Buch lesen: «Gemini Alatyr of Island. Children of dead mother», Seite 3

Step forward

Three years passed, and the young men, who were already thirteen years old, were allowed to go fishing. It was a northern summer, the sun was shining in the blue sky, and almost did not set at night, so the night was not as such. Eight guys, pupils of the Seven, collected things in their cell, put crackers, dried fish, in a wooden jar with water, and a fire in a pot braided with a vine. Ulle took with him an inseparable bow and a quiver of good arrows. Gun stood beside him and stuffed bread in the bag, checked the knife on his belt, then thought, and put on leather pants instead of linen. Ull also pulled off his boots, and put on waterproof pants and boots, securing them with soft straps.

– What are you there soon? “How beautiful are girls, they don’t know what to wear,” Tal said.

Sirac and Tal screamed loudly, patting each other’s shoulders, enjoying their own joke.

“And Ull has hair, just like a girl,” Knut joked,

– You envy that? -Ill laughed, -your hair began to grow like an adult, and then only a shred there, a shred nearby.

Arius and Vour laughed even harder, but they did not release the straps of the bags.

“Come on, it’s time, and then Pal will see that we are idle here, in a moment will find the case,” said Sirac, “and he left to close the smoldering hearth with a stone lid, and closed the door for everyone, and ran to catch up with his people. The band was walking along the green grass of the island, the grass was growing between the stones, and it was hard to believe that everything had been covered with snow recently. The legs themselves carried youths, just yesterday they were taught to disassemble two types of letters, and even knots, their types, how to knit, and what this ordinary letter means. They all already knew the language of embroidery on their shirts, which tribes which patterns alternate, which tattoos and what time they were put on, learned how to fight and fist fights, and wielded weapons excellently – the best warriors taught them all the secrets. Similarly, they instructed in the High Path how to behave in life and in war, so as not to drop the gear and gain the help of the gods. But now they could have fun, and go to sea. They dragged the leather boat to the open water, and in the boat they also placed seven darts with bronze tips and five bows with arrows. The boots of the youths cautiously stepped on the pebbles under the water, and the strong arms pushed the ship so as not to tear the plating on the stones, and finally, the boat was in deep water, and they alternately climbed aboard, trying not to rock the ship so that it would not draw water.They took the oars, and the boat rocked out into the sea, but did not lose sight of the coast. Sirak and Gong began to cast nets. At the bottom of the boat, more than five dozen fish were already beating in the baskets. The boys looked at each other with happy smiles.

“Excellent fishing came out,” said the contented Vour, “but we eat all the dried stuff, and now fresh.” Fine.

– Well, and then next time they will probably be released only in a week, we will ride and fight on the chariot, train all day long.

“What you need to do,” muttered Whip.

“The hand is already blue, they are learning to fall, so I already beat off my shoulder, Katya laughs at us,” Arius worried.

“He himself flew out of the wagon at full speed, a spear fell into it, fell well to the ground, and now he teaches others,” Gun said, “Your life will depend on this, otherwise you will drink soma, not quite working, doing what you previously knew. Then you will thank him for science.

Ull was sitting in a boat and putting fish in the third basket, and he felt something familiar, the weight fell on his head, making it difficult to think. HE REMEMBERED.

“Gun, come on to that island, see on your left hand?” And Ull showed, stretching out his hand in that direction.

– What happened, Ull?

– The storm is coming, feeling me. It is better to wait there, but we will not sail to Buyan.

Gong sighed heavily, shook his head, said:

– Well, but if you made a mistake, your bow will be mine, and if you make no mistake, I will give you my dagger.

– Arius, we turn to the island, there is a cave, wait it out. Ull prophesies the wind will fall, beware.

Pupils began to row harder, turned left, changing course, and moved to the island. With each stroke of the merry oars, the lodya moved across the sea, and the wind grew stronger, a black cloud appeared in the sky, clouding the whole sky. The sailors tried to turn the oars even faster, finally they were able to reach the shore, jumped out of the boat, took her by the sides and lifted her, dragged her to the shore.

“The cave, Gun,” shouted Sirak, pointing to the open mouth of the mountain.

– Knut, Ull, Voor, take a pot of fire and fish, drag everything to the cave, and we will carry the boat away from the waves.

The young men grabbed the booty and ran to the cave, carried everything back, returned again, laid them in order, began to rain and the strongest waves hit the coast, but they did not reach the boat, at least for now. A log was sculpted nearby, and Ull was dragged into a cave, lifting the front end of a tree with many branches. The youths transferred all belongings to the shelter, and reinforced the boat with stones on the shore. Vatazhniki began to break off branches from a tree, and put them in a corner of the cave, and Arius and Vour prepared a place for the hearth, Sirac and Knut set to gut the fish with knives in the sandy cave floor. The case was arguing, and a storm was already raging outside, a shower poured over the island and the sea, water poured from the sky into the water in the sea. Gun and Ulle broke branches first, then Tal brought a small bronze hatchet out of his bag to the giant Tal. The case went faster, Ulle chopped up many branches with an ax, a bunch of chips was already formed, suitable for ignition, but the young men continued until they prepared a bunch of firewood for the night. Meanwhile, the hearth was ready, and twenty fishes gutted.

Gun, as descended from a tribe of lesovikov, began to make a fire, putting logs there, and in the middle for ignition he made chips. Ull brought a sacred pot with a small fire, fished a pair of cherry-colored coals from the middle with bronze tongs and threw them on the chips prepared by his friend, who began to fan the flames. He blew and blew, puffing his cheeks, lio turned red, and then the fire began, the chips began to flare up, and Gong began to slowly feed the hungry spirit of fire with food more and more, and now, on the floor of the cave, the fire cracked gleefully, lighting and heating the children. Ull took a vessel with coals by the wicker handles and put it in the recess of the cave floor, closing it with a clay lid. Vatazhniki sat around the fire, everyone had funny faces, and since the fish on the rods were stuck around the fire, it was fried, then soon people should become simply satisfied. The young men relaxed, the tension went away from their faces, was replaced by fun. Suddenly Gong frowned and looked with incomprehension at Ulla.

“Like you…” he painfully picked up words, “learned about bad weather,” he slowly said, as if squeezing phrases out of himself, as if he was afraid of an answer.

Ull smiled back, just slapped his friend on the shoulder, and turned the roasting cod, but noticed how other young men were looking at him.

– I felt it. I always feel gong. I can only say that it is quite unpleasant, not like in fairy tales that Shirak likes to say. That’s it.

“And how is it?..” asked Arius in a low voice.

“My head hurts terribly, crushes everything,” Ull said slowly, trying to convey everything in words, “but don’t tell anyone anymore.”

“We won’t say,” everyone said loudly.

“Now everyone would have walked along the Ice Bridge, if it were not for you, Ull,” said Gong, “no one would have reached, but he would have, still would have frozen it later.” You and I were lucky.

– Enough for you, – said Ull, – let’s eat, the fish is ready. Remove roasted from twigs.The youths removed the finished fish, and planted another piece of cleaned fish on the rods. Cooked, fried put in a large bowl, and waited until it cools.

– Sirac, tell me something, tell me, everyone shouted.

– A short story, and that is, I want to, – he agreed, – So, the tale of Gemini, – and he quickly looked at Ulla, – long, long ago, in a distant land, a woman was born Gemini, a boy and a girl, they grew up and there was no one more fit and reasonable, and they hunted the beast of all together, and the boy was a strong hunter, and the girl and the hunter were a noble and clever clever man. But once a boy went, but he was hunting in the Dark Forest, and Geese Swans abducted him, and carried him to the Kingdom of Heaven, to Ilios and Leto, and the boy liked the gods, and again Sirac looked at the curly giant, and the girl went after her brother unreasonable, and she saw the river of fire that separates the world of the living, and passed it, and then there was a secret cave, and the girl forgot about the fear and walked the muddled path, and saw the Sacred apple tree, so that its purpose was close. For the apples were not simple, but rejuvenating, but the girl was not seduced, did not eat them, otherwise she would have remained in the Kingdom of Gods, only tore herself for the apple and her brother, so that they would return to the world of the living. And she came to the fork of the Worlds, and took the beloved brother’s hand with her, and Dear Mist led him, and back past the apple tree, and led the way through Putaya underground cave, and they ate through the apple, and could then pass through the River of Fire. But the Geese-Swans could not get and return them to the Kingdom of Gods, for they had tasted the fruits of knowledge, and they were alone in the Kingdom of Gods, and returned from there.

“That is why, Ulle, all the people of Gemini fear and hope for them,” Sirac concluded.

All the youths had thoughtful eyes, everyone looked away into the distance, through the flames something unknown was revealed to them. Even Ull wondered, as if he saw something in front of him in the fog, obvious and implicit, he was or was not he, and his sister was near, but his clothes were unusual, and their weapons were only spears made from the bones of an animal. He never saw such a reality.

– The fish is ready, – all distracted Knut, – let’s eat.

Everyone sorted out the fish from the bowl, slightly spitting food, it was very tasty, especially after a hard day. Bread is divided into all. The young men quickly cleaned the dish, and set to cook the fish the next day, to sail, as the sea will calm down. While everyone had finished, the fish was baked, the food was hidden from the animals, covered with an empty vessel, and took out a flask and drank water.

“Are the Gemini Gods or Men?” Asked Arius Sirac.

– Someone who interprets, remember Seven interpreted that they are the creature of Elios and Leto, others say that They are only their incarnation on Earth, one thing is for sure that they live as people and die as people, but ascend as gods.

“What are their names,” asked Tal, propping up his chin with his right hand.

“My sister’s name is Svetoch- In-Thme, and the Brother is called the King of the Mountain,” Sirak grinned. “Seven more will be told to us, and there the Dedication awaits us.

“Tell me something else,” asked Ull, “briefly, and fall asleep more quickly.”

– About enchanted Brother. So, once sailed to a small island in the boat, and saw people on a small island, they wanted to attack the Son of the Lada, and he bewitched them, and they became enchanted dolphins, and he threw them into the sea, and now accompanied by dolphins waiting for the witch’s enchantment to be lifted

Tal was looking up and dreaming how great it was to swim with dolphins, not only in such an icy sea, but maybe, that is, where there are warm seas.

“You have to go to sleep,” said Gun, “put on warm clothes.”

And he pulled the knitted coat from his bag and put on his jacket, putting a leather bag under him. Others also began getting ready, putting on spare parts. Were closer to each other, that would not freeze. Soon everyone fell asleep. The sun almost did not set at that time, but Sirac heard that the rain had stopped and went to inspect the shore and the boat. The vessel was in place, only filled with rain water, the sky was clear, the weather was good and the wind was blowing. Several trees were washed to the shore, and the young man dragged one of them closer to the cave. Vatahozhniki began to wake up, rubbing his eyes.

“We have to eat and sail before the fog falls to the sea,” said Gun.

The fire burned, the young men sat around and had breakfast with yesterday’s fish, and Gong began to put out the fire, flooding it with sea water. Trees dragged into the cave just in case, and all belongings were carried ashore, not forgetting the vessel with fire and fish in two baskets. It was cooler after the rain, the youths groaning dragged the boat into the open water, loaded it with their good, and climbed into it themselves. Immediately earned oars, trying to sail away, so that the waves would not be carried to the shore travelers. Finally they swam, and Buyan showed up on the horizon, but what happened was what Gung was afraid of – the fog fell, and thick like milk, moved at random, all of them had faces, except for Ulla.

“Yes, I know where to swim, why are you worried,” Ull shrugged and grinned, “to my right, turn the boat a little.”

Everyone looked hopefully at his guide in the fog, but his face was serene, they rowed and rowed, as the surf lane was noticed, and noisy joy seized everyone. They began to pull out the boat, it turned out that they landed near the village, so they decided to walk. Four carried the boat, the rest carried the entire belongings of the gang.

“Ull, you are just like a raven, you see in the mist, and the fog is not a hindrance to you,” Arius puffed and puffed the boat, “you did it right away, just crouched, twirled, and everything. Ambush found instantly. Just like in fairy tales, on the ground like a gray wolf, in the sky like a falcon, in the sea like a Fish.

They came, and met them on the beach, holding his fingers in his belt and arms akimbo, mentor Arpad.

– Hello, sons! I see you just smiles good luck. And the storm you uneasy, and fog. Yesterday I wanted to send a large rook for him, but Seven said that you are coming back.

“Everything worked out, thanks ataman,” said Gun, scratching his head with growing short hair and long curls, “Ull was a notable navigator.” Held us like an albatross through storms and fog.

“Take the fish to the kitchen, and go to the bath yourself, you need to warm up better, otherwise you have to treat the Seven,” Arpad said, “and take Albatros with you, otherwise the beak will fall off in the cold.”

They gave the cod to the kitchen, and went to the bathhouse, which had already been melted down by the servants.It was also a construction of logs, low smoke coming out of the hole under the roof. All undressed in the waiting room, and sat on the benches, basking. After going to sea, the bath was very appropriate. We sat for a long time, intelligently, pouring hot stones on the heated stones. It seemed that the cold was going straight from the bones along with fatigue. Finally, the youths rinsed, and sat in the dressing room, sipping herbal hot infusion.

The study continued, the most time was spent fighting with swords, taught to fight with a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Running in the armor of the youths was through the day, and gradually the bone armor became familiar to the northern soldiers.

And three years soon passed, and it was time for the trials. On the first day they shot from bows, the best turned out to be Ull, as in the fight with swords.

Sirac, the best horseman, turned out to be the charioteer, surpassing the others, while the chariot warrior and the best turned out to be four at once – Ull, Arius, Gun, and Knut. In running in armor, Tal won, although Arpad noticed that Ull fell on purpose. In a simple run, Voor defeated, and there, too, there was a ridiculous situation;

After throwing a spear, Knut threw a spear farthest, a spear flew right up to the fence of the lists.

The youths went to the mountain, accompanied by Arpad and Kate.

– Now we will look for the fox, we must read its trail, and be able to find the secret path of the beast.

The students one by one tried to read the confusing trail, it seemed that everything worked out, but even the day without a night did not help the subjects, everything was in vain, no one did the lesson. Arpad looked at the youths for a long time, bowed his head and smiled vaguely, then a grin lit his face, and he spoke:

– Then it is believed that you did not complete the lesson, you simply could not, and the initiation will pass only among the Seven, you will not enter the Maze and do not visit the Golden Temple.

Ull looked at the gloomy faces of friends who clenched their fists in despair, not knowing what to do.

“Maybe I’ll try,” Ull said quietly.

“Come on, once again, just remember, this is the last time,” added Katey.

Ull squatted examining the animal’s tracks, took a step, another, third, walked on the grass, bouncing between the boulders and crouching again, he seemed like a wolf, following the long-awaited prey. Ull simply crawled along the grass, did not even seem to touch her, and saw the trail with an inner eye, and nothing interfered with him, he walked and walked, reaching the right one, jumped over the creek, another step, another and a third, and voila! He saw a cage with arctic fox on a boulder in a low grass, grabbed it and carried it to Kate and Arpad. They looked at him as he moved with wide eyes, not understanding who the man was in front of them, or the werewolf who came to people from the Ice Trail.

“Look, Arpad, Katey, I found it!” And he pulled them to the animal cage, we won. We have completed all the lessons, chieftain.

– It was the last lesson, Labyrinth. Let’s go there, “their mentor replied.

“Well done, Ull,” friends shouted to him, “we have passed!”

Arpad quietly whispered in Katey’s ear: “This is the purpose of the tests and teachings, what would they feel all together, that it was WE who passed, and not I passed.” Katey imperceptibly nodded to the ataman, lightened up.

And then, after the passage of Ulm the Labyrinth, something bitter happened. Ull completely lost his mind, spoke to everyone only in an imperative tone, did not recognize anyone, and when they tried to attack him in order to instruct Katey and Pal, trained fighters, the guy scattered both of them. Four tried to approach him, he was able to incapacitate even four. Ulla, like a bear, lured Gong into an ambush, the guys threw a fishing net at him, his hands fell into mesh cells, and his left leg too, and they pulled the earth out from under the enchanted bogatyr, and he poked his face into the ground, rolling his curls in the mud, he roared, straining his arms and legs, but the rescuers had come to a halt and had already pulled off the ropes and leather straps, so they pulled them to the guy’s torso.

“What is the matter with you, boy,” Arpad stumbled along the cheek of a madman, “Remember, our friend, our hope,” repeated the voivode, crouching next to the fallen man, “what can we do with you?”

– About sister, witch, we forgot, mentor. We will send her a message if she does not help, and I don’t know what to do, let Seven decide then.

– Gun, carry the bark and wrote, Knut, Tal, Arius and Sirac will sail for Elicia, gifts, carry all that we, the mammoths have a tooth, jade bowls, all for Pryakhs and for Mara. And you Gong drive, you’re his friend, and you’re the most talkative of us. But be careful, take care of Mary, and if the tales of Ella are at least half true, then keep your mouth shut and pity for pity, because her brother fell ill. But who knows what Pryhahs did to her, and Arpad I grabbed my head with my hands, “I will sail out to send the youngsters,” and he jumped off the stone, but Katey and Tal kept him.

– Ataman, – it is impossible, you made a vow, The island will not leave without the order of the Seven.

The pressure of the mentor weakened, and he no longer burst from the hands of his warriors, only took a breath, and everything looked and looked intently at Ulla, and straightened the belt with a dagger, then laid his thumbs over the belt.

“Okay, Gun,” he sighed again, although this sigh was more like a whale’s exhalation, “you can handle it.” Let’s bark here.

Arpad began to write:

“Mare from Arpad bow and hello.

Please send Ella to us on Buyan Island,

With Ulls bad, he himself is not his own, became obsessed,

will not recognize anyone. On her one hope that his

cure”

– Here, take the message, – and he took the ring, smeared with soot, and put a seal on the bottom of the inscription. Gun took this message, put the letter in a leather bag on its side, and the detachment followed the boat, which stood on the shore near the pier. When the gang came to shore, Arpad went to the boys, and hugged everyone on the road.

“One hope for you,” and he smiled faintly, “Ilios is a witness, there has never been such a thing here.” Do not try to drown on the way, we are waiting for you from the Virgin Island here. Take a couple of jails just in case, and Pal put two long spears in a boat. In the meantime, the young men dragged the raid out by boat.

“Wait for us in four days!” Gung shouted, jumping into the boat to be friends.

“Come on,” and stood up at the steering oar.

The oars struck to the beat, ripping up the water surface of the Frozen Sea. It was calm, as if the weather had conjured up, and the rowers tirelessly quickly worked with oars, and the mountain and the eternal mists of Alatyr Island seemed to appear. The pitching was small, and Gung noticed that Sirac was tired, replaced him on the bank, and began to row together with Tal. It did not remain long, the pibrya line appeared, and slow waves crashed against coastal stones, raising heaps of spray. There was another paddle, and the boat passed over the pebbles, and the youths jumped out of the boat, kneeling in the water, but their leather pants did not allow water to penetrate and wet the heated bodies, but they felt the cold of the sea right away, and grabbed the boat by the edges. The feet of the youngsters in their boots slid over the stones under water, the pupils breathed loudly, and at the cry: “And – once!” with a jerk, they dragged her to the shore, and carried her about a dozen more steps, so that the waves would not damage the ship.

“What’s next, Gun,” he asked, like a senior, Sirak, “a forbidden island, men cannot go to their abode.” Visit Alatyr? No one would believe.

– Well, the mountain can be seen from here, now we will connect two forts, and we tie our jacket to them, then they will notice.

“Not bad,” Arius praised, “take a spare belt from me,” and handed it to his companion.

Gong leaned over to the boat, took out his spears, put them on the stones, leveled, his friends supported the boiscels while he tied them with a belt, slipped the belt in the buckle and tightened it, and then wrapped the spears tightly, and got a five-meter yarn, and tied his jacket with a rope, and the sleeves of his jacket, too, and hoisted his improvised banner over himself, Arius stood next to him, supporting the flag on the left, Tal stood on the other side, and did not believe his eyes, the wind arched the fur so that Guna turned out of the sleeves, fur collar and wide floor of Guna’s garb GRIFONA.