«Wonders! «Amaranth saw already at the court in Aluar the various magicians, but they were not capable of that.
«Who you are?»
He hid face behind a translucent cloth that did not close only his eyes. Of course, he did not answer her. But the luxurious white bird, sitting on his shoulder, shook:
«I want to her! I want to predict her fate!»
Well and miracles! It seems that this bird is a hostess of the merchant, and not he is her master.
«What is her name? And how much does it cost? «Amaranta stretched out her hand to a white fluffy bird. It was very royal she looked. And a major amber, as it turned out, grew right in her forehead, first seemed to be intricate decoration. Instead of sticking, the bird happily flew into the hand of Amaranta.
What is it lovely! She has a luxurious tail than Peacock. Feathers fluffy and gentle to the touch. Is there still paradise birds, white, like clouds? Or this is so unique.
«She is a great predictor of fate,» said the merchant.
«Yes, of course, I believe you,» Amaranta already pretended to the brain, as far as the poultry price will increase from this unrealistic praise. If the money taken on the road is not enough, you can pay for it with jewels. She has already prepared to part with the ring or with the earrings.
«This is a gift!» answered the owner of the bird.
Amaranta did not even bother him to believe. How can he give to someone such a miracle, and even gratis.
The mrchant meanwhile kissed her hand as a nobleman.
«You are beautiful as a fairy, lost far from her native magical kingdom,» he whispered so that the surrounding did not hear. «I’m so, believe me, I know how they look like. And the bird knows, so it will obey you. There are almost impossible to tame such birds, except for fairies. She still had no owners, so consider she as your girlfriend.»
«What is it called?»
«This bird is a fortuneteller. The magic bird. It is so called no reason, but because it gives predictions.»
And the bird really spoke almost the human language alternate with nightingale trills. Pure Magic! Amaranta smiled, and the merchant disappeared.
Or was it pulled under the bridge of ice creatures? Well, even though the bird remained.
«Let’s go, a white girlfriend with an amber in your forehead,» Amaranta wanted to bring her on her hand, but the bird was fought and flew over her.
She may spit on the prediction! Amaranta was going to leave the Ice Bridge and move to warm herself in a meadow from piercing cold. Let ice creatures scream in the abyss under the bridge. One of them warned her not to ride. Well, let! She made her choice. It’s time to go to the wedding! Amaranta turned around to look back to the bridge, whether all the same ice creature, threatening for goodbye. But there was only some beautiful blonde cavalier in clothes similar to the Eastern Bathrobe of the merchant and shook off the snowflakes from his hat suspiciously similar to the Turban.
The merchant was old, the cavalier on the bridge is young and handsome. A stranger smiled at Amaranta and waved for goodbye, as if she knew her well. Is it not strange that he suddenly found himself on the bridge in a deaf terrain without a crew and without a horse?
Amaranta dismissed from him some thunder from heaven. There is a thunderstorm or a dragon flies? Slightly leaning out of the window, the girl noticed the flying creature, something like a white dragon with a tiny silhouette of a rider. Did it stretched over the sky a sharp strip of fire or sunset? Probably, it was not a dragon, but simply the cloud-adopted cloud shape. Amaranta was distracted by observations, because the bird spoke to her again. And her tongue was human. It is good that companions are in a carriage sleep. You can talk with the great predictor of fate in bird plumage.
«Well, are we friends with you? «Amaranta tried to warm up the fingers, touching her fluffy bird.
«We are not be friends if you are so naive as today,» a luxurious bird said brazenly. «But since you yourself are very stupid, I’m going to become your adviser in everything.»
«Well, thanks,» Amaranta was offended. There would not be such a beautiful bird, she would immediately drive her for rudeness. Coach rolled forward, and the new girlfriend began to absorb residues of fruits from the basket without demand. She so highly appreciated her advice, which did not even notice sarcasm in the voice of a new mistress. Although no, as the merchant said there. The hostess of this bird cannot be, you can only become her friend.
Wedding Casus
«You want to invite the king of elves to your wedding,» Theobald did not understand. «This is no joke! What will people say? What will the priests think? To marry you will arrive a bishop of the Roshen itself. Everyone will see the king of elves with a retinue of magical creatures on your wedding.
«And good! Now we are allies! Let everyone know about it! No war! We need to rejoice, Theobald. Who did not take another disgusting taste of helplessness in the fight against supernatural creatures? But how good they are when you are asking them to help you.
Angus himself watched the ugly Horde of Finodirries, who deftly dragged huge blocks for the construction of a grand cathedral. Such blocks could not raise the whole group of skillful builders. And these terrible freaks, wool and claws, everything was very cleverly went out. Cancelled masters!
«Do you remember that in no case they can not be thanked for work?» asked the Count.
«Even if, despite all my bias against them, their work will make an unprecedented impression on me?» Theobald crushed incredulously. «I do not like the active Finodirries, I really did not like them. Such boys can conquer the whole world, and they suddenly are here and build something. This is not good! In all this lies some trick.»
«They can not be thanked if they were pleased you with their work!» said Count Angus. «You don’t remember, I told you about them.»
«Yes, something about the fact that their ancestor married a simple girl, and from this union were born such freaks endowed with a random power and immortality. And then an unusual couple ignored some solemn reception in the country of fairies, and for it all the descendants punished with a curse – they are doomed to be slaves of someone else’s will of all eternity. To work and build for anyone who will like or lubricate them with cunning, but any words of gratitude will burn them like a whip. They will conquer from pain at the sight of a gift or having heard the word „Thank you“ and disappear. So can thank them right now. Hey you!»
«Do not even think about it!» objected the count. A flock of Finodirries has already wrapped the shaggy heads in anticipation of the next commands.
«Go on!«Angus told them, and Theobald was dressed down. «You don’t remember that Dagda himself sent them here. Insult him and the Union will end. Again, you will have to lead a senseless war in which we will lose in any case. Reconcile yourself to the fact that the magic people are stronger than us. It is better to be friends with them, not to be enimies.
«The fairies and elves will never be friends of people,» Theobald again felt the pain from his long-standing injury obtained in a duel with evil spirits. «Believe me, I know.»
«No matter how hard it is, we must try,» Angus was adamant. He did not tear off the eye from the construction, which grown out of nothing on the empty plain in one day. Finodirries