Dedicated to Alexander Kolmogorov
This fairy tale unfolds in a fantastical world where owls rule, werewolves roam, and humans – warriors of light – uphold the balance of existence.
Svyatoshar and his team of geologists are among these guardians of harmony.
One day, the werewolves decide to trigger a catastrophe on Earth. Unintentionally, their sphere of influence captures Zarina – a young woman carrying out her father’s final command in the Valley of Tusi-Pa.
Demons lure Zarina into a trap.
Can she follow her father’s wisdom and escape the demons’ snare?
Chapter 1. Black and White
In one mountain valley, autumn had arrived.
The copper mountains, fastened together like pyramid rivets on spikes holding heaps of giant boulders with the spacious valley, now seemed like black silver. Evenly shaded on one side by larches and cedars, they tried to see their reflection in the waters of the river winding through the valley like a snake, but this seemed impossible due to the fast, rumbling current.
The monotonous hum of the swiftly flowing water over the pebbles was clearly audible even in the white stone house standing on the outskirts of the village.
Zarina woke up early and realized that today was the "Sun Trine Moon" position. Now she liked everything in this house:
the windows covered with carved shutters, where pots of red geraniums could be seen;
the washbasin with a towel hanging on it, located next to the massive front door painted blue from the inside.
She liked that this massive door opened into spacious vestibules, with walls lined with varnished wooden boards. Part of the walls was decorated with a selection of ballet posters. On the nearest poster sat the dance master Mahmud Esambayev in an Indian costume as the Golden God, in the middle – a pair supporting each other from the ballet "Don Quixote," and on the far one – an incredibly airy beauty in a white tutu from the ballet "Swan Lake." On the opposite wall was a whole collection of greeting postcards glued to the wall with clay. Following the postcards was a picture gallery made from the center pages of women's magazines, whose illustrations were masterpieces of world painting. Further, Zarina’s eyes were presented with a selection of beautiful pictures cut from candy box lids. There was a trio of horses harnessed to a sleigh, a girl named Marysya in a romantic outfit of ruffles, lace, and a hat, and a view of a capital theater. There were also several bouquet compositions.
Along the vestibule walls stood several long homemade tables covered with oilcloths, on which stood a battery of both washed three-liter jars turned upside down, and "to-go" jars closed with lids and filled with fresh milk.
Next to the separator, Zarina saw a tub filled with shanyga pastries stuffed with potatoes and fresh dill. This tub was covered with a linen towel.
Casually grabbing one shanyga, Zarina walked through the vestibule and out the veranda door into the yard and smiled. Something was moving past her along the garden paths from the barn to the exit. A creature with a black furry body, a short neck, and small paws was adorned with a practically ballet tutu of black-and-white quills at the waist and a similarly whitish halo around the head. The shuffling pink nose of the creature seemed snub-nosed in profile. Sadly half-closed eyelids, glancing at Zarina, flashed with the glow of the rising sun and indifferently slid further, searching for a suitable exit from the yard.
A terribly silly grimace appeared on the hedgehog’s face. Then the creature proceeded past the porch with an unruffled, simple-mindedly puzzled expression, muttering a song Zarina had never heard before: "Hawks psedo ije gla," and, turning off the paths into the juniper bushes, disappeared.
