Ойкумена / Oikumena: Глава 16

Chapter 16

Camrad_RIP 09.12.24 в 09:52

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Camrad_RIP 09.12.24 в 09:52

“I have mentioned many times and will write many times, the strangeness of Hel. She - the one who would be called the Red Queen and not for the color of her hair - was unusual. But that strangeness is one of those things that are hard to define with a reasonable definition. Hel was... different, and that said it all.

Camrad_RIP 20.12.24 в 09:19

Sometimes it seemed to me that this woman had been brought up in a very strange house with strange customs and traditions. She was surprised, and often saddened (though she tried sincerely to conceal it) by the most ordinary things, such as young men's fun at the “fox-fest”. And at the same time, it happened (though rarely) that our companion did very strange things. She took a certain decision not because it was the best of some, but because from her point of view, there were no other ways at all. And for the first time in my memory, this manifested in relation to Artigo Gotdua.

Camrad_RIP 20.12.24 в 09:21

Hel disliked him, almost to the point of disgust (which hurt the heart of Ranjan, loyal to the Emperor like a hero of legendary antiquity), and it was clearly visible. The respectful relationship of master and servant, Emperor and his subjects, man of noble birth and commoner was quite clearly an empty, meaningless sound to her. Hel had invariably treated Artigo Gotdua as an ordinary child who, owing to the viciousness of character and bad upbringing, shunned his natural role. Yet in the hour when a cruel ailment had stiffened the young Emperor, the same Hel had transcended the aversion, literally in one step and irrevocably.

Camrad_RIP 20.12.24 в 09:22

In essence, Hel had pulled Artigo from the other side of the world with her great skill as a healer and her patient care. She treated the Emperor, cared for him as if he were her own child, and told amazing stories that none of us had ever heard before, of heroes with outlandish nicknames. And it was clear that she did not do this for the sake of future reward, nor because of the natural duty of a subject. No. She took pity on the poor, sick boy, though she had no patience for the healthy one. And that was reason enough for her, no other reason was required. There was no doubt in my mind that Hel would have nursed any other child as patiently, persistently, and mercifully if he had been with us.

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:21

I will tell you only now, and only to you, my dear son. It was in those days I thought for the first time that the tall woman, who strove to appear unremarkable and inexpressive, was probably the most unusual person I had ever met. Or perhaps not quite a person at all. But - here again, I will be sincere - then thoughts like this drifted away like water in the sand, leaving no aftertaste of reflection and conclusions. The time had not yet come...”

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:22

Gaval Sentry-Poton-Batleau.

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:23

Fifteenth letter to my son, on how we approached the premiere of Ship of the Pious.”

Camrad_RIP 08.12.24 в 10:03

A drab rag was lowered, symbolizing the backstage in rehearsal, so as not to endanger the expensive canvas. Cadfal soundly struck the brass cymbal, and the minstrel played the first notes of the closing melody. The full run-through with the “clean” dialogues was over. The eyes of those present, all of them without exception, turned to the stage director.

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:25

"This is it,” Elena said, feeling strangely empty. It was as if something ephemeral, but meaningful and valuable, had been taken from her soul. Maybe something like that felt by a woman who had given birth, but maybe not. Now, post-facto, Elena saw a hell of a lot of holes, unpolished dialog, overwrought monologues, and so on. And all of it could be - had to be! - fixed, fixed, fixed".

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:26

//“Nothing is ready! Everything is terrible! Redo it!!!” - the inner voice was panic-stricken.

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:26

"That's it...” she repeated, clearly realizing now it was really over. “The Ship” is ready for the premiere.

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:27

"Done."

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:27

Maryadek wiped the sweat from his forehead. The poacher, who had become a characteristic facialist, had given all he could and even a little more than that. Such a villain was believable; his viciousness was no longer in doubt. Acting practice made the gloomy man an imposing anti-hero, which was irresistible to women in search of entertainment.

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:29

Joaquina seemed pensive and sad, like a ghost, as if she were still a righteous hermit. Kimutz sucked on his flask, making up for half a day of abstinence. The other members of the troupe were also acting somehow... lost as if they were at a crossroads on a dark night with no wise advice on which way to turn. It seems that everyone was possessed by the feeling described by the greedy Polish grandfather: something was over, something was about to begin, but what it would be like and whether it would be useful or not, you never knew.

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:32

"That's it, we're done!" Joaquina clapped her hands loudly, getting out of the image of a cute girl who devoted herself to Pantocrator. "Props to be removed carefully folded with care! The man's dress in that basket!"

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:33

It was as if everyone exhaled and moved, all at once engaged in the business and concerns of the moment. Gaval played something lyrical on an instrument he persistently called a “wavy flute,” which Elena thought was a crooked and poorly made piper. Although it must be said, the minstrel could squeeze good melodies even from such an inferior instrument, and Joaquina promised the musician to buy a real wheeled lyre on the first trip to the big city.

Camrad_RIP 21.12.24 в 12:34

Elena pulled her cap up tightly to protect her ears from the draught and went to check on Artigo. Tonight was the night to treat the boy again with the jars, which had proved to be very good, and it was also finally time for the famous “I'm your father!”. The Star Wars adaptation grinded the narrator's nerves a lot, mainly due to the need to deftly ride a lame goat around political issues. The original story of the good Republic and the bad Empire would have sounded very bad in a world where, in fact, everything was an Empire. They had to improvise creatively, and Elena was not sure it was good, but the patient liked it.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 16:41

In the past three days, Artigo had experienced a crisis that had nearly driven him to his grave. Elena could hardly say who had burned her nerves more: the patient, who was strangled by arrhythmia and a dry, throaty cough; the distraught Ranjan, who was dangerously close to losing his marbles and nailing the healer, or Joaquina, who now clearly saw the redhead as a rival. Elena slept three or four hours a night, and the fencer did not consider insomnia and a series of worries as a reason to pause her training.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 16:43

And it all worked out in the end, though Elena felt three or four years older.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 16:43

How old am I, she wondered absentmindedly, as she approached the “room” for the privileged patient. No, really, how old? Especially if you count on the local calendar with nineteen short months ...

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 16:48

She went to the canopy and stopped when she heard voices. Gamilla, who had not taken part in the last act, was entertaining the sick man as well as she could, and doing so well. At any rate, the boy laughed softly, faintly, but with genuine amusement,

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 16:48

"Seven...” Artigo proclaimed and paused, choosing a horizontal. "And five!"

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 16:49

He said it too loudly and coughed. Elena frowned sternly, thinking of how she could give her patient a verbal thrashing for violating the instructions - the boy was strictly forbidden to strain his throat - but he seemed fine.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 16:56

"You got it,” said the invisible crossbowman, and the child laughed quietly again. The medicine woman smiled involuntarily, thinking that the cultural enrichment of the Ecumene had moved at a breakneck pace lately.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 16:56

Artigo needed to be entertained somehow, and preferably in a simple and interesting way. In search of a game that would be interesting, not too much burden on the patient's brain, and without special equipment, Elena remembered at first about “tic-tac-toe” - simple, convenient, you can play on the tsere as much as you want. And then thought - why not “sea battle”? The game was adapted without any changes at all, good ship battles here provided for an active firefight, including incendiary arrows. The problem of leisure was largely closed.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 16:58

After listening for a moment behind the blanket, Elena tapped her knuckles against the bar, making her presence known. She pulled back the blanket and found the patient asleep, dropping the wax tablet and wand literally mid-stroke. Gamilla looked back at the medicine woman, carefully adjusted the patient's pillow, and rose, trying not to creak the stool. Elena nodded silently, showing that she had seen and understood - there was no deterioration, everything was going as it should. She wanted to let Gamilla go but remembered that she hadn't closed one question, which was not fundamental, but still interesting, exciting curiosity.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 17:01

Elena gestured to the crossbow woman to the side, closer to the stove. Gamilla raised an eyebrow in bewilderment but joined the medicine woman. Elena ensured that no one could hear or disturb their soft conversation and politely poured warm water into two crumpled pewter mugs, first to her companion, then to herself.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 17:02

"I've been wanting to ask for a long time,” she began, taking a sip from the vial. "And my question is respectful, but it is only curiosity, nothing more."

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 17:03

Elena honestly tried to reproduce the formula of the most polite preamble, and it turned out even too correctly, that is, with an overdose of pathos. Gamilla glanced suspiciously at Elena over the crumpled pewter edge, which seemed gripped with her teeth, but listened without comment.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 17:04

"Why Mistress of Arrows?" Elena asked directly. "And what does this drawing mean?" she pointed to Gamilla's blue tattoo. "I apologize in advance if my question is... dubious. But I really don't know. And I don't want to ask someone else in case they get it wrong."

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 17:07

Gamilla pressed her lips together. Her not-very-pretty but expressive face twitched with a grimace of distinct displeasure. The crossbowman clearly didn't want to get into the subject, but on the other hand, the question had been asked more than politely, so there was no reason to dismiss it outright.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 17:13

"It's a long story,” she finally said, clutching the mug like she wanted to crumple it.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 17:14

"You may not say anything,” Elena shrugged. "I'm not prying. I'm just curious. Maybe we'll meet someone else with the same pattern, and I don't know how to deal with it."

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 17:14

The argument seemed to work. Slowly, with long pauses, obviously silent about something, Gamilla reluctantly told me. Everything turned out to be, in general, simple. “‘Masters of Arrows’ were hereditary crossbowmen from several southern cities, who, centuries ago, had agreed collectively with otherworldly forces. By giving up something unknown but valuable, the archers gained amazing abilities passed down through bloodlines, as well as magical crossbows. Such a “ Master of Arrows” could throw a bolt one and a half to two times farther than usual, with unrivaled accuracy. All of them, of course, quite quickly became noblemen, albeit of low flight, as well as highly demanded specialists. What's interesting is that crossbow magic passed without any damage through the Cataclysm that killed the magical civilization of the Old Empire. “‘Masters" retained the skills and passed them on to their descendants as in the old days. But there were fewer and fewer of them born, so now there were only a couple of thousand amazing shooters on the entire continent. The blue tattoo was a kind of shop sign, symbolizing belonging to a privileged caste with an inherited entrance.

Camrad_RIP 23.12.24 в 07:30

Well, that explained a lot of things, including about Gamilla. The crossbowman avoided talking about herself. But, to all appearances, there was a typical story of “raised a boy from a girl for lack of an heir”. Or vice versa, “threw away gender prejudice and did what she wanted.” However, anyway, Gamilla's life had clearly not been easy. Elena nodded more to her reflection than to the words of her interlocutor, but the gesture seemed dubious. The crossbowwoman blushed angrily, slammed her mug against the warm brick, and turned around, anger flaring, intent on leaving.

Camrad_RIP 23.12.24 в 07:32

"Wait,” Elena said, trying to make it sound soft and suggestive. She caught her by the shoulder. Gamilla jerked, wanting to get free, and grabbed the hilt of the broken dagger, which for some reason did not want to change or at least resharpen, shortening the blade. Elena quickly retreated a step, raising her hands in a deliberately peaceful gesture; it was not enough to get cold steel in her stomach on her palm, especially for a deliberately stupid reason.

Camrad_RIP 23.12.24 в 09:37

"You know...” Elena could hardly keep from smiling, imagining how it looked. But the smile evaporated as soon as the woman remembered how she had once found herself in a similar situation with Shena when she saw the scars on her friend's body. When she saw the changing expression on the medic's face, Gamilla flinched and stepped back, raising her blade higher.

Camrad_RIP 23.12.24 в 09:38

Damn it, Elena thought brokenly, everyone is always looking away from me, as if I were the scariest one here. She said aloud, still quietly, not for other people's ears:

Camrad_RIP 23.12.24 в 09:39

"I understand you. I really do."

Camrad_RIP 23.12.24 в 09:39

Gamilla bowed her head incredulously, staring at her as if Elena were a dealer (dishonest of course, there was no other kind) offering a royal coin for the price of an island bagatelle.

Camrad_RIP 23.12.24 в 09:45

"It must be hard to be a woman and do a man's job. Fighting and killing."

Camrad_RIP 23.12.24 в 07:32

She didn't want to appeal to “the world was made for men,” but Elena reasoned that the turn of phrase probably wasn't so worn out and hackneyed here. Besides, she would like to keep her relationship with the crossbowman at least as neutral as before, or better yet, to become friends, well, as much as possible.

Camrad_RIP 23.12.24 в 07:33

"It's not easy for a woman in a man's world, I know that,” Elena pointed her finger at herself with an eloquent gesture. She felt embarrassed and ashamed, though, to be fair, a little, just a little. Yes, she had been beaten and battered by life, no question about it, but what the medicine woman, in good conscience, could not say, was that she had to fight for a place under the sun in a vigorous intersex competition. But... for a good cause, one could lie a little.

Camrad_RIP 23.12.24 в 09:47

"I know it,” she repeated. "It's not enough to be equal to men. You have to prove you're better. Stronger. Tougher. You have to show cruelty and ruthlessness where someone else might show kindness. And your whole life becomes a struggle."

Camrad_RIP 24.01.25 в 08:33

Gamilla was still staring angrily and distrustfully, holding her dagger, but it seemed to Elena that the crossbowwoman's gaze shook a little, and became warmer.

Camrad_RIP 24.01.25 в 08:34

"But you don't need to do that with me,” Elena said quietly, taking a step forward. A small one so that it didn't seem like an invasion of personal space or aggressive pressure. "You don't need to prove to me that you're strong and tough and skillful. That you're worthy of respect as a man and a marksman. I already know that."

Camrad_RIP 24.01.25 в 08:36

She had no idea what else to add. Everything seemed to have been said, and Gamilla still wasn't showing much friendliness. Elena sighed, and waved her hands, saying she was done with the allowed speeches. She turned to leave for Artigo's bedside. The crossbowwoman moved her wide jaw as if she were trying to tear a piece out of Elena's throat. For a few moments, the medicine woman thought Gamilla might say something, but no, she didn't.

Camrad_RIP 24.01.25 в 08:37

At least they didn't fight or quarrel noisily, Elena thought. That was a good thing. She shrugged her shoulders for the third time and went to prepare the jars. The fingers on her left hand ached again, which had been hit hard with a stick by her mentor the day before, demonstrating the necessity of skillful parrying.

Camrad_RIP 22.12.24 в 18:13