terrible forest monster, though they all knew that no one had ever seen one. And no one ever will.

Niels would be a warrior, but Edol knew nothing of the border, nor of the Forests and Fields beyond it. Fairies and elves certainly didn't live there (but you never know!), but ancient priestesses or witch doctors might.

The inhabitants of the City were afraid of who could be found outside of it, and those who lived in the border village didn't really want to be pessimistic, but it was ridiculous to deny the fact that there was no one in the neighborhood.

– Where are you going, Niel? " Roxy asked cheekily. She often pretended to be the real ruler of the world, if not of the world, then of the school.

– Never mind. I'll see you tomorrow," he said, and moved away from the gate, taking his time.

– Why are you being so rude? " the girls, Evie and Thea, started.

– Nothing.

– Goodbye, then! " snapped at Evie, then whispered: "I'll find someone else".

– Evie, don't take offense. He's nothing. He doesn't look like anyone. We're so much cooler," Roxy told her friend as she flipped through the news feed. The first line of the day read: "A heat wave is coming. Be careful." Why now, she wondered, with important exams looming? Roxy turned off her smartphone and turned to Evie and Thea:

– Shall we play, detectives? Let's find

them

and destroy. I bet I know who's responsible. Let's show

them

who's boss.

"Dear Mommy,

Louise, your daughter, writes to you. Although, am I really your daughter? I want to see you very much, but I don't think you share my wish. Do you love me at all? And does my father? Galya doesn't say anything about him, and I'd like to know where he is and how he's doing. Honestly, I don't even know your names.

Tell me, why am I living with Galya in the Forests and Steppes? I'm a child, and a child needs a mother and a father. Sometimes I even feel like an orphan. What made you give up your own daughter? Don't you need me at all?

There's a town near us, but I've never been there. Galya says I don't belong there. I know that ordinary children live there, who will not become Butterflies and will not eat flakes of flower pollen every day. Surely there are schools in the City where all the teenagers go and have fun with each other. Why can't I do the same? I'm a teenager too and I want to make friends and I end up living like a caged animal.

I talked to a butterfly recently, but she didn't say anything sensible. Why would I even want to turn into a Butterfly if I was born human? Are there any other butterfly people like me? What about you? Do you have wings too? Why did nature set it up this way? It's not logical at all.

Galya said that in six years you'll take me away from here. Where wi