Princess Aravo Part 1

19

The night came... Nata brought Irbis new underwear, a night shirt and a dressing gown and explained what all this was for. Our heroine looked at herself in a long mirror whirling here and there, while Nata was preparing her bed for sleeping. She was going to take away the blue blanket and pillows but Irbis cried out:

"Hey! Why do you take those? Should I sleep without them?"

"Ah..." Nata said. "You see, these are not for sleeping. Their function is just decorative. Then I'll get the sleeping pillow and blanket."

"Decorative function? All of this is so complicated..." the girl whirled like a whirligig and flopped down on the bear mattress covered with linen.

Two girls laughed and Nata went for other pillow and blanket. Irbis was lying thus for some time and gazing at the ceiling. She saw that Nata had pushed some switcher that made the chandelier turn on. She ran to it and pushed it. The light was out. She pushed again. The light was on. There were some lamps in her father's cave but they had never had such effect on her as that chandelier. She pushed the switcher again and started walking as if exploring something in the dark room. The girl saw that some light came from the street. She pulled curtains apart and opened the window letting in cool early spring night air. She saw that there were not street lanterns at all. The light came... from the trees! Her father told that once was cultivated such species of glowing trees that took the place of ancient street lanterns.

She was contemplating the street in mysterious glow and people walking in it merrily and leisurely. Suddenly she noticed a man in dark clothes sitting on stony steps of one of the opposite houses and looking in her direction. Irbis looked downwards and saw that another man in dark clothes was walking here and there like a pendulum looking at a magic mirror in his hands. At some moment it seemed that he actually used it as a real mirror. What was going on?

Unexpectedly the light was on. Irbis turned round... Nata returned with a white pillow and blanket.

"Do you like the view from here?" she asked putting all this on the bed.

"Yes but... Nata, what do you think, who are those men in black?" Irbis pointed to them.

"I don't know," said Nata.

By her expression it was clear that she lied. She made signs to Irbis to be silent and continued preparing the bed for sleeping.

"Oh, Miss Irbis... What a pity that you didn't have any chance to see Lady Dilarita today! She had such beautiful dress on... Here I'll sketch it out for you..."

They went to the study. Nata took a notebook with green shits from her pocket and a pencil. She tore out a page from the notebook and wrote:

"Those are guardsmen. Do you remember the man that followed us on the day before Sirvantame? You see, you are concerned a very suspicious person and it was ordered to watch you. In this city only fools are not watched. Don't say anything. Eyes and ears are everywhere. Do you understand?"

Irbis stood silent for a while and then nodded.

"Oh... I am such a poor artist..." said Nata. "This thing is just impossible! Everything that you can do with it is just to burn!"

She took the lighter of Irbis and burned the piece of paper. The other girl stood silent for a moment and then told Nata to bring her a glass of water. The maid obeyed. Irbis went to the bedroom, again opened the window, waited till the man will be exactly beneath her and poured out the contents of the glass over his head. He started and gave a jump causing the girl's wild laughter. He looked at her with terrified eyes.

"What, Sir, are you doing here?" she again laughed. "Don't you have a home to go? Is this place so suitable for walking at such time? I'd advise you, dear Sir, to tear your nose from your mirror sometimes or something more unpleasant may fall on your head." Then the laugh was even louder and wilder. "Why are you silent? Why do you look so scared? Confess!" she said trying to fight with that laughter and lastly gave it full freedom.

The poor man so frightened was looking at her and not being able to bear that laughter anymore ran away.

"Why do you escape like a hare? Or are you a coward?" she shouted in pursuit of him and without stopping laughing.

"Miss Irbis! You'll catch cold!" Nata interfered and closed the window. "You better go to bed. Tomorrow will be a hard day."

By those words Irbis suddenly stopped laughing and the expression of her face absolutely changed. She cried out: "Father!" and fell on the bed sobbing and asked Nata to leave.

*

Nata woke her up the next morning. After having breakfast, Irbis saw what Tobro had chosen for her. The maid helped her to put her clothes on. Her costume was of green and earthy colours of fabrics that were warm and suitable for riding and physical activities. There were also leather boots, a cap and a coat with a hood. Just for the forest!

Then a man came and said that it was time to set off.

She was brought to one of the exits (not the main one) and given a horse. Irbis in no time jumped in the saddle and waited for everyone to do the same. The company rode clattering a special paved road, which unsuprisingly was called the Horse road. It was the only road permited for horse ride as the streets' cleanness was strictly watched over. This road was sweeped twice or thrice a day. It lead from the palace to the North and the South gates. In that world people tried not to use such magical transport that hurt the envirement and practiced more walking. In that city people usually lived next to their places of work and different amusements too weren't too far from their houses so mostly there was no need in transport at all. As it was said before, Tinalden was situated in a valley in the mountains. Magic transport there was of a little help. For purposes of travelling there was breed a special type of horses that had goat-like legs and were able to go and skip in such locality. 

So by this Horse road all this campany rode out of the city through the North gates. Soon the stony walls of it were behind them and they found themselves in a green sea of trees. The girl was dashing like a lightning. Other horsemen tried to catch up with her as hard as they could and she often had to stop. The van for bodies was tailing somewhere.

"Now we are very near! I recognise this country!" the girl exclaimed and again galloped.

"Why is she in such a hurry? They are already dead and nothing can help them anymore..." complained one of the horsemen.

"Oh yes..." agreed the second

Suddenly the girl's loud, desperate yell rushed like a tsunami through the whole wood. Birds sitting on twigs immediately jumped into the air. Everyone hastened...