Chapter thirteen. Battle with the monster

Kolya, Ira, Vasilisa and Sasha made their way through burelom, wandering at random through the taiga thicket, they did not really imagine how they would be able to find Arina at dusk in such a dense forest. Suddenly Kolya felt some excitement, and as if an inner voice told him that he should go along that nondescript-looking path that goes to the right in the direction of the white mountain.
Since there were no other offers, all four of them moved in the direction they had indicated. Next to the company rode the faithful badger, who was ready for any adventure except a hunger strike.
The boy took his favorite cat with him, hoping that his vision was better than a human's, and he would soon notice the missing girl in the forest and let him know.
Barsik did not really understand the importance of the mission assigned to him, but he was always happy to walk through the forest with the owner, from that he jumped as if a nuclear reactor was built into it, giving an inexhaustible supply of energy.
Soon the trail ended and the cave opened up to the newcomers.
- Let's not go into it, - said Ira, - it's dark, it's scary, and there are probably nasty, slimy creatures, like my brother's favorite Merry man!
While the guys were deciding whether to go into the cave or not, they heard a heart-rending scream and some kind of growl.
The entire company did not hesitate to rush to the entrance.
The first glance inside caused a body-binding horror - something huge, white, with long claws, stood over the girl lying on the floor, in whose hand the tip of a magic wand glowed.
Vasilisa snatched out her wand and screamed:
"Be dumbfounded!
Kolya also tried to cast a spell, but it had no special power like his sister's, so he grabbed a stone and threw it at the monster.
Having received an unpleasant blow with a spell, which however did not work, the beast turned and moved to the exit to deal with the offenders, who began to retreat, along the way trying to still injure him with spells, but the second-year level was clearly not enough to win.
At this moment, Kolya, without thinking about the consequences, rushed past the creature into the cave, ran to Arina and tried to bring her out, but she was not standing on her feet, and was in a semi-oblivion, from which his actions were not crowned with success. With a vengeance, the boy hoisted her over his shoulder and tried to pull her toward the exit, but it was not easy, for their weight was about the same. Nevertheless, he had almost reached the mouth of the cave when the beast turned its attention to them.
"We're screwed!" Kolya thought, his blood pounding in his temples, but he felt no fear as he tried to cover Arina with his body.
At that moment, a hissing piece of fur darted like lightning at the monster's face, and began to tear the fur out of it, aiming its claws at the eyes -this is a badger entered into an unequal battle to protect the owner.
The beast howled, and tried to throw the leopard off, but it was not there, it was very agile, and deftly dodged the claws.
At that moment Arina woke up and grabbed Kolya's hand.
Two inexplicable phenomena occurred in a split second:
Barsik led by some feline instinct stopped the attempt to attack, and abruptly jumped aside and bristled, glancing fearfully at Arina and Kolya, and at the same moment a purple bright flash, like lightning, passed between the children's free hands and hit the four-meter giant with a discharge.
Silent rage was imprinted on the monster's face, then a terrible cry covered the surrounding area, and the animal began to fall apart into pieces, which fell in a heap on the floor of the cave. There was a smell of burning meat that made you feel sick, and everyone present was frozen in shock except Barsik, who fished an eye out of the pile of the fallen enemy and rolled it with a paw to the exit with a cry of victory.
"Are you all right?" Thank God! Vasilisa shouted, running up and groping her brother. Thank heavens! What happened!?
"I don't know," Kolya replied.
-I think we should tell Vasilisa Petrovna - she probably saw something else and will be able to explain it!But first you need to take Arina to the hospital, and you should also show yourself to a healer.
Only then did Kolya notice that he had several bleeding abrasions that would not hurt to heal. Ira and Sasha ran up and helped him pull Arina out into the street.
- Ignat! Kolya shouted.
"What are you shouting for?" came a voice behind me ...what's going on here? he looked at the cave and the children in surprise.
who is this animal so attached! I have these spells and I don't know that mincemeat....
- We also do not know, it happened somehow without our participation, help us get Arina to the castle and tell our teacher that we found her, but she is injured, and we are returning with her to the healer.
"It's easy for us!" - said Ignat, came up, hugged the guys with huge hands and in a second of compressing emptiness they were at the castle gate.
- Kuzma! the Forester shouted, and a moment later an agitated Kuzma materialized beside them:
- All those who are injured to the healer, the rest to feed, I will now inform the teacher of medicines and return.
Wasilewska! My love! Are you and your friends all right? the brownie asked excitedly.
- Yes, Kuzma all well, - but here is these two will need medical aid, and Vasilisa pointed to Kolya and Arina.
"Right away!" with that, he moved everyone to the hospital wing and led them to the infirmary door.
- Lazar Solomonovich!"come on," he called.
A cheerful, gray-haired, plump man came out to meet them.
"What have we got here?" Oh! Here you are! Quickly, quickly, both on the bed and out the door, I will heal you, " he sang in a tone that left no objection.
All but Arina and Kolya went out, and the healer began to work on them. First he passed his hand over Arina's clothing.
"Oh, girl, who bought you such good protective clothing?"
"Grandma," Arina said.
- Nu you thank its, if it comes not maximum level of protection, blow paws polar bear a werewolf not has passed would you a gift, - a werewolf?! the children said at the same time.
-Yes, there are several of them here in recent years, ferocious animals I will tell you, few people have seen them and have not received any injuries, they are not sensitive to witchcraft, and therefore they are difficult to drive away.
"And kill them?"
- Kill!? I have never heard that someone killed them, they are extremely tenacious creatures, " said Lazar Solomonovich.
The children looked at each other.
"All right, honey, take this medicine and you'll be perfectly healthy tomorrow morning.
-Now with you, well, there's nothing dangerous, drink this potion and rest until tomorrow....
"Oh, we have company!- said the healer pointing to the windowsill, in the open window sat a badger, who decided to check whether everything is fine with the owner.
"What a wonderful animal," said the doctor, " it will probably spend the night here, too, since I don't see any way to drive it out of here." He whispered something to the leopard, and it seemed to Kolya that he understood and nodded.
I must have imagined it, Kolya thought, and turned to Arina, who was lying there looking at him with her big blue eyes.
"Thank you for saving me!" she said, her voice trembling with gratitude.
"Please," Kolya replied, unable to take his eyes off Arina.
She was also looking at it very carefully, and suddenly she grabbed her purse and put her hand in it, opening it a little, a bright purple glow radiated from it, and she took out both objects and examined them.
"What is it?" Kolya asked.
"It belonged to my mother and father - family jewels," Arina said, admiring their beauty, then she put on the locket and tried to put on the ring, but it bounced as if thrown by an unknown force and fell on the bed to Kolya, who picked it up and, feeling the correctness of his actions, put it on his finger. The ring glowed a bright green light, and then words appeared in the air out of nothing, glowing like fire in the dark.
-New keepers of the gifts determined. Wear them with pride and dignity and use them for good!
Arina in all eyes looked at nick and then said:
"You are the son of a dark sorceress and a light wizard!"?
- Yes! Kolya said.
"How?" What's your father's name !?
- Mitrofan.....
Arina's eyes were filled with surprise, admiration, and horror at the same time.
"The prophecy has come true!"we are the new keepers of these artifacts!"
"I've already figured that out," Kolya said
"Do you know what they're for?""what is it?" he asked.
"No," the girl said," but that's not even the most important thing..."
"Why?" the boy said, surprised.
- Since artifacts can only be worn by close blood relatives! Born from a dark sorceress and a light magician and a light magician and a light sorceress, and they must have one father!!!
One understand!!!
Understanding the meaning of her words Kolya jumped up in bed
"So we're with you!"
- Yes! We are brother and sister! Arina finished his thought.
They sat and watched hand in hand and did not know how to behave, such a storm of feelings overwhelmed both.
Me seems not worth until all tell, that we brother with sister, - told thoughtfully Arina, after all will arise many questions, not think that your mother will be happy emergence of have you half-sister. "You're right! Kolya replied.
"And about the amulets, I think it's best to talk to our parents face - to-face when we see them," he said.
Arina looked sadly out the window.
"We can't talk to my mother, she's missing, and I don't know where she is.
-I'm sorry, I didn't know, said nick, I'm sure she will be found! We'll talk to my father in private, he can find her, believe me, he's a very skilled wizard!
-If they ask where you got the ring, then say I gave it to them and then no one will ask any questions.
-Well.
They each lay down in their own bed, still holding hands, as if they were afraid of losing each other. After a few minutes, the new keepers fell asleep-this potion had a healing effect.
The moon rose over the castle, but nothing disturbed the sleep of the sleepers.
Only behind the wall Lazar Solomonovich played
magic chess:
"What if I ride like this?" he said
"Then you can't save the rook; I think it's best to cast it in this case ."..
If someone came into the room at the moment, they would find a strange picture-Lazar Solomonovich was playing chess with Kolya the cat, while the cat was clearly in the lead, and was giving out advice on how to intercept the initiative in a chess game.The healer was glad to have recently appeared a friend, before he was extremely lonely, since few people came to talk to him, and the healer, like everyone else, wanted simple human warmth and friendly communication....