CHAPTER 5 The Gift of Immortality

Elena looked again on the battlefield and death. The earth simply turned into a blood lake, because they destroyed twenty thousand men, women and children. No one escaped except those who fled. According to the sign of the Queen, her inanimate army sat on the ground. The fight seems to be over.

Yes, the dead did not understand anything, and did not distinguish who was there in front of them. Obeyed only their Mistress. The only thing they distinguished the Immortals, bypassed them.

– Apta, it will be necessary to collect prey. Nothing good taken from the battle to disappear.

“I’ll do it, Queen!

Polyanitsa took off her elegant clothes, putting on old clothes. Apta began to rip off the bodies, putting the goodness in heaps, and threw naked bodies over the broken red tape. Things moved quickly. A small pile of gold, big – copper, and huge – suitable clothes and shoes.

Sysoy and Vaya threw their shields behind their backs, carried clubs on their shoulders, talked about someone cheerfully. They were followed by Khvylya and Tan.

– So, it seems that’s all? Tang said with hope in his voice, and Priya and Tivda disappeared in battle. But we carry bodies! They didn’t leave their own. Vityaz praised himself.

And then, on a stretcher, they dragged two bodies, their comrade who died in the battle. To be honest, everyone left was stunned by this. After all, Elena said that they became immortal? And here, two uhde died!

– Here, we need to help Apte, – added Sysoy, – but what can you do for Priya and Tivda now? They don’t see all the same light anymore. We also need to find the Queen!

– I will go, I will drive away the herds, – Tang remembered the important, – they took rich prey! Now, if only the cows did not scatter!

But then the four Immortals saw Elena the Beautiful completely covered with enemy blood, with her terrible weapon, a sickle on a long hilt, everything tightly compressed in her hand. They did not notice immediately because of the whole shaft of the bodies of the killed strangers who hid the rider. On her neck hung a band with five human heads, which Elena in a rage simply tore off from the still living bodies. Immortals approached Elena the Beautiful from different sides, now noticing the majestic horseman. Apta also came up, finishing her work, with a bloody club and a broken shield.

– Where are the other two? Tivda and Priya? What is it? How dare you defy my order?

– Yes it happened. Nobody knows what happened, Tsarina, and Sysoy knelt down, – forgive us… But, we found them. Here, Tanu was helped and we found!

The comrades brought the bodies and laid them in front of the Queen. Elena looked around the Immortals on earth. Priya was killed by a spear in the stomach, another, Tivdа’s head was chopped off. Sysoy carefully put her to the neck of the corpse, covered in blood.

– That’s why I ordered to wear my hair like that, and she pointed to the pigtail on the back of Tivda’s head, – it will grab comfortably…

She walked around the dead, sometimes casting a quick glance at the Immortals. The Queen’s icy eyes sometimes sparkled with rage, and sometimes, Sysoy noticed this, they radiated with kindness.

– You fought bravely, little, – said Ella, – but it is said – “Death is not written to you in battle,” – and jumped off the dry, pulled the tip out of the body, and without disdaining blood, smearing her silvery hair in it, put her head to Tivda’s body again.

Immortals in silence stood on their knees, heads down. What do you say? Their comrades-in-arms died, this is the case, the oath may fall for the leader. There is no shame in that. Well, if they did not become Immortals, they got incredible strength, as Sysoy now reflected.

Nobody has seen anything like this… Priya, who was killed from a wound to the stomach, was the first to come to life. First, her arms and legs shook, then she sat down on the ground, not understanding anything, but soon woke up, and even the scar did not remain in place of a deep wound.

“You’re alive! – exclaimed joyfully Khvylya, – and we are already going to cook an oak deck for you!

“You’ll have to wait,” the Polish woman answered, groping her stomach, “but it hurt how! And she didn’t die right away…

But her eyes noticed the immovable body of the knight. She turned instantly, as if there were no serious wound. Here it is true, she got into her eyes, and she hastily covered her eyes with her palm.

– Do not be sad, – said Elena, – soon it will come to life… If Khvylya did not mix up the body!

Vityaz looked at Sysoy and Apta, and they only shrugged. Tang put weapons on the ground, and was about to flee to the battlefield. One Vaya was only calm, and even smiled.

– So what am I! said the Polish woman with confidence, Tan said that this was definitely Tivda’s body… Drawing on the shoulder, whale fish, because he is!

– We need to fill the drawings on the skin, so that they would immediately distinguish us, – Tan showed ingenuity, – and that there would be a common motive, and, for each, some separate sign. What not to confuse! So rather it will be!

The queen only grinned when she heard such words. Ah, Priya was not laughing. Polyanitsa came closer to Tivda’s body. The head had already grown to the neck, as if it had taken root, like a fresh seedling in a garden bed. Finally, this knight reached out and got up. True, the knight’s legs gave way, but Priya caught him, substituting her hands.

– Something dizzy… I don’t understand why… I just saw you fall to the ground, – said the knight, – so I have a hotel for you… and he took out a beautiful silver bracelet.

– Thank you, – and the Polish woman put it on her right wrist, – and to you from me, – and gave the dagger of black bronze with a handle from the tooth of the Indrik Beast, – it is just magical. Brings good luck!

– Well, stop being nice to you! – Sysoy shouted, – we need to collect the loot! Until the bodies ossified!

This lesson was hard, dirty, but boring. Collect valuable from the bodies. The queen went a little further, on her own business, and they swarmed here. Everyone’s hands were elbow deep in blood. But, there was no fatigue nearby. So, in seven everyone was robbed. Sysoy began to wipe his hands on the grass, began to tie everything collected in bales, using rawhide belts of strangers. Tan and Khvylya helped as best they could. And Tivda dragged corpses. I’m not tired of getting tired, but I got dirty.

“I should rinse myself,” Khvylya said thoughtfully, looking around himself.

“The water in the creek is cold,” Apta disagreed, “or we’ll get sick.” Still, almost autumn.

“Nothing will take us. No ailment, – Tivda famously said, and ran to the stream, ripping off the clothes that were bursting with blood on the go.

He rushed into the water, suffocating from the cold. He dived, washing off his blood and sweat with pleasure. It felt better right away, however, and the cold was felt.

– Well, what? Not chilly?

I heard a familiar voice nearby. Nearby, Priya splashed, focusing blood from the abdomen, chest, legs and face. Tivda tried to turn away, but the Polish woman was painfully beautiful. Slender, feminine hips, chest, and a beckoning look. Although, the beauty of the nearby Apta too. But, then he felt a ringing blow on his back, even suffocated from surprise.

“Nothing to look at others! – said Priya, – so I’m good? Or not?

“You can’t take your eyes off! Tivda replied and earned a steamy kiss.

The knight did not expect this. But the pole, grabbing his hand, led him out of the stream. Picking up their belongings, both hid in the bushes nearby. Priya settled on his lap, and kissed her lover for a long time. Tivda felt the touch of the beauty’s soft chest, her delicate hands, and he himself could not tear himself away from the girlish elastic hips, slender back and sweet lips calling to himself.

They returned later when the sun rose by noon. Sysoy sat by the fire, cooked a stew. Nearby, on a folding chair, Elena is located. I met three couples with a kind smile on my snowy white face.

– You got it right… Love and Death are what all life revolves around, And there is nothing more important in the whole World! Well, then we will feast, as we break the finders! But, and do not forget about the case. Look after the herds that we recaptured and took from strangers. We will drive the cattle to Oum, we will return the loot to our people.

The Queen uttered such words, and fell silent for a long time. The Lady herself did not eat anything, she drank only honey. As if this drink was enough for her.

Sysoy slowly handed out wooden bowls and spoons. The smell was from brew, just extraordinary. Tivda felt starving all day. But, looked at the tongues of the fire, rising to the sky.

“What do you think?” – Priya intervened in his Duma, – eat it, otherwise it will cool down!

Polyanitsa herself worked with might and main with a spoon. He sat down nearby, tasted the treats, and the stew tasted even better than the smell. Venison with pearl barley was good, oh and good! So, for food, everything that happened during the day for Tivda was forgotten. Except Priya, of course.

CHAPTER 6 Understand and Think

So the Immortals, from Elena’s deck, understood her strength. But there was still a fight ahead of them, but not one. Everyone thought that they would rush after strangers, finish off their army, but the Mistress always decided differently, in her own way. She examined the place where the raiders of strangers took refuge. And after all, they managed to dig a wide moat, and fill the land for the rampart, and did not regret the work. They were not lazy, it is clear that the leader Takrat was very scared!

The Queen did not hurry around this place, did not rush her plow. And the hornet held on to the young man – proudly held his head with branched horns, walked confidently, the hooves did not slip on the clay, freshly opened ground. She saw enemy fighters behind the tyn, and they tried to get her arrows. But, only powerlessly stuck in soft ground, without causing harm. Here the tambourines roared, and the poles with some stuffed fur rose high above the fortification. Apparently, foreign shamans intervened in the matter, tried to drive her away, scare her. Yes, something the spirits of strangers on her land were weak, could not cope. Only in vain did the shaman spend his drugs. Elena the Beautiful drove on. But, I noticed a kind pebble, in appearance, so in two poods, no more. She got off the dry, was not too lazy to bend down, grabbed him with one hand, and threw him at the shamans who leaned out from behind the tyn. The granite boulder flew quickly, with a whistle, and hit in the unreasonable, only blood splashed in different directions. At once, this killer stone took the lives of five spirit charmers. Strangers answered with a terrible cry, but what were someone’s screams to Elena? But she had to go back to her deck. But, I was pleased with myself that I was again able to catch up with fear on enemies.

The Queen also looked at her Dead Army, and added new fighters from the newly killed strangers to the ranks. But, it was difficult to find non-mutilated bodies. I found only hundreds of two fit, and raised them for battle.

Her army did not decrease from the battle, but only grew. Manovala, placing her silent servants at the enemy fortifications, put so that the mouse could not slip through. And, ordered finally:

– Kill all strangers who try to escape from this place or approach!

The Dead Warriors were silent, but Elena knew that they would do her order!

***

“Now we’ll go back to Oum. And the Dead are here, in a copse, to stay with a thousand strangers. I really need craftsmen to make you even stronger… There is one idea here! explained, but not all, Elena.

No one was going to argue with the leader. It is clear that the Mistress knows how best to do, so be it. What is there to discuss? True, did the Immortals understand anything that Elena wants?

– I feel, two more troops from strangers remained… Craftsmen I need! Let’s go to Oum! – she repeated, – and you, capture your dry people on a hike. Come in handy! We will move much faster!

We walked all night. And in the morning they approached the huge shaft of Oum. A drive of four soldiers drove up to them, on the dry. The guards looked at first wary, then recognized Elena.

“Hello Queen! We are very glad that we have come!

“And I’m glad to see you, Lieven! We need an elder! The matter is urgent, and onn!

– Now and spend. Ringing! – the guard turned to a friend, – you will stay for the elder! Look at all eyes!

– I will do everything, do not doubt!

– Come with me! It would be better to leave it here, – asked Lieven the Queen.

Elena knew that there was little place in the fortress, and readily left the saddle. She did not let go of her weapon from her hand, and a necklace of heads adorned her outfit.

– And this is my deck, Immortals, they will come with me, – the Mistress warned about the proper.

“Whatever you say. You’re in control, madam. Come, dear guests!