After Mara met four oarsmen, and did not let them come closer, and led them to the guest house, and took from them there a terrible oath over the smooth surface of the blue sea, that they would not reveal secrets to anyone about the twins. After breakfast, the boat finally sailed away, and the departing waved to the others, until they disappeared from the horizon, and Mara caught herself sneaking at El and Ulla, but they were cheerful and calm, only stray fox pawns at El, but he soon mum called him barking, and he reluctantly ran off to her. New novices looked cautiously at the children, but they did not notice anything, and Mara called Lika and Tala to her.
You will make an oath that you will not tell anyone about it, but during the training and dedication you will still swear to Lada to keep quiet about the secret, so get used immediately. And do not be afraid of children, they do not harm anyone.
Yes, of course, Mara, both said, we all understand, and we will not reveal to anyone any secrets. We wish to comprehend the whole teaching, and we worshiped it.
So time passed, Mara instructed the witch, and literacy, and medicine, and to them Pryha went down to them in the winter, three old women, and taught the stellar laws, and the herbs to be in charge, and people to heal. But the main thing is that he was instructed in the laws of Manu, which cannot be broken by anyone. Once, they brought the Star Map on a bronze sheet, and everyone watched and memorized, even Ela and Ull came running.It was the spring equinox, and after waiting for time, all the inhabitants went to a distant cave illuminated by the sun on that day, and Mara, praying, opened a secret place, but her hands were in fur gloves, she threw away the fur canopy of the skin, curtain, took the box in the form of a duck of linden carved from wood, even the ducks eyes were made of agate, the carving was gorgeous, the witch looked at the fine work, but finally took out an ice crystal, hand-ironed lens, and went to the center of the Holy Hall with a lens in her hand to the stone bowl, where lay dry tra and and chips, and the three girls were kept ready torches in their hands.
Look, she said solemnly, Ilios and Lada, the Sun and Ice, Heat and Cold are here to unite and create fire and light, and fixed the lens on the straw, at first it seemed like a dark spot with a little smoke, choked up the straw, and O Miracle! The flames licked their folded branches in their Sacred Language, and the sacred Fire inflamed!
Mara hastily removed the lens to a secret place, and the witches had already lit torches, and Pryhaha led them to the upper room and to the shore, where the envoys of their tribes, seven allied tribes, the Huns and Mansovs and five others, were already waiting for them, to put it in sacred vessels, decorated with magical patterns, and twined with sacred ivy, and take to the settlements, where all people were waiting for the appearance of the New Fire, which will warm their souls and bodies. Soon another five years passed, and three more Kharites changed, and the children had already grown up, they were already eight years old, they did not shave their hair, unlike the Huns and Mans, who leave children on their heads in several locks. Mara has already told them about the swan geese, which after death carry the souls into the world of gods, and at birth bring people into the world, which mean the spirals on the Lada and Ilios bracelets, like eating bears, cutting off all the meat from the bones, but without damaging this animal bones. She showed them signs of power of the leaders in the form of spirals and double spirals, told what the meander means on a vessel with coals, what the mendr means, why they depict the swastika on the vessels, all the legends about the rejuvenating apples, about honey, for which he communicates with them birth She began to teach the secrets of the starry sky, and the properties of potions, as well as the sacred letter. She told all the legends about Ilios and the Lada, about the World Tree and the World Serpent, taught to read and write sacred signs, told everything she knew about the surrounding peoples and lands.
Ull was already a great archer, he was shooting everyone except geese and swans, and Ale didnt eat meat, only milk, fish and shells. Mara tried to convince her, but she only wrinkled her nose in a funny way, smiled her wide smile, it seemed like everyone else with her freckles, and Mara immediately gave up, unable to insist, especially the children did not hurt, and Elie and Ulla discovered the medicinal talent, Ale Puppies came out. Laughs, who were then taken to the mainland, and seemed to be doing nothing, stroking her tummy, face, drinking water, and saved. Mara was made all the darker by the day, looking at Elya, but she did not notice anything. Two more years passed, the children turned ten years old. And winter had just begun, the sea was not frozen yet, but there were a lot of ice floes, and when they walked around the island with their brother, checked the traps, she saw a white bear squared in an ice log, he growled and puffed, trying to get out, and almost humanly cried, but still remained trapped.
Ull, help, vymahal hefty, lets help the little one, Ale shouted.
We have to look around, otherwise his mother will ask you and me, and as if confirming these words, Slega was holding onto the boys back.
Well, what are you, -and she clutched her hands in mittens into the log, trying to slightly lift, and so hard that even the hood jumped off the head, and finally Ull approached, only grunted, but in his ten years already had considerable strength, and tore out a log, freeing the young one, who already roared with delight.
Hush, you big guy, or else you break something to him, said El, grabbing the bear cub by the back and front legs. But having felt her hands, he immediately stopped struggling and growling, and wrapping his face to the rescuer, he sniffed it and stood on its hind legs, tried to lick her face, and still could not stop. Here, even Ull was taken aback, and removed his famous bow that had already become visible.
Well, youre a little sister and just spread his arms, and Elissia was laughing, laughing and joyful, making her smile more beautiful, despite her wide mouth. Ull heard how her novices of the island were called a frog or a toad for the eyes, but he never passed on such words of girls to her. He looked at her again, bending his head to the right, and thought: Anyway, the beauty and the nose are small, snub-nosed, and freckles, and spit to the waist. Its a pity our mother died. And she sleeps in the ice in the far cave. And then the novice they say that our mother is a goat, she supposedly nourished us. Therefore, they sometimes tease me with a little goat and look for horns when my hair is combed.
And here she ferociously barked and whined at the same time, Slither, preparing to accept a mortal combat. Because of the hummocks, the mother of the little young one appeared, who immediately grunted gently, but was not going to leave Eli. The bear first got on its hind legs, and then began to pull its nose with the air, sniffing at the girl, and Ull took the dog rigidly by the neck and pulled out a bronze dagger, and trying to get up more comfortably, so that the blow was more correct. The ale did not change in the face, only let the bear go, who stood in thought, and behold, a huge dirty white bear went slowly to the girl, just as noisily drawing her nose in the air, as if checking something. She stood close to the girl, so that her huge head became very close to the head in the hood, and suddenly began to lick her, like her own little bear. The boy seemed to have lost his voice, it was extraordinary.