Unconquered Sun (7 page)

At the southernmost and northernmost tip of a lawn, resting backs against thick brown trunks of old pines of which this part of the wood consisted, there were two fairies. It were the Keepers of the Limit No. 1 and No. 2 dressed in the uniform blue tunics obligatory for carrying during service by fairies of the 3rd rank. The fairy, having looked at them, reddened - because of incident with Prinze she absolutely forgot to change clothes! But to the battling Keepers it was obvious not to an assessment of its appearance …

- Hi, sister! - telepathic addressed it "southern", without tearing off a look from the creatures which are rushing about in a circle. - We took them under control! We needed only to burn through them in a trap. We will cope. We have other problem: while we took a detour, pieces fifteen creatures slipped out …

- … Five I already destroyed! - quickly the Fairy inserted.

- Perfectly, well done! the Others should be tracked down until they far departed and crept away on the wood, and that not to pass trouble!

- Well, the sister, I will make! - having thrown out the right hand up in authorized salute, the Fairy vigorously answered, and rushed to a pursuit.

To find fugitives did not make big work. The fairy mentally directed the Analyzer beam to one of the creatures which are rushing about in a circle, copied its image, and then started a search spell - to look for similar in the next the district. The answer came through couple of moments: creatures all crowd moved strictly on the West. According to data of the Analyzer, they managed to come off already quite strongly. The fairy with disappointment thought that it will be not so simple to overtake for them now.

The worst was that creatures flew directly to the only thing in this solitude to the place inhabited by people. Their mean thoughts telepathic read by the Fairy testified to it. However, to the settlement it was still far, but the thought that for the first time for so many millennia of a creature because of the Limit can do harm to people, was intolerable for the Fairy!

And therefore it, without thinking twice, gained the big height as it was possible to fly over tops of trees much quicker, and directed that was forces forward.

3.

The small small village with a tavern on east suburb under the sign "Royal Hunting", was the only settlement of people which settled down so close to the Limit zone. People were afraid of these places, and therefore were afraid to lodge here. Only certain daredevils, knights from Avalon, dared to approach close borders of the Limit and even to pass them: they should perfect on someone the skill!

And that is why "Royal hunting" as called the hutorok to the poselena, settled down so close from this godforsaken place, nobody knew. Legends went that the settlement was built by one ancient king - whether the founder of Avalon, whether one of his closest descendants, - which liked to hunt on Limit creatures. However definitely nobody plainly knew anything. In general people knew history badly and competent there was a little among villagers. The hutorok survived, most likely, only thanks to the fact that fairies so strong guarded borders the Limit that for many thousands of years creatures never managed to break to people and to do much harm them. And therefore nobody hurried to leave a familiar spot.

The farm consisted all from couple of tens well-groomed two-storeyed wooden houses with straw roofs. Sound strong walls and fences, platbands, porches and verandahs of houses were covered with bright paint of warm colors. The tavern on the appearance differed in nothing from houses, except a sign at an entrance. On it the gallant man in an armor and on a game at which on a helmet the royal crown flaunted was represented. In drawing it was clearly visible how it brought one hand a hunting horn to the lips, and another lifted a long spear. Ahead of the equestrian the pack of dogs, and further away - a large deer with branchy horns ran.

Residents of the farm, as well as in all other cities and villages of the Commonwealth, obviously did not live in misery. All the year round here the summer reigned, all cultures ripen self-sowing - know only collect - productivity - ten krat, there are never crop failures, rains in time as by request, there are no wars yes of thieves - live yes rejoice! Because all poselyan also had well-fad pink-checked persons. Men wore usually solid leather boots, belts and dandyish hats with feathers, and women - multi-colored dresses from a chintz and flax with a beautiful embroidery gold and silver threads and even scarfs from silk. Hera Poryadca and Prosperity became reality for everything, even the simplest, Tselestiya's inhabitants long ago.

However, here, which year could not find the answer to a question where one strange young man who lived on the farm more than a month got to in "Royal hunting". He became famous at poselyan for the fact that told some strange stories in a tavern in the evenings, and then was missing, disappeared into thin air …

- I say to you yes: fairies dragged off it, fairies! - the tall man with long trailing moustaches slapped a strong calloused hand on smoothly polished table surface. He obviously touched fresh beer of a new harvest which moved here, and loudly hiccupped. - It is known that they kidnap our men, they do not have the!

- Give - give gaps further, the booby! Where it vidano that women lived one, without men! Whether in the you mind, a-a-a? - having twisted fingers at a temple, answered, also loudly having hiccupped, his interlocutor. The young man in a dandyish leather hunting jacket and a hunting hat with a feather was him. - How many I do not hunt in the local wood - never saw your fairies!

- E-e-e-h, the milksop, you will live about my years … - told moustached a muzhichin, and then took a glass of beer and, having taken a gulp, tastefully belched. Then, having cunning blinked the right eye, looked at the young hunter and continued. - You to see, not on temper to them had: they do not love hunters, a he-ha. They care for animals and leleit that the mother dityatyu …

- Yes throw you! - with irritation having waved a hand, the young hunter interrupted moustached. - Dragged off it, probably, creatures from the Wood, this precisely! I saw one such once. The ugly face is black, horns as at a goat, and glazishcha - and - and-and - IN! - red. Also goggled at me … And I as from onions - oh - and - ats! - directly in a sphere to it! And it - on you! - disappeared! - The young hunter, briskly gesticulating, at the word "bang!" so punched pood a table cover that the glass of beer jumped up and the part of fragrant drink spilled. The visitors attracted with noise sprinkled from laughter - realized, the guy obviously touched …

The portly young maiden in the accurate white starched apron and the same cap on the head approached a table and began to wipe the formed puddle a rag.

- And, in my opinion, and there are no fairies any also in mention, - with forced laziness it provorkovat by a deep chest voice. - "Fairies all fairies", and where they? How many I live already in "Hunting" - never saw! And even if they also are … Our maids are not worse than them at all, and, perhaps, both will be better … - And shot eyes towards the good fellow in a leather jacket.

- Leave, silly, leave eyes! - became angry moustached a muzhichina. - You do not know nicho, and there! Here live about my years - you will say. And I saw the fairy - in! - when the boy still ran on the wood!! Itself saw! - also it is proud punched in the hairy breast which seemed from the shirt undone from a heat.

All tavern became silent, and even the owner wiping glasses behind a rack froze, listening. The portly maid, trying not to lose from a type of the guy, departed to pour new circles to a rack, but poured them obviously slowly, listening to conversation.

- And … i-i-i-k … as it? It is similar to our maids, and? - having cunning blinked the eyes, the hunter grinned.

- Not-e-e-e! - his drinking companion rolled up-headed. - To our maids to them far about - about - about - oh, not cheta-a-a-a!!! As to a skewbald rural mare to white horses of misters from Avalon, very ha! At them in! In! And in! - eloquent gestures showed moustached proportions of the imagined fairy which appeared obviously not in favor of the portly maiden standing at a rack. All hall swept with laughter, as well as the interlocutor in a leather jacket.

- And what you, an old goat, - without mincing words, she exclaimed with insult, - on our married, but not on the winged?! Probably, did not suit it a muzzle of the freckled! (the face of the man was valid everything in freckles).

- E-e-e, nitwit, well you! - again the man from disappointment waved a hand. - What to talk to women? They have no mind! I then the lad was, years ten was to me then! Climbed, it is remembered, on an egg tree at partridges liked to drag their crude to burst in the childhood. Yes the fairy flew up: in blue everything, krassyavy … Horror! And so threatened me with a finger supposedly do not indulge, the lad, and then a stick to me on the head bu-at-ums … I regained consciousness, so already on the bank of the small river, it is direct on a sand I lie, and in the head its face and spins, and spins - white, eyes golubenky, volosik golden, sponges rozovenky … Remembered well, but it is never more and did not see! So here it was also necessary … - turning angrily aside portly - … and it was necessary to marry our. And that also I would not refuse … the fairy!

At these words all tavern swept with laughter. Remarks were heard: "well, the foozle gives", "overheated on the sun on a berezhka and all here", "got drunk, old horse-radish, and tells lies" and all in such spirit. And the hunter, meanwhile, also prosmeyavshis is a lot of, suddenly stared in a window:

- Look … the father … it … - pointing a finger somewhere, from himself he hardly squeezed out.

- Hto, it? - unwillingly coming off the drunk dreams, murmured moustached.

- Who, who, fairy, fool!

- Fairy-I-I-I-I?????!!!!!!!

The Dlinnousy man headlong rushed to a window. There, at stacks with svezhevykoshenny hay, behind the low wooden fence dividing the yard of a tavern and the public meadow located behind it in air soared … Real fairy! In the snow-white tunic embroidered with blue cornflowers, easy sandals on tiny legs with the dismissed long golden hair and a silver rim on the head sparkling on the sun. She soared in air and made some passes a stick, without paying attention to people at all.

On shout of the hunter and moustached man all tavern ran out, stared in all windows, someone got on a roof and such hubbub rose that it was not heard anybody and nothing - all words mixed up in some porridge.

Here the Fairy, at last, turned to them the fine head why the dlinnousy man at once grabbed heart "It!" Then the beautiful guest touched with the thin finger pink sponges and in the same an instant all visitors of a tavern at once became silent, not in forces to say a sound.

And already a moment later it was distributed wild howl, and ten ugly creatures chaotic crowd took off from the wood. Five black as soot of pigs with webby as at bats wings and wolf canines which rapaciously stuck out of razzyavlenny mouths. On them astride - black semi-people semi-goats: shaggy, with sharp horns, red eyes and long nozhevidny direct claws.

The guy in a leather jacket shivering pointed a finger at them, pushing an elbow dlinnousy under a side, but that only waved away, not in forces to tear off the enthusiastic look from a fine-molded harmonous figure of the Fairy.

Creatures with wild whistle flew directly on a tavern, but at a wooden fencing they suddenly from everything to scope crashed into an invisible wall and got, deafened, directly on wooden bars. Further the Fairy did not stand on ceremony with them. The beam as a sharp blade which escaped from a stone on a stick in a flash cut the stunned creatures in half. Their bodies directly in the face of the struck public shrank and evaporated until the fencing had only ugly black bald spots subsequently nicknamed inhabitants "Devil's hooves".

The fairy turned to the delighted audience again, ran over the lips a finger, and, loudly buzzing as the giant bee, quickly gained height and disappeared behind the horizon. The crowd of the audience found a speech power and, at last, could express the delight in plenty.

Long still the farm after this case could not recover from such shock. Both the dlinnousy man, and the young hunter in a leather jacket were right there unanimously recognized by all poselyana experts on the mysterious world on that side of the wood and steel "the first guys on the village". And "devil's hooves" long showed then to all visitors as the main sight of these places. Now thoroughly forgot about the gone young odd fellow about whom gossiped in the last several years. Really, there was IT!. And you never know who where vanishes? Perhaps being drunk in the river drowned - and it happens …

But human vanity did not concern the Fairy any more. The main thing was made - people were protected from monsters, the mission assigned to it by Community was successfully executed. And here also the Senior Keeper contacted:

- Keeper of the Limit No. 3, Keeper of the Limit No. 3 … How are you?

- Perfectly, elder sister. People did not suffer, the broken group is liquidated.

- Thanks for work, sister. Your mission was the most difficult and responsible. People - the main subject of our Guardianship, they should not suffer at all! However, the others worked too not bad. Break is liquidated, the Limit is restored, the reasons of Break will be carefully investigated and eliminated …

- In that case, elder sister whether I can leave? - having seized the moment, the Fairy asked. - I have urgent affairs of the house.

- Yes, of course, you well worked. I will surely reflect your feat on rescue of people in the official report. You are free, the sister also will be with you the Creator.