Раненая лань

Глава VI

April was too rainy. Raven, the owner of an old windmill that was not working, fell into a state of utter despair. Her family's only income was a vegetable garden, but over the past few years, the harvest had been very poor. She didn't know what it was. Either the ground was so sick that even the weeds wouldn't grow, or there was another reason. Five years ago, when Raven had come into the inheritance of her old drunkard father, She hadn't even known what a trap she was in. This mill was last run twenty years ago, and now it was too much to pay tax on a broken old car. Raven was constantly afraid for her children – a charming boy and girl of eleven and seven years old. These people were the only ones for whom she went out every night and listened to the peaceful silence for the sound of hooves in the distance. Will there be black dots on the horizon? This uncertainty was maddening for a thirty-year-old woman whose appearance reflected all these experiences. Her thick, black hair, which she had been so proud of in her youth, had turned to thin and brittle straw, and some of the strands were already silvered with gray. His bright brown eyes were dimmed, and deep lines creased his broad, noble brow. The old beauty has disappeared in a few years, and fear is to blame for all this. Fear not even for her life or her husband, but for the lives of her children, whom she loved more than anyone else in the world. And if it wasn't for that damned mill, they wouldn't be in any danger.On this rainy and cold night are Equal, usually, out on the street. She was well aware that in this weather she would not be able to see beyond their domain, but she still stood for several minutes, trying in vain to see through the heavy rain. But all she could see was the silhouette of the old mill. Once again, a hot wave of anger rose in her soul. Her father bequeathed the mill to her, Raven, the youngest child, who could not renounce his father's will. The older brothers and sisters of Raven led a quiet life, not knowing sadness, not knowing fear. Not knowing the punishers. And these soldiers always came at night, because their actions were not worthy of sunlight. It only made it worse. Raven couldn't sleep well at night, jumping out of bed at every rustle. She knew they were coming for them. With each passing month, their debts accumulate more and more, and the opportunity to pay off at least a small part of them still did not appear. Raven would have run away with her children long ago, no matter what the neighbors or her siblings said. But her husband, who reminded her more and more of his father, promised to deal with all threats and punishers. But the days succeeded one night, and the debts continued to accumulate. Raven no longer trusted her husband. She was disgusted with this man and was very happy that her children were more like her. She was going to run away with them into the wilderness, but she was delaying this moment as much as possible.But it was different before. She chose her own husband, whom she considered worthy of her. How many fans did she have... Very often, young people who were traveling from Kreopl to the black earth region, specially stopped at this mill. Raven remembered that her late mother had rented empty rooms for the night cheaper than in ordinary hotels, and there were a Lot of young people passing by who looked at her with interest and offered to run away with them. But the girl always translated all these courtships into a joke. It must be admitted that she liked many men, and every time she dreamed of traveling, of a noble soldier husband, of what beautiful children she could have. But she never let those dreams turn into reality. Her conscience would not allow her to leave her family, as her two older sisters had done – run away with some noble men who stayed with them for the night. Raven couldn't let her parents die alone. Her feelings of compassion for her poor mother and father led her to a dead end. Therefore, at the age of seventeen, she married a village authority who had been trying to attract her attention since childhood. If she had run off with some young and ambitious man, things might have been different.Not noticing anything suspicious, Raven returned to the house. The first thing she did was check on the sleeping children, who always slept with their arms around each other. She could have spent hours admiring this picture in the dim light of a candle, but she allowed herself only a few minutes of serene calm. The lines on her face smoothed, and her eyes filled with tenderness. Now she looked like a happy thirty-year-old woman, not an old woman.But all good things end quickly. As soon as she kissed the children on the forehead and adjusted their blankets, the old worries returned to her. She ignored the drunken body of her husband, who was sleeping on the kitchen bench. Lately, she always slept alone. And one did all the housework. Raven is used to being the head of the family, pulling on her shoulders not only the children, but also her husband, who has turned from a hardworking person into an alcoholic. But she didn't have the strength to worry about his life, either.With a practiced movement, Raven checked the knife she kept under the bed. If they came for them, she wouldn't miss an opportunity to defend herself. After making sure the knife was still there, Raven tried to calm down and went to bed. The sound of the rain did not relax her at all, but on the contrary, it made it difficult for her to hear about what was happening outside the house. Therefore, during the rain, she sleeps more lightly and most often does not get enough sleep.Sleep did not come to her, despite the fact that she was very tired for the day. Every now and then, tossing and turning in the cold bed, she tried to push away bad thoughts. But they kept getting into her head, so she wasn't particularly relieved when She fell into a half-doze. Once again, a terrible picture appeared before my eyes – the punishers, merging in the night, set fire to their house while everyone was sleeping peacefully. Raven was awakened by a loud knock on the door that shook the walls. Her blood froze in her veins. Panic and animal fear overwhelmed her. She pulled out a sharp knife and rushed to protect the children.The knock was repeated, but Raven didn't open it. She stood in front of the front door, breathing hard and glaring at it. She didn't know how many of them there were, or what they were going to do, but one thing was certain – as soon as the door opened, she would attack them with a knife. She had never been in a fight, but now she was sure that She would take at least one of the punishers with her to the next world.Raven turned to her son, who was standing in the doorway of their room, rubbing his eyes sleepily. The sight brought tears to Her eyes."ACE, go back to your room and close the door behind you. And better prop it up. Hide with Milka and don't make a sound, do you understand me?She didn't want to frighten her son, but who knew how much time they had left. ACE nodded, looked at the knife in his mother's hand, and disappeared into the nursery. Raven turned toward the door, but there were no more knocks. She was afraid that the punishers would climb through the Windows or ... set fire to the house. My hair stood on end at the thought. She managed to wind herself up, but then she heard a hoarse voice from the other side of the door:"I'm not going to hurt you. Open the door."Who are you?" How did you find our house? "I'm not going to open the door for you." If you're looking for an overnight stay, there's a good hotel a few miles away that doesn't charge prices.How she wanted him to go. She is sure that if she lives until morning, she will find new strands of gray hair on her head.There was no response. Raven had calmed down a little when the door opened with a loud Bang. She could only see the silhouette of a man, but she couldn't make out his face or clothes. It was a relief to know that he was alone, but judging by his height and build, she couldn't handle him."Go away! Immediately! The stranger didn't respond to Raven's words, so She continued, " please! I'll do anything, just leave. I'll find the money tomorrow, the whole amount, with interest. I promise, just give me a little more time!Raven knew she wouldn't find the money. She knew very well that she couldn't kill this man. And she also knew that punishers are only animals that have no pity or understanding. The only thing she hoped for was to save ACE and Milka. The more time she wins, the more chances they have to hide and survive."I told you," the stranger entered the house and closed the door, " I won't hurt you."When he raised his face, Raven saw that it was the Punisher. The dark clothing was proof of that. His tanned face couldn't be seen clearly because of the dim light, so the woman was even more afraid."I think you'd better stay in a hotel." You won't feel comfortable being here..."Don't be silly. Fifteen years ago I stayed in this house and everything was fine. Only now my horse should be stabled. We have come a long way, which we will continue in the morning. I'll pay for the night's lodging and a place in the stable.The man's calm tone did not reassure the poor woman at all. He saw this, so he calmly took off the old sword and knife, placing them on the floor. Raven stared at the stranger and couldn't tell if he was lying or not. They would be happy to receive travelers, but recently few people pass this way. And those who pass through, stop at a hotel.Before Raven could say more than a few words, ACE was at the man with an old blunt axe. For a second, the woman was afraid and wanted to grab her son's hand, but the stranger was faster. The axe fell to the floor with a thud,and the boy looked at the Punisher with tears in his eyes."Let him go!" Raven howled when she saw that the guest was holding ACE by the scruff of the neck.She was about to pounce on the man when he casually pushed her son towards the room where his blonde, tearful sister was peeking out."I came here for one purpose only – to spend the night, not to fight. That's how much I paid last time. I'm willing to pay extra for a hot dinner.Raven managed to catch a small bag with a clink of coins in it. Not trusting this man to the end, she sent the children back to the nursery, and she led him to the second floor, to a dusty old room that no one had lived in for a long time."I don't want to sound too curious," Raven said carefully, " but where are you going?" And why don't you stay in a hotel where the living conditions will be much better than here?"When your life is in danger," the man said calmly, " you don't choose a place that's convenient for you. You choose a place that's safe for you.Fear was replaced by curiosity. She wondered what could make this man run, but she didn't let her curiosity get the better of her. Without a word, she showed him the small room and went down to the kitchen to get some food. Her husband was still sleeping on the bench, but neither the knocking on the door nor the loud footsteps had woken him. Her distaste for him grew even greater, so she hurried out of the kitchen, carrying a tray of cold stew for the guest. And she doesn't even know his name. He said that he had stayed here fifteen years ago, but that many people had spent the night in this place, and I couldn't remember Him. She left the tray under the door, alerting the man, and went to put the horse in the stall. She was surprised to see a proud Frisian horse. Usually this breed of horse was used for heavy work. Raven's interest increased, but She still didn't say a word. It seemed to her that this man would say nothing more to her.Nevertheless, the night passed uneasily. She stayed in the room with the children, jumping up at every sound. But in the morning I calmed down. If this man wanted to kill her, he would have already killed her. He made it clear that he was hiding from the law and needed a place to spend the night. So Raven fell asleep at dawn.She slept for several hours, but managed to get enough sleep. For herself, she made the decision to run. Grab the kids and run wherever you want. She can no longer live in perpetual fear. One day they will actually come for them, and then everything will end.- ACE! Milka! When she didn't see the children around her, Raven jumped up.She was scared that the last guest had stolen her children for sale in Katunskoye s*****y. But as soon as she looked out of the window, all doubts were dispelled – her son and daughter were playing in the neglected courtyard. Alive, healthy, unharmed. Relief made her want to cry, which was exactly what she was going to do. Last night was too stressful. But before she could collect her thoughts, there was a polite cough behind her.Raven looked back and saw the stranger. She could see it now in the daylight. He looked to be in his late twenties, tall and tanned. The brown eyes, the dark hair that curled slightly, the straight nose, and even the proud bearing all showed one thing."You are my countryman, aren't you?" Were you also born in the black earth region?Why did she ask that? It doesn't matter who he is, where he's coming from, or where he's going. It was more important for her to know that he would not harm anyone in this house."Yes, I'm from the black earth region. But it has ceased to be a home for me, as it is for you. Fifteen years ago, I stayed at this house, where I was received by Frank and his wife. As your children told me, you are Equal. I can tell you've changed a lot.No matter how hard she tried to remember this man, she couldn't. She never had a good memory, but it never bothered her. Now she wanted to remember this man and understand what he was talking about."I was fifteen years old, Monsieur. Of course, I've changed in such a long time.-Definitely. And the main reason for this is the mill, thanks to which your family did not need anything for several years. Now you can't feed your family, let alone pay your debts..."What are you getting at?" Raven asked rather rudely."You need to run. If you want to save your children, then you will escape. And not tomorrow, but now. I don't know when the punishers will decide to visit you, but this house is clearly the leader among other debtors.Raven suspected this, but when she heard it, she was upset and could barely hold back her tears.-Well. Thank you for the information, " the woman wanted to say goodbye to the guest as soon as possible to start packing quickly, but the man did not leave."You'd better head for Zalesie. They don't send punishers there. Of course, the living conditions leave much to be desired, but your family will be safe, " Raven saw that the man wanted to say something else, but thought about whether to say it or not.-Yes. I've been thinking about it, " Raven said evasively.There was an awkward silence in the room. Raven studied the stranger's appearance – the rough stubble, the dark circles under his eyes, the gaunt face. Then her eyes caught a small scar near her left eyebrow. She had seen this man somewhere! But still the memory has failed her.-Take. I won't need it anymore.Before Raven could blink, the man roughly placed another bag of money in her hands, but it was bigger than the last one.The woman looked at him suspiciously. She tried desperately to remember, but it was all in vain.-Thank You. Thank you very much, " She said, making an awkward curtsy."Good luck," the Punisher tried to smile weakly, but it didn't work out well.I spent half an hour packing. The husband was still asleep, holding an empty bottle. The woman didn't even look at him. She quickly gathered the children, wheeled out an old cart, and harnessed their two old fillies to it. The stranger had been gone for half an hour, and Raven knew that he was heading for Creople or the Midlands. She shouldn't be thinking about this man right now. She must save herself and her children.And when she was desperate to remember this man, memory gave her a gift. A thirteen-year-old boy with a wound near his left eyebrow and serious brown eyes."It can't be..." She whispered....