Thank you, Russia, for being my number one foreign reader.
Baba Yaga
White
A grey fox burst across the path. The predawn’s glow followed in its wake. A gasp escaped from young Avienda’s throat as she watched the ancient wood awake. Villas flitted among dark grey leaves, and psotniks mischievous grins flashed from behind the surrounding trees.
The ancient wood’s splendor flushed Avienda’s pale face with wonder. She stood on the small meandering trail watching mythical creatures frolic that she thought only existed in her babka’s tales. A desire to know the secrets of these creatures grew inside Avienda’s mind, but all she could do was watch and sigh.
A howling cry rang across the wood. Dark bushes shuddered and shook as a pale blue giant bounded onto the path. Curling horns crowned its head, and its visage filled Avienda with dread. It stared hungrily down at the girl and approached slow with heavy club in tow.
Avienda backed away a few steps and collapsed to the ground. Trembling she clutched the crucifix at her breast unable to make a sound. The monster, now towering over the cowering girl, grinned fiercely at the youth, “Miliy Moy, will you allow me to commune with you?”
Young Avienda gripped her cross more tightly unsure of what to do, but despite her fearful silence the beast continued. “I am the Leshy, the guardian of the wood. All flee before my wrath, the vile and the good. I am a force of nature, unknowable and wild, but today I have been tamed by the beauty of a child.”
Avienda brushed stray strands of dark hair from her face, “Ser Leshy, your words honor me greatly, but all I have to offer in return is some bread and kvass.”
Throwing back its pale blue head, the Leshy laughed, “Pretty girl, to break fast with you is all I ask!” The Leshy sat down staring at the girl.
The girl removed a loaf of bread and a jar from her bag. Her fear of the creature slowly began to fade. She poured kvass into two wooden cups and broke the bread. The Leshy took his portions, ate, drank, and then said, “Child, your beauty and kindness have blessed my soul! Ask me anything, and I’ll tell you what I know.”
Avienda gazed into her cup, cleared her throat, and then looked up. She met the Leshy’s stare and spoke, “Kind ser, my mind wonders at many things, the secrets of the wood, the movement of the stars, the whims of the weather, and the thoughts of men both evil and good. But most of all, I long to know the mystical ways.”
Eyes gleaming with the new light of the day, the Leshy leaned forward to say, “What you ask I can tell. Sit back, young one, and I will teach you words and spells, potions and salves, and of the ways of Heaven and Hell.”
The Leshy educated Avienda in the secret ways of the world, and the girl, bright and yearning, committed it all to memory. At the end, the Leshy produced a mortar and pestle out of his leather satchel and handed them to the girl as a symbol for all she had learned. “Now for all the knowledge you have been given something must be lost.”
Avienda paled and whispered, “What?”
“Oh, nothing much, just a little bauble, like your pretty cross,” the Leshy announced with a blue finger pointing at the crucifix hanging around the young girl’s neck.
Avienda clutched the cross for just a moment, and then tore it from her neck with one swift movement. She tossed it to the Leshy. “Thank you for the gifts you’ve given me. I will keep them always close to my heart. But now I must go for I wish to travel far, and make use of the knowledge to set myself apart.”
The Leshy stood and made a regal bow. “Beautiful girl, this I vow with this knowledge your name shall live on forever. But keep in mind, you can still choose how you shall be remembered.” With that the Leshy bound back into the trees. Leaving in his wake, young Avienda propped up on her knees wondering what kind of name she shall make.
The grey fox appeared before her staring with eyes milk white. “Young girl, allow me to herald the day’s first light in honor of your beauty,” said the fox.
Avienda laughed with delight, “It would be my pleasure, ser fox. But I desire a more regal harbinger.” With a twirl of her finger, she transformed the fox into pale rider astride a horse of white.
No comments:
Post a Comment