The Enchanted Wind by Tanya Volkova

Author:Tanya Volkova
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Histria Books
Published: 2022-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Inka timidly sat at the table and put one berry in her mouth. “It may be tasteless; who knows?” thought the girl. The juicy berry burst on her tongue and spread its slightly bitter juice all over her mouth, just as the Nymph had warned. “Hmm… It tastes bitter, but less than dandelions,” Inka remarked to herself, remembering how once, spitting them out in disgust, she was chewing the forbidden leaves, just to see if they would make her stomach ache, as her mother had often said.

“Yummy!” Inka said aloud and reached for the next berry. And then she tried the ruddy yellow pancakes, and winter mushrooms, and dark brown tea with woody taste. The Nymphs were bustling around her, offering more and more new treats.

“Make yourself at home, dear!” Leia continued to admonish, radiating endless cordiality.

“Are you thirsty?” she asked, bending over Inka’s shoulder. “Do you want to drink anything else?”

“No thanks!” Inka refused, feeling shy from such attention.

“Oh, what wonderful hair she’s got!” Leia chirped with delight, gently stroking Inka’s head. “Look, Mia! Her hair is like streams of rain!” she gently praised the girl in a singsong, holding Inka’s hair in her palms. “May I comb it and braid it while you’re eating?”

Inka decided it would be impolite to say No, although she didn’t feel like combing her hair right now. With her mouth full, she nodded in agreement.

“Mia, you see, she agrees!” Leia was delighted with Inka’s decision and carefully took a silver comb with sharpened teeth from one of the shelves.

Suddenly, Inka’s heart fluttered uneasily. Sitting by the window, she felt somebody’s gaze from the forest thicket. With her nose pressed against the window, Inka peered at the predawn dusk with fear. There was someone’s silhouette barely discernible among the trees. Inka cried out in horror.

“Someone is standing and looking at us!”

“It cannot be!” Leia objected sharply, furtively hiding the comb in the folds of her dress. She also moved closer to the window, shortsightedly squinting her huge eyes.

“There, there, see! Between those two pines!”

“I don’t see anything,” Leia muttered uncertainly.

Mia suddenly jumped to Inka and pulled her arm painfully.

“Run!” she whispered loudly and opened the small door in the wall. The room behind it was tiny and completely empty. Confused, Inka was roughly pushed inside, and the door slammed.

It was pitch dark in the pantry, it smelled of unpleasant dust, and in general, it was terrible. Inka wanted to call for help, but all she could perform was a muffled whisper. The girl swallowed a lump in her throat and was about to try to scream again, but suddenly ….

“Knock-knock!” Someone knocked softly outside the door house, demanding to be let in immediately.

“Bang!” They knocked again, louder. And then there was an indistinct grinding, as if someone’s claws were scratching at the front door of the house.

Inka’s eyes saw nothing at all, so she did not even understand whether they were open or not. She tried to turn to the sound and find the

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