he pointed to another warrior, putting the oar into the boat, – And this is Katey, – and he raised his hand in greeting.
All these were strong and very tall fair-haired young men, from among the thirty chosen warriors of the island, the disciples of the seven wise men. Aket approached Ull, once again looked at him with his deep-set eyes, and said after a pause:
– Come, show you your abode.
He led him to a mountain in which cells and common rooms for the inhabitants of the island were hollowed out. The land was not as stony as on Alatyr Island, they walked past a stream, next to which a huge oak tree grew, with a golden chain hung on it.
– This is a sacred tree, Ull. Then there is a field for hunting, there you will learn to rule the chariot, ride a horse, pacify the bulls and handle the cows. We are shepherds, we live in it if you don’t know, feed the cows, catch fish, so every man should be able to deal with cows and bulls. Have you grown up with a witch, have you seen a cow?
“No,” the boy shook his reddish curls, “we only had a goat, they fed me with its milk.”
– And mother like? – already anticipating the answer, but nevertheless asked him Aket.
“He sleeps in the ice with the witches,” he replied, lowering his eyes, “and I was still fed with deer brains from the bones when there was little milk.
– That’s why he became so strong, even though he didn’t taste the mother’s milk. We came, – he said, pointing to one of the holes in the mountain, closed by an oak door and curtained with deer skins, – we live in the old fashioned way, here live the same youngsters like you, and we, the soldiers, live in our wooden houses, who is married and each household is small. We build large log houses on the mainland, and on camps as in the old days, the houses are icy, round, with such a corridor, only on the knees you can go there, so that the heat would not go away. Come into your house, – and the guide opened the door and threw back the skin, they went down the corridor, opened another curtain, and found themselves in a warm room, illuminated with oil lamps made of clay, and heated hearth, built of stones, and held together with clay. In the corners there were eight sun loungers, and Ulle Atey led to one of them.
– This is your place, have a rest here, – and pointing to pegs in the wall, – and here you can hang your things. All other instructions from the teachers receive, in the evening you will meet your new friends.
Ull took out his belongings, and neatly hung all his goods on the wall, a bow and arrows in the middle, and thought it was bad that he did not have a chest here, like on Alatyr. Then he sat down on a stool on three legs, made of pine wood, and gazed at the fire.
– We’ll go to lunch a little later, the house is also nearby, there is a dining room, a warehouse, a barn near and a stable for horses, their workers are serving, be polite, they are not warriors, but here they promise to serve the gods year remains, and who is three. Seven live in another mountain, will call, do not go. They teach in another house, now it is winter, and in the summer they teach in free air, literacy, and the High Way, the Laws of Manu, Aket finished respectfully, and looked at Ulla, who turned her head with increasing attention, looking at the wacky dwelling.
Soon we went to dinner, entered the hut, standing on a high basement of boulders, the stairs and the door were richly decorated with carvings, the windows were tightened either with a fish or a bull bubble, but not as dark as in the cell of the youngsters in the mountain. They sat down at one big table, the warriors on the honorary part of the table, and closer to the edge, on the left, sat the youths, and the pupil vedunii sat down with them, as accepted in the youths. They ate decorously, with wooden boats, did not speak at the meal, they fed simply, but nourishingly, fish and barley porridge, kvass. Then the senior unit, Arpad, led to learn to own a sword and spear, and the soldiers, breaking into pairs, mastered the difficult science. Ull was set up with one more boy, two years older than him; there was no one younger than them. The other four went with other tutors to study.
“What is your name?” Ull asked the boy next to him, turning to face him. He was shorter than him, but wider at the shoulders, equally blond, also dressed like himself – in a fur jacket and pants with soft boots and a fur hat, and under the jacket was a knitted shirt.
– Gun they call me, I’m from the Ghans, And you from Mans?
“I don’t know,” the boy shrugged. “I was brought to the island in a boat on the shore, and my mother died.”“Ah,” the boy stretched understandingly, “come on, we start,” and lunged with the wood, and Ull rejected easily, and so they tried to get each other with training swords, Ullus managed to get the enemy with his sword, and Guna did not. He was already angry, and throwing the sword, rushed to the opponent with his fists, and Ull showed his skill, deftly leaving each blow, so that the whole squad threw exercises and watched forgetting everything on this dance, when only a small movement made an incomplete blow, powerful punch. Gong flushed all over, began to choke, Ull reddened a little, and decided to give in a little to Guna, because that was how the person tried, tired, probably. And at the next attack, he let himself be hooked with a footboard, but he did not let him down to the ground, hitting Gong under the knee, but caught him falling to the ground, and put him on his feet. Gong sniffled loudly, calming from the scrum.
“Teach, Ull?” He asked gloomily, holding out his hand.
“Of course,” shaking the palm of a new comrade, he answered.
From that day they became inseparable.
Doctrine and work a little effort
In the morning, on one of the days when the vernal equinox was not far away, Arpad led the retinue and youths to the lists, the ministers prepared the chariot, and a pair of horses were already unmanaged and harnessed to a light two-wheeled cart. Four more youths, Tal, Sirac and Pret and Knut followed him, talking about something cheerful, and laughing at their own jokes.
“Hey, Ull, and Gunn get ready, stand in the chariot and not fly out, you will learn to keep at the jump,” the leader told them. “Pal,” he called to the young man, already an older warrior, “you will be the driver.”
Pal came up to them, wearing a leather helmet with protective arcs, and a couple of the same helmets were in his hand.
“Take it and put it on,” the driver, handing out the equipment to them, “first you, Gun, and then Ull. After Tal, Syrac, Knut and Pret. Then give them the helmet, as you drive through a chariot.
Both men examined the helmets, twisted it like that and put it on their heads, having some doubts. Pal again addressed them:
– In the combat chariot, the top floor of the straps, so that it would not shake so much during the jump, you must stand with your knees bent slightly, try to catch the beat of the jump. Without a heroic drink it is difficult to control a weapon in a chariot fight. But just ride in a chariot and manage it is quite possible. Gong, let’s go.
Ull sat down on a stone and looked at how Pal first steered the chariot in steps, the sound of hooves in the snow was not overly audible, then accelerated on a level road, they were already racing, and the sound of hooves and the rumble of a carriage became louder, the driver began to lay already sharp turns, repeating the turns, unfolding and evasion of attacks from foreign chariots. Here the driver stopped the chariot, which had already filled the track in the shallow snow. Gong, flushed red, jumped off the chariot, spraying Ulla with snowflakes and water splashes, which,
