autumn-vampires

[autumn-vampires]

[autumn-vampires]

Picture of the void (Ghost)

The candles shrugged, and Ana sensed the presence.

- Those two who are in love have only a single carafe with ether of passion from gods, - a voice said, face in the mirror, - In greed, those two would drink it immediately, making the carafe empty as their souls. But if they would drink gradually, letting each other to make a sip, there always will be a few drops left on the bottom... There, on a border of heaven and hell, even one drop from the carafe can liven a dead heart.

Three girls were stunned. They were trying to call out spirits many times before, but it was only Christmas Eve when he finally showed himself.

Polina anxietly broke a mirror in which his face was reflexing. Seren turned on the light. Mystery night was finally ruined, when Ana burst in laugh:

- Really, you two got so scared??! - she exclaimed when the lamp light hit her in the face. - So pity. He almost answered my quiestion.

She gathered the mirror pieces in which the devil’s face was still shimmering.

- I told you, I’m too nervous for that spirit stuff, - Polina said irritatedly, - I’m going to sleep. Good night.

She disappeared. Seren and Ana exchanged puzzled glances, and then turned off the light again - but the sunrise was already up the window. They had to go asleep before tomorrow.

***

First November frost is elixir of life, it embraces skin better than the sun. And it marks the time to say goodbye, if you was thinking about it.

Autumn devil either murders a man, or he makes him a murderer.

The devil cannot endure love, that’s why its the only way to destroy him...

But Erik didnt think about that. He was making way to school through the old town covered with fresh ice.

Extremely dizzy, he climbed up the last hill. There was no mind to read here, no pressure of gazes, no distracting clots of life energy. Only red piercing grey, only gardens running to mortality.

If there was anything Erik wanted, then it was a release from scrutinize of constant thinking about one girl. She didn’t talk to him since he confessed his feelings and turned into a ghost, a glimpse of whom followed him everywhere from the classroom roofs to the frosty void.

The beauty of silence, is the noise of no words When everything I listen for is here.

The beauty of the dark, is the beauty of you

But nightmares always block the view.

The words came to him suddenly, as if pieces of a few old lines he read somewhere combined into a new one.

***

Ana was there, where she used to be in the morning before school - at the edge near the St Thomas church. Pure flame of sky was redenning above. She was standing straight, looking into the void, blue gaze fixed on its invisible bottom.

The words she heard last night she and her friends recalled spirits (or was it just a distortion of herself in an old mirror?) stuck in her head. “Carafe with ether of passion”. She was only asking if mr Laatsalu loved her, that’s all.

The church clock showed noon with a sonant sound. Someone’s shadow flickered - a voice interrupted:

- Ana?

She straighten her gaze from the void to see one of her classmates. He was awkwardly standing in front of her - a little to close, so that she had to make step back and almost into the void. He was holding hands behind his back in a shy manner.

- Hello, Erik, - Ana said blankly, - watching after me again, huh?

She threw leafs out of her blonde hair - a warning gesture.

- I was just wondering why you are always alone here near the void, - he said in his slow monotonous intonation, which she used to hear at the lessons, when mister Laatsalu - her beloved teacher of philosophy - was giving questions. It was Erik who was always answering first, in this slow tone that made her falling asleep. But now it was making her furious.

- Stop following me, Erik, or I will turn you into a frog. - she cut, walking away from the boy towards the church. His face got darkened, as he clutched a bouquet of a bit frozen roses he was still holding behind his back. He swung and threw them into the void.

 ***

- One! Two! Three! Go!!

The trainer commanded, and the music began.

A raw of teenage girls was standing in a line, making perouettes.

Ana was in a first raw - the slimmest, the fastest. She was looking into the mirror which depicted all of them - pale of too poor lunch and tired of too much exercise, but young and energical. She was dancing, a puffy skirt flying around. her face expressioned nothing but focus on one particular thought. Noone could read it except one particular man. 

The lesson of ballet was going to the end.

- How was it? Did you meet him? - Ana caught questions from all sides in the dressing room. Since the rumour of her going out with a young teacher spread in school walls, she became popular - every girl who was dreaming about mr Laatsalu wanted to be her. Or, if not her, then at least her best friend.

The only girls who asked Ana no questions were Seren and Polina. They waited silently in the corridor, until Ana surrounded by group of admirers joined them, leaving rumorers even more curious about details of flowers which mr Laatsalu brought her, or which perfume she weared for the class of culturology.

She played a dangerous game, and she knew it - but it was a price of her pride.

Only Seren and Polina knew the truth - and someone else, someone who was following them like a shadow.

- Seems like everybody believed it, - Ana said, covering dissatisfaction behind a winning expression. - Even Patty, that ugly fav of him, thinks we are really dating.

- That was a really bright plan! - Seren exclaimed. Only Polina seemes gloomy, and criticising.

- This is no good, Ana, - she said. - I just feel it.

- This is no good, this is no good, - Ana repeated her. - So what? Better than to suffer of his ignoring attitude.

- But... Did you ever think about attracting the teacher’s attention in another way?

- Like what? I STEAL my mothers jewellery to put on for his classes!

- I mean, you could study hard and so on...

- Come on, Polina, - Ana waved with irritation. They reached the classroom, and she ordered her long shiny hair and put on a brilliant smile. - You know nothing about men.

- Probably, - Polina sighed, and stuck her gaze for a moment on Erik’s face as they entered the room. He was looking at Ana, though - the girl took a sit right besides the teachers table.

***

- History of photography runs to just a few years, - mr Laatsalu was talking to the class, looking meditative. He face was flickering in the shadows. Half of class was sleeping, but Ana couldn’t shut her eyes. - I guess not all of you already saw it, but today we will have a special trial.

The sleep was over, everyone got excited when the teacher turned away the surface covering a construction that looked to the children like a telescope.

- This is a camera, - mt Laatsalu explained. He twingled his long fingers around the switch. - Now gather together, because I would like to make one shoot. Boys stand, please, and girls - sit.

Everyone stood up from their places to make a line. It was so new and unusual - only a few of them made photography with their families, not many parents could allow such exclusive entertainment.

Ana was sitting near Polina and Seren - three brightly smiling girls were still there on a picture, when the director stopped his gaze on it 10 years later. He followed Ana’s face with a special attention and... slowly smiled. 

Knock in the door interrupted his thoughts. He shut the album and put it on the highest shelf.

- Come in!

A young man arrived in the doors.

- professor Laatsalu, may I...?

- Come in, come in, - the rector waved his hands impatiently, - What’s the news?

- I wanted to tell thanks that you have chosen me for the position, sir, - young man said, his eyes burning with admire, - Since you taught us, I always wanted to become a teacher!

- So your first day was good, so far?

-  They didn’t like poetry I read them today, except a few girls - but I hope they will learn! Im sure they will...

- Talking about children... - the old man paused, sadness depicted on his face.- Especially taking into account what day is today... I wanted to tell you to be careful. And never - ignorant. Always answer, always find... Time for them.

- Im never ignorant, sir!

- That’s why I took you, - mr Laatsalu smiled. - You dont cross the borders.

When Erik left the cabinet of school rector, excited facial expression faded. Today was a day when ten years ago a catastrophy happened  - a suicide of a student. It was a memory day, and the rector was going to make a speech, and the only thing he asked Erik was.. not to avoid looking into the people’s eyes meanwhile his speech.

***

The void was lighter in the night. It was magnetizing eyes, the air coming out of it was fixing reflexes. Ana breathed in and out.

The girl was waiting. Her face was darker than usually, it was depicting blue spots on the cheeks, as if she was beaten. She wasn’t, although she would like to be rather beaten than ignored.

The shadow arrived near the church.

Tall figure, face is masked.

“Albert“ - Ana whispered, but the shadow didn’t move. It stratched the hand with a note in it - and then disappeared.

“Dear Ana

Unfortunately I can’t come to the date again - have a lot of work.

I send my assistant to give you this note. I’m very sorry.

Yours

Albert Laatsalu“

Ana wraped the paper and closed her eyes. 

It seemed to her that she was getting one and the same not from him every week, as if he wrote them automatically.

It was not the first one she got this semester - but it should have been the last. She will put an end to it - to all of it.

She glanced into the void for the last time before to tear off her foot from the ground with a gymnastical grace.

A shadow rushed to the edge, stretching hand to the dissolving body:

- Ana!.... - Erik called, following its flight by mad eyes.

Too late.

***

- When I came to this school as a teacher ten years ago, I was a slim student with pale face, and with big eyes like those which I see from here, - mr Laatsalu looked over the heads of the crowded yard. More than a half of students was here for a memory day, hapenning every year on Christmas Eve. - and when a student of my first class killed herself just after a few months after I began my job - I wanted to quit.

The crowd was silent. 

- The body was never found out. The last man who saw Ana Leigard alive could be her betrayed friend... But hopefully starting from today, 10 years after the tragedy, he would be a betrayed teacher.

At these words, mr Laatsalu invited Erik to the microphone.

- Since that day, I never fell in love again, - Erik started in a law-voice, holding the microphone with trembling fingures. Avoiding looking into the faces directed towards him. - And soon after I saw that... death, I never wanted to be anyone else but the best friend of children. I learnt that not only from mr Leetsalu, but also... From Ana. It’s as if I was poisoned by love to her forever, until my last days. Though I got married later, one of her closest friends... I could never drink that love potion again.

    After those words, two woman in the first raw of listeners reacted - one with a shrugg, another with a smile. One of them was Polina - Erik’s wife, and another was... Someone whom nobody would recognize. We couldn’t see her face. It was covered with a silk scarf, two blue eyes piercing atmosphere out of it.

- Sometimes, when I pass that void where she threw herself, I see a ghost of a young girl, - he continued in a strange voice. Two blue eyes were piercing him out of the silk scarf - but Erik didn’t notice it. - The girl is dancing a ballet, and then she falls into the void. Every time I go out from work, coming back home. Every winter time.

The eyes were piercing him with intension and he finally noticed her. He lost the thread of a thought - and next moment a few people including Polina rushed to the stage, carrying unconsciouss body of a young teacher who fell down accidentally. 

The mess was going to began, rector started making an order. A woman with blue piercing eyes used the louded noize to leave the yard unnoticed.

- On a border of heaven and hell, even one drop left in the carafe can liven a dead heart.. - the words she has heard 10 years ago echoed in her mind as she sat back into the car. She told driver to go to the Thomas church.

There she stood besides the void for a minutes. Then she made a few perouettes. That were not movements of a young girl talented in a dance - but that were the signs of professional skill and iron mastery.

- To the train station, - she told the driver. He nodded, and the car left the city as silently as it came in earlier this morning.

[autumn-vampires]

Course of

If there is a black ball flying towards our house, the devil has come for you, they say.

[autumn-vampires]

[autumn-vampires]

Linen shadows (Werewolf)

Margaret was beautiful like a rose in a chamomile field - that’s why German called her princess. Though she was not a noble and lived in the village - and German was a son of a merchant who lived in the part of town called Vyshgorod, which meant “Up-land”.

Every full-moon night they were meeting in the garden of a Danish king. From there they could see all down-town opened, like on the palm of Margaret’s hand, bitten with plants she had to pick up during all previous day. She was working in a field when German who took a ride that morning first saw her. Social stratas they belonged to were separated with a void of collective fault and prejudices - but the merchan’ts son crossed it by one jump-down from his horse and approached the girl with a compliment and flower taken off on the way.

They started meeting at a time when the city was quiet and nobody was around, afraid of night wolfes. Those nights noone could see a noble man waiting for a peasant girl. They were sitting under the august trees of Danish king garden, smelling the scent of cinamonn from the closing market.

They watched the lights, and spoke with each other on broken estonian - German’s father was from Norway, and he knew estonian not well. So the words of German were half-understood by Margaret, and Margaret’s speech, poor as she was a peasant and never attended a school, was perfectly understood in German’s ears, as he was reading everything on her beloved face.

- Princess, - he said once, when they were usually sitting under the trees, besides the statue of unnamed Danish warrior - What if we will go to the forest tonight?

- Why? - Margaret asked. German was a first noble human in her life she spoke to, and never knew what he wanted - although she liked his flowers and his deep snake-like eyes.

- To pick up flowers, - German said, and took her hand.

- But I already have enough from you, - Margaret said, looking dream-like. She was in a flume of love. German seemed a little impatient. - Also the gates are closing at midnight, and we don’t have much time. If you will not approach the gated before midnight, German, you will not come back home until the morning. What your father would think?...

- You are right, - German said thoughtfully, - all right, dear, let’s go another night.

As always, he followed her until the gates - and then Margaret went alone into the village where she lived with her parents, and German came back to the Up-town.

Next full-moon night they met again - this time German didn’t offer to watch the moon from the point of view of Danish knight’s statue, but said straightly: 

- Princess, should we go to the forest today?

Margaret didn’t reply, looking at her beloved anxiously. He hold her hand calmly, sensing that something happened.

- Not tonight, German. Yesterday, when you wanted to go in the forest, one of my father’s friends saw a strange creature there - nor human nor animal it was. With hands huge and black like of wolf and with head like of a woman. My father’s friend pushed a narrow out - and the creature disappeared. But I’m still afraid to go there.

Too young and fearless, German laughed at it.

- Don’t worry, princess, no demons will touch you when I’m around, - he added calmly. She put her head on his shoulder, so that her linen hair fell down on his knees, and silently looked at the moon risen up above the down-town. It was all clear, but haze was approaching it from the corner of the forest - German noticed it, but he didn’t tell it to his beloved. Soon they said to each other good night and before the gates were closed Margaret left the town.

***

It was a spooky and hazy night. The church closed earlier than usually - there were rumours running from the village, rumors about a strange murder in the forest. Everyone stayed at home that night - everyone, but not Margaret, nor German.

They met, as always, in the garden, and when German saw Margaret she burst into tears - it was her father’s friend who was killed by the unknown beast she told him about, Margaret said. She was prohibited to go in the city during this night - but she broke the rule, because couldn’t miss a chance to see German.

- I thought, what would it be, if you will come and I won’t? What if you will go to the forest to look for me... And then this creature will kill you! - she started crying again, but he calmed her down, a slight fear of the beast hiding in the forests made him brave. He started telling her about his father’s business and how funny it was to help him selling fish today, and it made her stopped crying, and soon they were laughing together - two children, alone under the sky. They were laughing and teasing each other until he said:

- Listen, princess, murders never happen two nights in a raw, - at least, in fairy tales that I heard. Let’s go to the forest tonight.

He tightly hugged her - and anxiety, which posessed Margaret when he said it previous times, didn’t come. She smiled and agreed - and there they went until the gates, but this time German followed Margaret further.

They walked by silent, hazy road - bbreaking silence with laugh, so that the road became clear like a river.

They reached the first shadowy tree, and the haze became thicker - but German hugged Margaret fearlessly and she didn’t rushed away. Then he got close, closer than in the moments when they were sitting together in the garden - and he kissed her. She felt brave and kissed him too - but not too long, because she heard a strange hissing.

- Watch out! - Margaret exclaimed, there was a snake on the tree behind German - he made a quick movement and the snake rushed into the ground instead of German’s head.

- It’s getting cold, - Margaret said, and freed her hand from German’s. But he hugged her more tight - so that she felt warmth again. Margaret kissed him - and forgot all snakes she’s ever met.

- No evil creatures will separate us, princess, - he said, - but it’s time for me to go home. Almost midnight.

- Stay longer, - Margaret asked, and kissed him into the neck. Hesitating, German hugged her tightly, looking into her beautiful face lighted with linen hair - when a sudden shadow ran over it. German felt that her kiss got more strong and passionate - and before he could realize it, Margaret found the buttons of his jacket and started opening it.

German was half-naked on the warm august night, when he woke up to look at his passionate beloved princess - and found a beautiful sleeping woman he never met before, with bright red lips, huge white teeth and monstrous wolf hands intertwined around him.

Horrified and disgusted, he stood up slowly - not to wake up the monster lying besides him - and put on his jacket. It was a deep black night - during this time all night hunters were sleeping, and German calmly made his way back to the city. He looked back only once - to make sure that the girl whom he loved but who misfortunately turned into the beast was still sleeping, covered by her long linen hair.

Until the noble’s son reached the gates, he felt a sudden pain in his neck - he was pierced by a narrow pushed out from the tower.

- Here it is! Catch the monster!! - the guard exclaimed down to someone - but German didn’t hear it, blood poored into his ears. The last thing he saw were his own hands which he raised to defend his head from the further narrows - they were huge and black, hands of the unknown beast.

[autumn-vampires]

[autumn-vampires]

Heart of loved, piece of dead, and blue rowan (Witch)

- I will see you when all this gold of death would fall.

He said, looking at the yellowing forest leafs.

- Here you go, - she gave him a full jar. - drink. He made a sip and red warmth poured over his skin. She smiled for the first time during the night, opening perfect white teeth. - grape beer,- he said, emptying the jar. A foam was left on his eyellow hair. - made of last blue rowan, - she confirmed, and that was it. Maret and her mother were collecting berries all night before the October was over. Its always over when the last chokeberry is picked up, they said. Arno went into the cold woods and his sister was still standing in the doors, watching him. The town towers were shining in a hundred miles away. A meeting of warriors was supposed to be there - the war was coming. The hunnes were approching the country, and every estonian man and boy should have come to defend the town. Maret and her mother were left alone, in a wooden house, in the dark. Even the wolfs left the area, sensing the blood coming, they all went closer to the city where everything was preparing to fight. There she stayed, watching from the garden into the shining tower lights.

*** Arno was crossing the river, when a horse arrived on his way. It had no rider. The horse was apple-grey, with no sign of fear it stood on the road and watched the man who was slowly crossing the wooden bridge.

It seemed strange to him, until he noticed that the horse had an inverted leg with a blooded scar on it, and that’s why it couldn’t move.  

Without too long thinking, Arno whose mother was a village’s witch and whose sister was a healer took a plaintain from the river side and put it on the broken leg of the horse. Then he made a few movements, and without letting the horse to realize what he did - put the leg in a right position.

Suddenly the horse opened mouth and spoke to Arno: - Thank you, man, for saving my life - you wont regret it. Im starving. Bring me water. Arno brought the watef from the river, and the horse said: - Take me in the town, man. You will not regret it. The mans family was too poor to have horses, and he would be happy to have one. Although the horse seemed too weak, Arno agreed to take the horse at the war. Slowly stepping, they started their way  to the town and with every sunset they were meeting on the road the horse was becoming more strong.

***

Knock knock.

Sleepless night. Someone was kicking the door loudly, and Maret’s mother woke up - Maret could hear her sleepy mumbling behind the stove. The girl approached the inner porch and looked into the small hole to watch who was it there - but there was no man. All that she saw was a dark road shadowed with freezing rain. The road leading into the forest, on which just a few days ago she followed by eyes her brother. Maret shrugged and jumped from the door, because the knock repeated. - what’s that noize, honey? - mothers voice got less sleepy, and Maret shouted her calmly:

- Thats just a night storm, mom, sleep tight! She leaned to the door again and looked into the whole - still nobody was out there. She breathed out and turned the lock. A stranger in red velvet robes was standing in front of her, a hood covering his face.  - Water - he said breathlessly, and fell off on the threshold. He was weak and seemed no danger - Maret led him to the sofa near the stove and brought some water. She took off his hood and saw a thoroughbred face veiled with dark hair. She never saw such dark hair before - only heard about it in fairy tales.

He was very weak and almost didn’t speak. He had an injury on the forehead, and she put a snake’s oil on it, so that man could fall asleep without pain.

Maret was asleep half of the night, thinking of what her mother would say when she will see a stranger in their house. Still he was dressed like a noble man, and mother would be probably glad of his presence. In the morning Maret woke up strangely late - sunrise was on the half of its way, and she rushed into the kitchen, scared that her mother pushed the stranger away.

In the kitchen, her mother was speaking with the stranger who was eating pie which mother was usually baking only for her son. She weared purple dress, as Maret noticed with a slight surprise - however the young stranger didnt attent colors too much, more busy with eating. As soon as Maret signified her presence by quiet *good morning*, the man stood up and made a bow. His dark curly hir almost fell down on the floor, and Maret’s face got brush. In the daylight he was even more handsome than in the night, and much more handsome than peasants sons. However... - why you are not in the town, like other men? - she asked straightly and suspiciously. Her mother shaked her head reproofly:

-  Is that how you greet a guest? Let him at least finish the meal!  Uncomfortable silence fell between three of them, as the man was eating, looking from time to time at Maret who was looking at her plate suspicioisly thinking of who this man can be, and mother who started washing the dishes and then left to the yard. As soon as they were left alone, Maret stopped pretending that she counts pearls in her porridge and asked straightly:

- Who are you? What’s your name? Why are you here? He calmly finished the pie and, looking at the girl proudly,but not without interest, said: - My name is Arthur, - he said then, - Im from the army of norwegians who are coming to your town as a support. However i got lot on the way during the storm, and found your house... and you gladly saved me.im deeply greteful to you, beautiful maidan. - So you are norwegian, who are usually white-haired and blue-eyed, are you? - she continued asking, looking with distrust into his black eyes. - thats right, beautiful, as usually they are, - he said, and uncanny smile opened his teeth for the firs time. He looked younger while he was not smiling, and from this moment Maret sensed that the man has more years behing his back than it seems.

Her mother came back and, ignoring tension wich appeared in the room, said: - Maret, up to the forest for mushroms. Sir, our house will host you as long as you need to get well.

- Thanks, but i will not stay for long. I have to come back to my army until the dark. Telling this, he stood up. - But i would gladly follow your daughter in the forest, so that she would be safe - it’s dangerous now, during the war. What if some hunnes will arrive besides her? - Thanks, i can deal with hunnes by myself. - Maret cut him with the most poisonous intonatiom she could find. She lied, as she could only deal with bears, wolfes and snakes - but not with warriors.

Mother shaked her head in disapproval again and said: - Dont you worry, sir, she is just being proud. You can stay inside.

- No longer, I will go for hunting then, and may be up to bring some foor for the dinner, - he said, and uncanny smile touched his lips again. Maret left the house without a word. ***

A man and a horse entered the town in the early morning. Gathering was in the town square - warriors were sorting the weapons, taking and giving orders. Everything was preparing for the fortress defence. People were in a hurry, and Arno asked someone why everything is not ready yet:

- Hunnes are coming from the north side, not from the southern as was expected! We have to strenghten that side of the fortress! - he heard the answer, and something fell down in his stomach. He thought with a sick feeling that it was the side where his village was. He thought about mother and Maret, and it made him feel better when he started sharpening the sword.

It was his mother’s decision to stay at home, though he insisted that they should join him and go in the fortress to be safe, just in case. But it was useless to argue with the mother.

Almost noone was left in their village - everyone went to the fortress, or found the way to hide. But his family decided to stay.

After all, his mother was a witch, and she always knew what to do, Arno calmed down himself until he almost cut his hand with his too sharpened sword.

His new horse was patiently waiting in the yard, attracting the eyes, as it was a beautiful animal of a breed which was rarely met in Estonia. To Arno’s great relief, the horse stopped talking as soon as they entered the town.

As it was said, the attack began from the south. Feeling more brave as he was on a strong talking horse sensitive to his command, Arno fighted many hunnes.

They fighted until the sunset - then attack stopped, and hunnes made a break. Arno went to feed the horse and left to the warrior’s dinner, where they all soon fell asleep.

In the morning, when sudden alert about the broken wall entered, waking Arno, he went to take his horse - and didn’t find it. The horse disappeared..

***

As it was said, Maret went into the forest to pick mushrooms for healing potions which her mother and she were usually making during that part of the autumn.

She was walking alone, taking the white mushrooms and brown cap boletouses, when a man arrived on the road.

He was brown-haired and black-eyed - but it was not Arthur. The man started slowly moving towards Maret with a strange smile, by which she realized that he was up to no good. She immediately took out of her hem a knife and stood frozen, watching the stranger’s movements attentively.

He didn’t speak a word, and to scare him Maret started hissing snakish - it made the man hesitating for a second, and in the next moment she attacked him, putting a knife besides his neck.

- Who are you and who is your friend settling in my house?! - she hissed to his earring, and pushed the knofe closer to his dark skin. - Answer me, hunne!!!

The man screamed, and suddenly from the trees Arthur arrived.

- Go away from here! - he shouted to the man on the language MAret never heard before, and the man pushed Marta away with sudden energy and hided beyond the trees.

- So, - Maret said, looking at Arthur attentively, - Was it one of your friends I’ve almost killed, right?

Arthur raised up his hands, chuckling. He was obviously stronger than the man who just ran away, Maret realized it but still hold the knife in front of her. 

- I’m no danger, beautiful, - he said, - You just scared one of my band-mates, that’s right, but I don’t want to scare you, trust me.

- I won’t trust you! - she shouted at him. - Why should I? Go away and leave us alone.

- I will, If you want me to, witch, - Arthur said in a bit disappointed tone, - but first let me tell you a hunne’s fairy tale...

***

The grey-apple horse, who suddenly sensed the presence of her true owner, ran away from the fortress to the outside, where hunnes have been.

- Heya, this is the horse of Arthur! - someone exclaimed, - Where is this bastard, anyway?

- He is looking for the witch in the forest, - someone replied, - all witches must be burnt tonight. By the order of the priest.

- But all witches must be in the fortress, arent they?

- He thinks that real witches would stay where they power is.

- Hmmm, well, but horse is really crazy....

And it was. The horse was looking for her rider among the black-haired warriors, and when she didn’t find him - as if it could understand human’s speech - it ran away into the north forests...

***

Maret was running hard. It was getting dark, and she was stepping over mushrooms, berries and snakes. Her skin was hit by sharp leafs, and she was falling down a few times - but still raising up, not to lose the speed. The hunne was following.

When he wanted to tell her a “story” and tried to touch her skirt, she hit him with a knife into the face, making a deep uglifying line between the eyes. He screamed and got angry - she just ran away, as far as she could. Poor mother, she thought. What if he will come back for her...

That idea stopped her.

She didn’t hear steps of Arthur anymore - black, unbreakable silence of evening plants surrounded her. She learnt how to listen to that silence - and catch the whisper of foxes. Mother taught Arthur and her to understand animal’s language. She was listening - but only a strange, far away voice of crying bird came to her. She raised her head - it was a gull. It was crying about the blood of fallen warriors, about tears of mothers, daughters and sisters who were losing their husbands, fathers and brothes at the heavy fight with dark, empty-hearted, bloodthursty warriors of the cross.

Maret made her way back home, to make an attempt to defend her mother - and on her way she met two wolfs. They were crying, like the gull did, and Maret asked what happened:

- Our mother was killed at the war with hunnes, because they wanted meat, - the little wolfs said. - They were hungry, and they ate her.

- Go with me, and I will feed you, - Maret said, and the wolfs followed her. Then she met a grey-appled horse - and it was crying too. Maret asked what happened - and the horse said that it lost its rider, and without a rider the horse’s living makes no sense.

- What your rider looks like? - Maret asked.

- Black-haired, black-eyed my rider was, - the horse replied. - I was saved by another rider - white-haired and blue-eyes, but he didn’t want to talk to me, and I left him.

Maret was thinking quickly. Who else could be able to understand the horse’s speech?

- Did you meet a peasant? - she asked the horse. - He is tall and silent?

- Very silent, indeed, - the horse replied, and Maret felt her heartbite jump as she thought about brother. - but he saved my life and I promised to pay him with the same, and still - I ran. I cry about both of my riders.

- I will show you your true rider, - Maret said, - but promise me not to cry if I kill him. I’m a sister of the man who saved you.

The horse went silent, and Maret took its silver bridle. Two wolfes, a horse and a girl went to the village, when Maret started feeling the smell of fire.

Bad sense posessed by her. She jumped on the hrey-appled horse and whispered into its ear: “Follow the fume”. Two wolfs ran besides them.

When they reached the house, Maret couldn’t see anything because of fire. The garden was burning. The house turned from eyellow to black. A group of hunnes was around it, laughing and chuckling - they were carrying the old woman, Maret’s mother, out of the burnt house to the burning fire which they made in the center of the yard. Crying, screaming, defenceless woman. Maret rushed her horse straightly to the men - and kicked one of them with her knife. Her mother was freed - and she ran back into the house, while Maret was fighting others. Wolfs attacked Arthur when he arrived from the house, eating pies - pieces stuck in his throat when he pierced one of the animals with his sword, and another one attacked the hunn into the neck - so that he fell down dead and black as earth.

It was only then that Maret jumped from the horse and rushed into the house to find her bleeding mother. She was hurt by one of hunnes, hurt in the stomach.

- They wanted to kill old witch, - she was whispering, - those devil crusaders... They were looking for their god in a wrong place...

Maret’s thoughts got mixed, but then she remembered blue rowan. The berries of which her mother made the beer, which costed in town more than precious stones shipped from Norway. Maret ran into the cellar which didn’t burn, to take a few berries which were still fresh - as she froze them to make some potion if her brother would come back and hurt. She went to kitchen - everything was ruined, but Maret still could recall the receipt. The old witch was mumbling in delirium, as Maret fixed the hurt so that blood wasnot pouring.

“Heart of love, piece of death, and blue rowan” - she recalled the words which her mother used to repeat when she was making that potion. She repeated them again, and then rushed to the dead corpse of Arthur to cut hair from his head. Then she cut a heart of love out of chest of the dead wolf - as it was her mostly adorable creature... She mixed it with a berry of blue rowan, and the mixture touched the old woman’s skin - and she fell asleep, her breath got deeper.

Maret went out of the house ruins and watched the half-burnt forest and earth,  November covering it with blooded carpet. Trees lost its deadly gold, and through the thinned woods Maret saw that the fortress got darker of hunnes who filled it. The wolf was sleeping on the ground besides his dead brother. The grey-apple horse was standing besides his dead rider.

- Now that two of my riders are dead, you are the new one, - Maret heard the horse’s words. The gulls were screaming above the forest, when the young witch on the grey-apple horse went to the fortress taken by crusaders.

[autumn-vampires]

[autumn-vampires]

Letters from the burnt shire

They have theory of mind and no empathy. They are fearless, doubtless and tied to noone.

They live in the part of land behind black forest crones. They were crusaders alienated by their holy order. They settled down in the land which was on their way. They were forgotten there, in the western fields where they came from. They were alien here, in the nordic forests which they seized. They are moving from one village to another, looking for peace and meeting war until they settled in the southern area - in the place on its border, on the black earth.

Along the years they were building a shire which was known as prosperous and rich, before they reached the 

[autumn-vampires]

Martin’s first midnight (Vampire)

Louise lived in a wooden house on the edge of the countryside, near the cemetery. Crosses were reflected on the walls around the house in the night. Ghosts were visiting its roof in the morning, before the birds in a cage wake up to start singing them away.

- shhhhhh - she said, opening the small round cage from which the chirp was coming. Little blue doves flied up and sat calmly under the roof. First she will feed them, then she will catch one and tie a piece of paper with a few ink lines to the bird’s leg. - go to the village, - Louise will whisper, and let the dove out of the window. It will fly across the forest, to the village, into the window of another house, more poor and built of logs, where a girl will find the bird pecking the pieces of meat left on the kitchen table. She will take off the letter from the dove’s leg and after a glimpse on it - close her mouth not to let the scream of delight out. She will quickly scrib the answer on the other side of the paper and send the dove back with it.

- what’s that noize about, Piret? - an old woman would enter the kitchen to find a child who was just gloomily eating dinner jumping near the bonfire and clatching the pots with a spoon, with a happy smile. - just good mood, granny, - she would reply, and stop jumping. - go for the wood and mushrooms, clumsy, - old woman would bark and disappear in the yard. The gloomy shadow will come back on the pale face of the girl only for a moment, until she will remember the lines of the letter which still were printed in front of her eyes - “tomorrow, at midnight, near the well. And take your little brother”.

The dove made almost a half-way through the forest towards the wooden house near the cemetery, when a sudden stone kicked it’s little head. The bird fell down, breathless.

- HA! - the boy shouted, and his friends rushed to pick up the letter. - She writes to him again, I told you! Those dannish are not leaving us alone!

He was talking about dannish who settled on the ground against their will. 

He was meaning his girlfriend who fell in love with one of the foreigners.

Jealous, he broke the envelope to see the line about the appointment.

- I knew it! Piret is gonna meet with that guy! Why she’s gonna take her brother, though,,,,?”

His friends gathered around the letter, reading and rereading the lines. Puzzled, peasant’s children soon started making their way back to the village - it was getting darker.

***

     Slim, black-eyed and red-mouthed, all in black hoods. They were gathering besides the forest well every year, at the same October midnight, since very first of them set in the village. After the coming of crusaders it was, after the fight on the frozen lake. Danes set their own village here, and then it began - disappearances every year. Gathering in the forest, followed by a sacrifice.

Louise was the only woman without a hood on her head crowned with hair red like last autumn cowberry. She was greeting everyone with touch besides the shoulder, slowly moving through the crowd of her brothers and sisters, speaking quietly about unusually starry night, and annoying priest who required someone’s child for epiphany, and someone’s newborn, and someone’s wedding. The only children among them were a little boy and an older girl, standing aside, looking excited and scared. Louise was moving towards them.

- Im glad that you got my letter, dears, - she said, smiling widely, - It’s not so cold, - telling this, she touched their hoods and they fell down, opening two white curly heads. Talking behind them stopped, everyone’s eye turned to the children. She straightened her back and left them to the bonfire which started getting brigther.

- Greet Piret and Martin, - she said. - Our new friends.

She led them through the crowd of dark-eyed, straight-haired, wide-shouldered men and women. She led them to the well where every year they were making a sacrifice - blood and meat, for those who were always hungry, and who never let this hunger out. It was their rule, set by Louise who was the only heir of the clan - the only daughter of their leader killed at the war when he led them here.

They never touched people, those snake-like white-haired strangers at whose grounds they settled.

Never, except one night - dark, wet october night when they gathered near the well.

- Bring the sacre, - Louise commanded, and a few men went out of the thick bringing a not huge bear who tried to defeat himself beating by legs. Everyone was staring at the animal with their black wided eyes. They breath got faster, they surrounded the bear brought to the bonfire.

- Now, - Louise said, and Piret closed eyes of her bother so that he couldn’t see the murder. A flight of knife - red liquid spread on the grass, and the bear didn’t move anymore.

Piret used to watch as her grandmother was killing chickens for the dinner - but it was not allowed to kill such a rare animal as bear which was always a friend of men. Martin opened his eyes and looked at the dead animal without fear.

- When we can drink blood, sis? - he asked simply, looking at Piret who was stood frozen still horified. Louise was pooring blood out of the animal’s vein into the glasses, and giving them away to the vampires who were giving it to each other. The silence fell down, everyone was drinking without a word. Black eyes got narrowed again, mouthes got more slim and red. The faces got paled - Piret’s was the pallest. When the glass reached her, she waved:

- I cannot drink it, - she whispered, but it was only Martin who heard her. He took the glass and made a greedy sip.

- Good boy, - Louise said, looking gladly at the drops of venom pouring down the boy’s chick. - Delicious, isnt it?

- Salty like tomatoes with cheese, - the boy mumbled, but worried for the sister, he didn’t finish the glass and gave it further to the hungry vampires standing besides him. 

Piret felt the wave of disgust rising from the bottom of her chest when she was looking at the dark, creepy creatures, drinking bear’s blood. IT was in order to prevent murders of people, she knew it. But she still didn’t know - who were they? Why did they come? Why they settled here?....

- Dear, - soft voice of Louise bring her back to the ground lighted by strengthening fire. - IF you want, you can try human’s blood first.

- I... - Piret started, but one of the man who brouht the calf approached Louise, and she took his hand. Then she slightly cut it with invisible knife that she took from her pocket.

A few red drops arrived on the skin of the peasant, looking at Louise with admire.

- Drink it, dear, - she said to Piret, - and you will know no hunger or anger soon.

Piret shaked her hand and suddenly grabbed hand of her brother, starting to move away. Vampires surrounded them, laughing and smiling without aggression.

- Look at them, - Louise laughed, - Where will you go?

Your brother is almost one of us. Just have to wait until the morning.

- No, no, - Piret was saying, shaking all along her body, trying to move away - but the circle of dark-eyed creatures closed around her. Martin was helplessly following her, not knowing whether he should support his sister or laugh with the others.

Sudden threatening voices broke the laugh off.

Heads turned around - one of the vampires fell down of the wooden arrow stuck in his neck. Panic began. The creatures rushed away, attacked from the different sides of darkness - Piret and Martin left the circle, rushing through the forest. From the distance they saw peasant men, priest among them, grabbing Louise in the net.

Vampires were screaming, but - ancient and slim, they couldn’t stand the fight of young fresh-blooded humans. The villagers dislodged them further towards the cemetery and started kicking by narrows from one side - vampires had no chance but run, run deeper, further, through the field, to the other grounds, the other villages.

Piret and Martin stood, frozen, watching the fight and run of the vanpires from the other side of the forest. They were dark-eyed and slim-mouthed. Easily recognizible on the any ground, in contrast to the curly, white-skinned humans who were still firing arrows towards the running. Humans who never caught doves, or killed bears, or knew why in October green is wearing off and red is permanent.

[autumn-vampires]

trail of cardamon (Devil)

Grey eyes of little thief. Skin shining like grass. Blood tasting with spice. Last day of Oskar would seem to him the most beautiful in his life. He was moveless on the carpet of velvet petals. Black-haired girl touched his pulse again - breathless. He will never laugh again, never walk her through the forest and never speak.

- Oskar! 

- To the lake!

Terrifying screams were approaching from the side of a village. The girl wiped her mouth and covered her head with green hood. She glimpsed at the pale boy for the last time before to indeep into the forest.

Her way was never crossed by night animals. Wolfs and bears feared her as much as she was feared of mothers who were in overprotective love with their sons. Unlike wolfs and bears, she had no mercy to the objects of her fear. The only creatures meeting her on the road were snakes, with their emerald backs glimpsing in the suffocating darkness. They were disrespected by humans since long time, but the girl still remembered their language - slowly hissing, she asks to help her to hide. The snakes who were beaten by shovels and rakes many times, move towards the way of those who forgot the fear. The crowd looking for a peasan’t son is approaching the body, and at that moment snakes appear in front of them on the path like a tangle of horror, hissing warningly, until a leader of seekers would command "seems like its a home of worms, back to homes everyone!".

- but it will disappear until the morning light! - a woman would exclaim - the boy’s mother.

- we will find the monster tomorrow. - he will tell her to kill anxiety for five minutes before they reach wooden house, where she will put body of her beloved curly child on the deck. The village’s witch will gaze at the boy for a minute and say: - No blood left. its a ghoul’s business.

People will shrugg and then start hissing, talking, crying. - we have to tell to the duke in the morning! - oh he will be angry - he thinks its the wolfes! - wolfes dont drink blood..

  Crying gets louder - broken woman is leaning to the boy, until a fair-haired girl leads her mother out of the noizy porch.

***

The duke of Niino is sitting at the table where he used to have breakfast with his daughter. He is lost in thoughts. Despite the daylight, candles are burning around. Both of them are wearing black, the servants standing besides the doors are in white. When the sun moves the curtains, the duke rises the glass with white liquer. Medicine already dissolved in it, and he says with a tremble on the bottom: - To the mother. The girl rises up her glass with the same liquier and noddes in sorrow mixed with the delight. It was the day her mother died - she still didnt remember why. While her father makes a sip the girl puts the glass away and starts absently looking at the puding. - something wrong, dear? - her father asks, looking at her across the table.

- Im not hungry today - she says, looking straightly. - I had bad dreams. - Celebration of Midsummer went loud today, - the duke breathed out. - and untill the early morning. It seemed to me unusually, just like 10 years ago when... when... - when mother died, - she helped, rising black curly head. She was tired, she wanted to go back to her room. - I will go to draw, - she said. - Your new music teacher is coming in a minute, darling, - he said with a new tone of strictness that cut her hearing more than ever. She completely forgot. - ok dad - she said quietly. - where is the last one?

- he got sick and retirded, - the father breathed out again.

- oh, why they always get sick, - the girl said wondering, and she really was.

 She left the dining room and almost ran into the butler. - sir, - he said, approaching the duke, - bad news, sir. A murder. Just like 10 years ago, sir. Parents of the boy want to meet you. The girl stopped on her half-way and turned back. Until the door closed, she watched grey eyes of the duke that got wet glimpse of sorrow when he raised his white head. - Rauno, let them in immediately, - he said.

She shut the door of her room. She didn't want to see the sorrow on her father’s eyes which, she knew, would grow more and more today. Yesterday she waited until the house fell asleep and went through the forest into the village, to celebrate Midsummer night. If the father would have known - he would be even more sad.

Sense of no hunger followed her, new and unusual. She looked better today - as if she her eyes were drawn in brighter lines.

The spots of red cardamon drink were left on her scarf - it was the only trace of the Midsummer night.

Sudden wave of tears covered her. She rushed to the hall, threads of black hair crumbled along her dress.

She didnt know him, they met in the night when the bards started playing ukulele and flutes. She was dressed like peasant, he was looking like a robber. Celebrating men and women were throwing wooden furniture into the big bonfire which was becoming bigger. She and the peasant boy first got lost in a crowd of their peers who were besotted of heady herbs and surrounded the bonfire in a dance. Then he led her through the forest, telling that there is a lake. When they approached it, she didnt remember what she did. The next memory was painful morning opening her eyes, and the skent of spice.

[autumn-vampires]

Noble blood

- What is there, behind magnetic image of some human? May be better not to look. Better to stay on a distance and never discover the stone of your own disappointment or worse - rejection of the miserable creature.

How many of such stones did you get? Me - more than my years, which I didnt count. Each one always seems the last, until the next one comes. What do you do with them? Collect them? Throw out? How do you heal those blue bruises on your elastic skin? Once I met a man with aristocratic face. He suck blood out of my aorta, and I became one of them. Those who feel everything and nothing, those who break the stones and collect precious hearts. Those who never scream or laugh, who never live or die. - How many people did you draw?       She was blonde and tall. She was speaking slowly. The only part of her body messaging that she was not young were dark piercing eyes.

     Her name was Silvia and she was the first vampire I’ve ever met. 

- First love never dies, - she continued after a few hazy cigarette rings. - So it didn’t for me. I lived dramatically ever after with my lover until he asked me not to look for him, as he was going to die alone. It’s impossible for vampire to die easily, you have to make a special potion of a blood of innocents, so he went for them and I never saw him again. I hope he rests in peace. The man was ancient like Caesar.

- He was from that time?

- He was born before the Christ coming..

***

She counted them once more: 21 pearls and one is missing. How pity.

Anyone could steal it, and Silvia went down to the Hall to ask children.