– I don’t know what it is, Valan. Maybe it’s some kind of disease? How many diseases have we cured? Hord turned to the sage. «This is the first time I see this and I don’t remember this in any of my ancestors until Alak himself.
Valan didn’t answer. He peered into the eyes of the beater for a long time, and suddenly exclaimed:
«Her eyes – the whites of her eyes – are like starlight!» With a newborn star! Everyone looked at the old man in surprise. – They shimmer with scarlet, as if a star burns in her eyes! Valan continued to admire.
Brun looked inquiringly at Radon, and the rest of the relatives began to look closely and really noticed the resemblance to the red luminary, only blackening irises interfered with the incomparable community.
«And the blackness points to the night!» Valan exclaimed again.
– Yah! Do you really think, Valan, that a born star and her eyes are united?! Radon immediately hesitated.
«Hmm…» thought the old shaman. Roshan will tell us about it.
– Wait, wait, Valan, Radon! Are you talking about the red star that lit up last night? Brun didn’t understand.
– Exactly! Valan exclaimed.
And the relatives told the leader of the Great Hunt about the past events. And they told about the foreboding of Zavrini.
– Here is the news! – the leader was amazed. «We saw both the lightning and the star. And how the luminaries dazzled and the colo shone – they did not notice. There was no time to look at the sky in the fishery. And we didn’t hear spirits. What does «run» mean?
– That’s what it means! The spirits want us to leave the Great Volcano, Brun. Me, Valan, Viksha, Hann and the leader heard the call at the same time! Hord exclaimed. «This has never happened before!
«Warn us about something,» Valan added. – And we have to wait for Roshan.
«And how long will he have to wait?» I was told that he went to the caves in the morning,» Brun asked.
«We’ll wait as long as it takes,» said Hord. – When our ancestor Alak was looking for a cure for diseases, he was in unity for two nights and found it. Therefore, we are waiting for the leader. There is no other!
«And if he doesn’t come back the second night?» Radon suggested.
«He will come back,» the experienced hunter confidently answered. – Will be back!
***
«There were still two days left before the alien paths,» Brun began the tale. – We got only something to the second ravine and decided to make a halt. Many of you know Illy. She cannot live without trees. A little something – immediately on araucaria. Well, she climbed from one tree to another to see what was going on behind the ravine. We didn’t worry about her at all. Her dexterity – everyone can envy. And now, she comes back to us and breathes so heavily, as if she was in a hurry. She returns and says that she has tracked down the flock – there are fifteen Polosunov. Many laughed, and I, along with them. Where is it seen that the beater without the embodiment of the hunter Polosun tracked down?! Brun was indignant, pointing at his eyes with his hand.
The elders and sentinels nodded approvingly, agreeing with the reasoning of the leader.
– Well, who will believe? the leader of the Great Hunt continued to escalate. – She’s serious! We went there – to convince the young maiden that it seemed to her. But it was not there! Brun waved his hand. «The beneficent light of the Great Fire really spotted a couple of Stripers for us exactly where Illy led us.
From this news, the relatives groaned with surprise, and the rangers who arrived from the Great Hunt, praising the young beater, stomped.
«It became clear that a flock was grazing nearby,» Brun said. «In two days, apart from the Vultures and those rabid Raptors, not a single lizard was seen. Well, I look – there are only two striped ones, which means that the rogues have already discovered us and are taking us away from the herd. But no! exclaimed the hunter. «The reptiles didn’t notice us at all, as if we didn’t surrender to them. So I sent Illi and Ramir as beaters, – the leader of the hunting parties pointed towards Ramir, who was sitting among his relatives, – around the right slopes, assuming that the pack was there.
Ramir nodded, confirming Brun’s words.
We’ve gone to the left. We climbed to the other side of the ravine and we hear – vanity at the edge! The eyes of the incarnation came closer *, – at this place of the tale, the leader turned his eyes into reptilian ones, – and through the thickets I see Polosunov – a dozen or two of them huddle there. We have prepared the guns and are waiting for Ramir and Illy to frighten off the flock and bring them to us. We wait and wait, but they still don’t exist. That’s what we decided for ourselves. Bows, spears at the ready took and sneaking closer. We sneak, and I see that there is no gap behind the flock, as if it does not end. The whole clearing is strewn with flesh, and there is a hum in the ears. Hearts are beating – they are not afraid of us, or even they do not hear at all and do not smell, as if the lizards have lost their abilities. With the flame of your engraving with the truth, brothers and sisters, wither my tongue – there are about four dozen of them, or even more! I freed the eye in order to see with my own eyes whether I was imagining it, – Brun returned his eyes to their former human appearance. – Do not imagine! he continued. – And suddenly this herd began to fuss and began to slowly go deep into the grove. I could not restrain myself, whistled, and we attacked. That’s how they raised the guns, so everyone managed to stab Polosun, and I – two. The rest of the reptiles pulled east in fear, and there were a lot of them, brothers, a lot!
– Wu-u-u! The tribesmen clapped their hands enthusiastically.
«Where did Illy and Ramir get lost?» Hord asked.
– But let Ramir tell you. What should I tell you, Brun answered.
The tribesmen stared at Ramir. The experienced hunter got up from his bedding and sat down closer to the fire. His beard and hair were neatly woven and suspiciously clean. And judging by the fresh camouflage color on the face and in those places where the bone armor did not cover the limbs and body, it became completely clear to everyone that Ramir did not take part in the persecution of the Polosunov. The paint applied by the cycad juice on the kinsman’s skin was so fresh and untouched that if no one knew that Ramir was on the Great Hunt, everyone would think that he was just about to go for it. And, of course, many fellow tribesmen had questions, but Ramir, without waiting for judgments, began to open the eyes of the ignorant with his tale:
«Illie and I went around the right slopes,» the hunter immediately began. – I examined the area – everything is clean, not a single predator in the area, only striped ones. And the flock is big! I confirm Brun’s words – he did not imagine! I myself went ahead a little, but Illi and I agreed on a signal to start. I’m sneaking around, that means, make my eye come true, and it seems to me that Illy is calling me, but somehow strangely – her voice broke off. So, I decided that I heard. I got to the thicket and I give a whistle, but I myself do not climb towards the flock. Waiting for Illy It’s interesting! This is her first hunt. How will she behave, what will she do?
The tribesmen murmured their approval, supporting Ramir’s decision.
«But she seemed to have fallen through the ground,» the hunter continued to tell. – There is none and no… Then I look – there is a commotion in a flock of lizards! I understood that Brun gave the command to poison the prey. I wanted to help, but Zavrini Illi’s foreboding directed her to search. I returned to the place where we parted ways, and she was lying unconscious there. Let me bring her to her senses. She