Danny Osipenko "The mystery of wolf’s cliff"

– The darling, calm down, – the old woman told, putting hands on shoulders to the girl and trying to seat her back at the table, – We will have enough money for a month or even more.

Having frowned even stronger, Ilina put elbows on aВ table and thoughtfully stared at the shivering splinter fire. The flame played reflections on golden and red hair ofВ the girl. Coming back home after aВ week ofВ wanderings, she did not expect toВ learn that all is bad. The marriage ofВ younger sister rose before the girl as terrible punishment for their family again.

– You eat … – the grandmother’s voice was distributed nearby.

Ilina unwillingly took aВ spoon and started aВ meal. The stomach pined with hunger, but the girl already got used toВ this feeling for long time ofВ their disasters and almost did not notice it. Suddenly she found aВ big piece ofВ meat inВ the bowl. The organism exhausted during long transition demanded some food therefore, without remembering itself, the girl greedy stuck teeth into meat, trying toВ bite off and chew rigid fibers.

– Shandor came. Asked you, – the old woman told for some reason half-whisper, frowningly looking at the red-haired granddaughter.

Ilina sharply swallowed, and the piece ofВ meat got stuck at her inВ aВ throat. The girl has convulsively aВ fit ofВ coughing. Taleyta jumped from the place, scooped aВ water ladle from the small keg standing under aВ window and stretched toВ the sister. The girl dropped lips toВ edge ofВ aВ ladle and began toВ drink greedy. At last, she felt that the piece squeezing aВ throat from within went down, toВ aВ stomach.

– What it was necessary to it? – the girl asked gruffishly on what the old woman only shrugged shoulders.

– It is better for you most to ask, – she answered.

– Well is not present, – Ilina muttered.

Taleyta grinned again.

– Thanks, everything was very tasty, – Ilina told, removing a bowl with soup and rising because of a table.

– Well, where you?. – it is almost upset the old woman threw into emptiness, – Doamna Bogna asked Taleyta to knit stockings. Could you carry?

Ilina sharply stopped a back to the grandmother, then was slowly developed. At all love for the family, the girl could not overcome the disgust for Shandor, his father and mother whom Taleyta and Crean’s grandmother considered the benefactor.

– Yes, the grandmother, I will carry, – is squeezed the girl nodded, having turned back.

The old woman stood up from aВ chair and walked byВ the granddaughter toВ the neighboring room. Having rummaged inВ aВ huge, heavy dresser, it exposed the long snow-white stockings knit from soft sheep wool. Ilina has aВ look at accurate eyelets over which her sister tried the whole week. They lay equal ranks, toВ one another, doing woolen stockings impenetrable for cold. As it was aВ pity for the girl because that these stockings inВ which so much love and efforts is enclosed will be tense on sore, curve legs ofВ the hated beldame soon.

– Superfluous do not take, – the old woman told, stretching to the granddaughter who immediately was going to go, a shawl, and then, having kept silent, added, – Shandor on the general mow – the roof fell off and Grigor ordered to build up in a new way till the cold weather… The benefit though killed nobody… Talk to it…

The old woman whispered the last words already toВ herself under aВ nose, but Ilina all the same caught.

Having tidied up the hair scattered on shoulders under an easy scarf, Ilina muffled inВ aВ shawl and hurried toВ go outside, pressing work ofВ the sister toВ aВ breast. Tomasz with joyful bark got out and hurried for the hostess.

– Missed, the old cheat, – the girl smiled and, having sat down, frayed a dog behind an ear.

The house of family Viera was located on the outskirts of the village. As the richest and esteemed, it was surrounded with a high wattled fence and a garden in the shadow of which hundreds of small footpaths ran up…

Winding on the narrow streets ofВ the village lying between houses, sheds, sheds, Ilina convulsively looked around as if being afraid ofВ aВ meeting with someone. Faithful Tomasz followed it, keeping toВ the left.

The huge shed inВ which residents ofВ the village stored the hay mown for the cattle for the winter was under protection ofВ family ofВ rich men and therefore it was brought on the fenced territory. Ilina slowly pulled on herself the gate conducting inВ aВ domonical garden, trying toВ make so that that did not creak. Suddenly Tomasz darted off and with loud modulating bark rushed forth, having slipped inВ aВ narrow crack between aВ fence and the opening gate.

– Tomasz! Tomasz! To me! – the voice was heard suddenly.

Ilina slipped inВ aВ gate after aВ dog and hid behind the next tree. Having recovered the breath toВ calm without restraint the heart clogged into breasts, the girl slowly turned back and looked out ofВ the shelter.

Tomasz, joyfully wagging aВ tail stump, aВ trot hurried toВ the shed. Ilina blinked the eyes. Indeed, from darkness ofВ the shed the high, strong figure slowly separated and went forward, cutting off the course toВ aВ dog.

The young man, years twenty five, wide movement threw the taken-off shirt through aВ shoulder. InВ lines ofВ his face there was nothing remarkable, but nevertheless he was extraordinary beautiful. Soft fair-haired, slightly longish hair fell down locks on aВ high forehead. The gray irises ofВ eyes outlined at the edges byВ aВ bright green border always shone cheerfulness and some person, sharp attentiveness. Over dense black eyebrows the superficial wrinkle becoming more noticeable when the man became angry lay or deliberated over something. On the big shoulders golden-black from suntan, strips ofВ powerful muscles clearly acted. All its figure, appear, represented thinly calculated texture ofВ incredible force and health, but at the same time and majestic grace which was inherent inВ each movement ofВ theВ man.

– Tomasz! To me! – the man repeated, digging in a pocket of wide trousers.

The dog, joyfully ran up toВ the man, having licked his hands why Shandor modulatingly burst out laughing with the velvety chest voice. The man sat down and stretched toВ aВ dog aВ small piece ofВ air-dried meat which the dog immediately devoured, having with pleasure licked lips.

– The hostess returned? – the man asked, scratching long harmonious fingers a neck of a dog.

The dog began toВ wag aВ tail again.

– It is good, – the man stretched, erasing the palm back the sweat which was flowing down from a forehead on eyes.

Ilina hemmed and, having sharply darted off, hurried to curtail on the next footpath to get to an entrance to the house, without passing by the shed. Fallen leaves softly rustled underfoot and the dress hem which was easily sliding on the ground. Thick trunks of the century trees growing here probably still long before the house Viera was built, hid the girl from public eyes, and she could go quietly on a footpath, without being afraid to be noticed. Suddenly behind hasty steps were heard. The girl’s heart was clogged quicker again. She sharply turned back and going to curtail for other footpath as suddenly saw the white dog who is hasty hurrying to return to the hostess.

– Old cheat, – Ilina muttered, quickening the pace.

One of the side doors conducting to the house was located directly in a garden. The girl perfectly knew that it is an entrance to kitchen. Having carefully knocked, it pulled on itself a door and in a moment it appeared in the building. Here it was dark – at all the wealth Viera were avaricious on excess expenditure.

Suddenly from the side door conducting inВ aВ closet the very young girl hasty ranВ out.

– Anka, hostess of the house? – Ilina asked.

– What? – the girl asked again, turning around.

– Huo … – began Ilin, but did not manage to finish.

– Anka! Where do you dig?! – the dissatisfied voice from the wide ladder beginning at once behind a corridor was heard.

Ilina hurried on aВ voice. Having left aВ corridor inВ the spacious outer entrance hall which is at once behind aВ main entrance, the girl face toВ face faced the hostess.

– Ilina? – Bogn’s doamna was surprised, – What you do here?

– Taleyta ordered to tell that your stockings are finished, – the girl told, having bowed and stretching to the woman a snow-white knitted cloth.

– The right, magnificent! – the woman gasped, touching soft wool, then got the small rag purse hanging on rather short chain on a neck because of a cape top.

Having stretched to the girl money, Bogna was going to leave…

– Here superfluous, – Ilina told loudly, sipping several coins back to the woman.

– Take, it is more necessary to you, – the hostess of the house answered.

– We do not need money which we did not earn honestly, – the girl answered through clenched teeth, but nevertheless trying to give to the tone goodwill and humility.

– That … – Bogna shrugged shoulders, taking away money and putting them back in a purse.

Ilina bowed and going toВ leave through aВ side exit as suddenly:

– And why through kitchen? – Bogna was surprised.

– In a week forgot where in your house the main exit, – smiled, having bowed Ilin and crossed an outer entrance hall, having approached an exit door.

Hoping that the hostess will leave, the girl hesitated several seconds. But Bogna remained on aВ ladder and watched closely movements ofВ the guest.

– See you soon, Ilina, – chilly smiled Bogn’s doamna.

– See you soon, the doamna, – bowed in reply the girl.

Having become angry inВ soul about sticktoitiveness ofВ the hostess, Ilina pulled aВ door and, having stepped through aВ threshold, was on street.

Already absolutely darkened. The gloom gently shrouded vicinities, having painted trees and houses inВ grayish-black paints. InВ the sky among the dissipating clouds looked through the first evening asterisks. Having deeply inhaled the exciting evening air which burned lungs with the cold, the girl looked back toВ the village lying clearly inВ front ofВ the house Viera. From the accurate lodges which were closely reaped toВ each other inВ the center ofВ the village, and scattered far apart on the outskirts smoke streams rose up. Soft, yellowish light flew from windows. But the look ofВ the girl slid over straw roofs ofВ houses, it was directed there where on the rocky mountain towering over the settlement the ancient temple attracting mysterious blinking ofВ colored glass inВ stained-glass windows was located.

– What is done by a fine domnishoara here such late hour, – the voice behind was distributed, the short pause after which the same voice added hung then, – one?

Ilina slowly turned back. In the dim light flowing from windows of rooms of the servants living constantly in the house, the girl clearly distinguished the men’s figure which separated from a front stairs, slow steps approaching her.

– I just returned from the city and was sent to give the ordered things for your mother, – the girl chilly answered.

– I asked not to speak to me «you» … Not so I also am old, – Shandor smiled, having stopped in a half step opposite to the girl, and then whispered by the velvety voice, – why you did not tell that you returned?

– I reported about it to your mother, – the girl answered.

– The father looked for you, – the man continued slightly more loudly, and then smiled again, – without you and Tomasz nobody can cope with herds of sheep.

– Tomorrow I will return for work, – Ilina answered.

– We lacked you … – the man thoughtfully told, – I lacked you too…

His eyes flashed inВ aВ dim reflection ofВ light flowing from aВ window.

– It is fresh in the evening … – Shandor thoughtfully spoke, having looked round, – good time for walks… Isn’t it?

– Probably, – the girl shrugged shoulders.

– Let’s go? – the man took an interest, having slightly raised the left eyebrow.

– I am waited by houses. I was promised to return soon, but was already late too long, spending time for an idle talk, – poshipet Ilin, trying to give to a voice the same respectful coldness.

And before the man managed to object something, was developed and a fast pace went away on a path. Having gone down on the small hill on which there was a house Viera, down, Ilina looked back to make sure that Shandor left. After that the girl looked on the left, trying to find a look the house among dozens of other buildings. She decided not to come back home – after the unpleasant meeting she could not show the face to family indignant and angry.

Having reached a wattle fence which surrounded sheep shelters, the girl the dexterous movement jumped through it and went further – to the wood. Shady centenary trees resignedly accepted Ilina under the protection. Carved, as if lace, the shadows cast by foliage of trees danced on the trampled-down, damp forest laying.

In the valley it became absolutely dark, but is slightly higher, from the mountain on which there was a temple, still the last beams setting the sun were visible. The girl clambered up a steep slope, grabbing hands a grass, roots and branches of trees. She remembered that about ten years ago, there was a path which let is washed away and speckled by cracks, but nevertheless a path. Perhaps, hundreds years ago when this temple just was under construction, on this path could pass even carts on which brought a stone for construction…

Having reached top, Ilina stopped for aВ second toВ recover the breath. From fast rise pinned up inВ aВ side, and the head began toВ spin, but the show which opened before the girl was worth it. From the mountain it was possible toВ consider without effort each lodge below though they also seemed so small, as if toy. The white snow caps lying on the mountains seeming such far if toВ look from below, were much closer here. But the most amazing was how played the last beams ofВ the sun on silvery snow inВ the distance, on yellowish-orange tops ofВ trees, on colored glass ofВ stained-glass windows ofВ the temple. Having smiled and having sharply exhaled, Ilina approached the temple.

The huge building gloomy looked at the girl who, struggling with internal awe and fear ofВ this majestic construction, with curiosity examined each detail ofВ its external furniture.

She often was here inВ the childhood. The building seeming gloomy and repellent for other people is inexplicable attracted the girl toВ itself. And now, having thrown the head back, Ilina stopped at huge entrance gate.

The cold stone walls which lost the initial luster and gloss came to life in imagination of the girl, and it seemed to her, as if the plaster showered from them revived in some magic way from ashes, taking the lawful place. Skillfully executed reliefs framed the lancet window openings executed in the form of a few profound niches. Huge columns, as if pressed half in walls lasted from the earth to a roof. The heavy clay tile of a roof broke the begun to rot wooden rafters in some places, and now the temple looked at the star sky the gaping black holes. But the magnificent sculptures executed in human growth which represented the beings resembling not people, not birds, not bats or even dragons were the most surprising detail of the building…

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