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Time Of Traitors 58
When he and Khalsa appeared in the courtyard, where a dozen dog-heads were honing their combat skills, the training was immediately cut short. Those present at the appearance of d'ahger moved to a respectful distance and bowed respectfully as one. The only ones that did not move were tall wooden idols, trowels carved from solid trunks, but not as cyclopean in size as the one on which they were now located. Large, dirty red patches marked the sand under each of the wooden slabs, adorned with bizarre features. Menacing eyes followed Kres every step as he and Khalsa walked along a path flanked by poles dug into the ground, at the top of each sticking out the head of a wolf, a bear, a rok'hee, and some other fanged creature. There were also freshly killed rat and human skulls,Train in the very center of a gloomy temple? It was quite in the spirit of rock'hi.Once again the metal rang out from all directions as the rok'hee tried to make up for lost time.“That's all,” Khalsa grunted, look
Time Of Traitors 59
That "you" the boy did not finish, but allowed himself further. Cres, grinning impudently, ran after him. Vassa moved so easily and noiselessly through the forest that Kres felt like a drunken barefoot in a shop with crystal. Now he tried to step as softly as possible and once again not to disturb the bushes, which were here in abundance. He did not take his eyes off the distant branches, expecting to see a “nest” with a vigilant sentinel on each.- Pied Piper!- What? - Cres almost ran into him, the kid stopped so abruptly.- Quiet you! - the boy pulled him by the jacket and whispered in his ear. - Over there in that tree...Vassa squatted down, and they crawled a couple of steps to the side. Then the wolf cub gently lowered a branch of a thorny bush and stuck out a finger in the direction of a sweeping giant. Cres narrowed his eyes and peered painfully into the cloud of gray leaves that the boy pointed to, but he could not understand what Vassa was pointing to. He never complained a
Time Of Traitors 60
The first sign of the close refuge of the forest witch was a human face. It was half buried in the ground and emerged from the soft, swampy soil with a long, crooked nose and magnificent mustaches. Kres at first took him for an ugly stone and wanted to sit right on it, but in time he noticed a huge, evil eye staring at the sky.- And why is it so? Kres asked, looking at the buried giant.- He was rude, probably. So they dug up uncle.“Poor fellow… How much longer?”No, we're almost there. Maybe at least now tell me why you go to Bolotikha?Cres looked doubtfully at the gigantic face, but still allowed himself to sit down on the very tip of his nose. Vassa preferred to settle down on a fallen tree.– Khalsa needs women to stop going to the swamp. And no one went. Never.- You mean never?- In direct.- Are you going?- Yeah. Remove the curse of the Swamp.Vassa immediately haggard and turned pale. It seemed that a sudden gust of wind would blow the boy away. He sat with his eyes fixed
Time Of Traitors 61
- No, it's not like that. I don't care what Ada is or isn't capable of. Her… powers are news to me. In general, it seems to me that this is some kind of wild misunderstanding, and Khalsa is simply trying to strengthen his authority in the village. And to save the only son who is overcome by your curse.- Well, yes, this is undesirable ... - the grandmother stirred her bones. - And you are ready to kill this child, just to annoy Khalsa?“I don't care about Khalsa and his problems. I need my Ada.- Is that love? And just only?"That's my business," Kres grimaced.“No, it’s mine now,” the witch grinned. “I am a curious soul. Especially with regard to the echo of bygone days and those who once offended me.- Did I offend you?- You are not. But behind your back, I feel the hand of those who did everything so that I met my old age in a stinking swamp, using local savages.“If you mean that I supposedly carry out the will of the abels, then no,” Cres shook his head. “I am as much an exile f
Time Of Traitors 62
And once the exhausted insolent decided to get the final word from her. Late in the evening, when the rok'hee perched in the trees to spend another day singing, he caught her somewhere in a secluded place and led her away from prying eyes to sort everything out. He waited, his eyes fixed on hers. And she refused him, said terrible for any proud man - " no" , once and for all. Perhaps carefully so as not to inflame his humiliated feelings, or perhaps, as always, brazenly and with laughter, as she used to refuse everyone else who tried to possess her. But this time the dog did not run away with his tail between his legs. Oh, not the one, this harger was just to forgive the offense of the one that he was not destined to take possession and make his own. Shouting and begging, wallowing at your feet and promising moreLarger gifts were not in his nature. But to take everything that resists his desires - yes, Khalsa still knows how to do it very well. And he committed the most terrible at
Time Of Traitors 63
Luke easily moved away from his seat and opened a black hole, in the depths of which anything could be.Cres wondered if he should jump blindly and if there was some surprise waiting for him there, like a hungry monster that the grandmother keeps on a chain. Involuntarily, a fabulous image of a dead man came to mind, who was in a hurry to have fun with the sleeping "beauty". Bolotikha noticed his doubts:- What do you think? Get down, it’s not high up there,” she waved at him. “If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t be scratching my tongue here all evening. Killing a person is not easy.Cres smiled bitterly, dangled his legs into the hatch and tried to feel at least something there. Finally, his toe rested on a rotten step. The candle was still useless, so we had to descend almost blindly. Already plunging into musty darkness, he expected with every creaking step that the hatch would slam over his head, and the ominous laughter of the accursed old woman would blow out the candle.But no,
Time Of Traitors 64
“Senses…” Vikta whispered under her breath, washing the crying baby in the water. “What have I done, Senches.Then she wrapped him back in diapers, which would be nice to wash, but nowhere. Gray clouds covered the sky, snow fell and fell, bent a dense network of branches, covered the ground layer by layer, and the child still did not calm down, although quite a long time had passed since the moment Vikta pulled him out of the ground - it must be soon noon.She understood him perfectly. She would now fall to the ground and would howl with pleasure in her voice.His head was pounding from this incessant squeak. There was a feeling that some kind of machine was brought inside the baby, and it would not stop until the entire charge was released. But for some reason it didn’t end, and the kid, taking a breath for a short time, again burst into an indefatigable yell.“Maybe I should feed you…?” Vikta suggested, glancing doubtfully at her thinner bag. What does she have left? Two slices of c
Time Of Traitors 65
She opened her eyes. Outside her lair was nothing but darkness and swirling snowflakes. It seemed that if she pulled her hand out now, it would freeze and uproot it in order to carry it into this ruthless blackness, where it would be swallowed up by the belly of one of those disgusting creatures that fill the most remote places. And what if she pulls the baby out into the open? Will the spirits be satisfied with this offering?..The wind howled and howled, long and viciously. It scourged the forest with its freezing breath, leaving nothing but a blizzard in its wake. Vikta closed her eyes and saw how the trees were uprooted and dragged somewhere beyond the horizon. And in their place is a vast icy desert, bound by eternal frost and darkness. Who will walk on it? Silent, hunched creatures who will continue to search for the one who made the world this way. And they won't stop until they've dug up every inch of this deformed land. Until they dig into every snowdrift and into every hole,