Читать онлайн "Спасти Кощея" - Крихели Ангелина - RuLit

– I did nothing! – Koschei resented and everyone was surprised to see how his hair shortened and darkened magically, forming a full head of beautiful, thick chestnut curls. – They were bored with their betrothed princes, which sometimes turned out to be not only Ivans, but also fool. So they came to me for advice. And when their knights in armor showed up, we played out the kidnapping. This way they were relieved by their princes. And that’s when Gorynych and I, – Koschei smiled bitterly, – had to fight these ardent gallants back. Indeed, I couldn’t tell them that the ladies were against such attention! I mean, it might wreck somebody's life – and the wounded soul never heals easily.

For some reason, the way he said this restored Hope's image of the beauty on one of Koschei’s canvases. Who was she to him? Was she one of those princesses who were in flight from the betrothed? And where did all these fussy ladies disappear then?

– Wow… – everybody whispered admiringly. Hope was surprised with such a turn of the story. And others were surprised to notice that as soon as Koshei revealed the truth that he never told anybody, his eyelashes turned darker to match his new hair.

Hope kept wondering why it had happened. If Koschei’s immortal, than it wasn’t time that dyed his hair and eyelashes? What then? ..

– Could you tell me, – Hope said thoughtfully, – those rooms that I haven’t seen… The princesses lived there?

– Well, they hardly ever lived here, – Koschei answered simply.

– Then where did they live? – the girl kept asking. – Or do you keep there your winner’s trophies?

– Trophies?! – Koshei asked surprisingly, and Gorynych sniffed in the doorway.

– Right! You said that the knights rushed to you on their faithful horses to recapture the betrotheds. You are stronger, you have magic, so you were the winner ...

– It's a ridiculous conclusion. It's me who was the defeated. They left with a fair assurance that I lost the battle.

– And what about the beauties?

– They fell in love with the winners. It’s a natural selection. Women always choose the strongest. And the strong often pretend to be weak. There is some wisdom in it.

– But you were rescuing them! – Hope resented with all her heart without even noticing that she began speaking less formally with the elder, that was hardly admissible.

– Oblivion is the fate of anyone who does something for others… – Koschei smiled ironically, shifting his thoughtful gaze at his faithful friend and going deeper into his distant memories. Gorynych nodded his heads in agreement. Hope looked at him.

– Just imagine, – Gorynych drawled contentedly, enjoying the newly gained guest’s attention. – I’m flying around the territory…

Hope smiled, noting with the corner of her eye that Koshchei stopped noticing everyone around, so preoccupied he was with his thoughts. A deep wrinkle arose on his forehead – the evidence of his wisdom, talent and past troubles.

– Spreading my wings widely... – the dreamy look on his cute snout changed into another. Gorynych waved his wings at the doorstep, getting comfortable. – The forest and lake are spreading under me, birds are making the nests, and people are nesting funnily in their houses...

Then a neighboring head interjected:

– And they dare to claim themselves as the cleverest! The top of a food chain! But they took everything from beasts and birds. Nothing new!..

Hope couldn’t not help smiling while listening to enamored with his native land Gorynych. How many of her classmates loved their city as much as he did? When did we start feeling embarrassed about loving the motherland, calling it with a capital «M»? And how many adults had she seen, who felt as much inspired when telling about flying in the sky, looking at the green spaces and blue waters? And even if they’re flying not with the help of their wings, but inside the great metal bird, the view stays the same! Gorynych needs his huge green home, it is important for him, and what about people? They’re only interested in the ultimate goal of the journey, Hope realized with bitterness. In places where birds sing differently, other fish swim in the sea, other animals trample the ground, other flowers grow. But what make those «others» better than our own, native? On the other hand, her mother always said: «If you eat your favourite chocolate every day, you will get sick of it soon». Maybe people just need a change? But can’t you make a change without running away? So that others can enjoy these changes too, if they’re so necessary for adults ...

Getting her mind back to the talker, Hope noticed that she’d missed a good half of the story, and the third Gorynych’s head had already followed the second, telling with the same inspiration about the adventure he had with Koschei.

– ...And I fired at him! – Gorynych jumped to his feet in excitement, then hit his head on the doorway and hissed angrily at the other heads. – Couldn’t you just move a little, or what?!

They were answering something to him, but Koschei, who shook up from the noise, occupied her attention.

– Why did you quit drawing? I mean, the paintings over there are so beautiful, – the girl waved her hand towards the room where Koschei had gathered many of his amazing works.

He looked doubtingly at the young guest, but didn’t argue. He, for one, never thought much of his skill, though he knew he could hold the brush.

By that time Gorynych had calmed down, his heads were put on the floor, his paws were placed under them, and sighed dreamily. They hadn’t have a heart-to-heart talk with each other for so long. Everyone had locked himself in own grief and endured it as they could. If only they tried to support each other, maybe everything would turn out differently. But no one could know how this would end, since there are no ifs in history...

– My drawing teacher, – the girl continued, – says, that you shouldn’t give up on your talents. And if you do something great, then, you should work hard to surpass yourself.