5

A dream, just a nightmare, nothing more. His eyes were closed, but even through his eyelids he could feel the bright rays of the sun hitting his face. The skin was gently touched by a warm breeze, the nostrils caught the smell of grass and some meadow flowers, the carefree chirping of birds could be heard.

I did not want to open my eyes, the eyelids were very heavy. He lifted them with difficulty and immediately turned his head to one side, escaping from the sun's rays. Grass stalks swayed in front of his face, tickling his skin. It was surprisingly good and peaceful, especially after the nightmare that I had at night. hmm . Why then the feeling of dull pain spreading throughout the body? And there was also some incredible weakness that prevented him from opening his eyes to the end.

So was it a dream? From his mind, suddenly, as if a veil was pulled off, still intoxicating the brain, his thoughts became clear, and all sensations became aggravated to the limit. Only grass, a meadow, simple nature had just surrounded him, and now there was a knowledge that fifty steps away there was something else - a cold, lifeless wall of alienation that separated two worlds - the living and the dead.

Reeta's border! Too close, close! He felt it with his whole being, absorbed it with every cell of his body. A tight wave of air ran over his skin, penetrated his muscles, froze the blood and pulled, pulled, called ....

Yarsi bit his lip and groaned muffledly. The obsession instantly disappeared, as if it had let go, but the knowledge that the Border was near continued to put pressure on the brain. From the other side, it was as if a cold wind was blowing and enveloping the body with the icy breath of lifeless emptiness.

There was no sleep! Yarsi groaned again. Vivid images of a nightmare flashed through my mind. At night, he did not feel fear, and now some strange belated horror rolled over, which he had never experienced in his life. But the horror is not that he could die, but HOW to die.

An involuntary shiver ran through my body. And yet now he is not in Reet, near the Border, but not in Reet. It just couldn't be, she won't let her victims go. Only very strong, powerful sorcerers with hidden knowledge are able to cross the Border and return back. So the sorcerer pulled him out.

Someone's footsteps were heard.

– Woke up? - the stranger's voice was not senile, but on the contrary - young and perky.

Yarsi tried to raise his head to look at his savior, and immediately dark circles danced before his eyes. The whole body responded with unbearable pain, a chilling wave dug into the consciousness and instantly turned off the perception of reality.

The second time he woke up from a feeling of bitterness in his mouth. The edge of the mug was wedged between his teeth, and a cold liquid poured into his mouth, bitter and stinging his tongue. In order not to choke, Yarsi took two involuntary sips and immediately coughed, trying to escape from someone's strong hands. Hands held his head and forcibly unclenched his teeth, pouring new portions of the nasty liquid into his mouth.

“Calm down, this is the medicine,” said a familiar voice. “The more you drink, the better for you.”

Bitterness burned, pinched the tongue and scratched the throat. Yarsi coughed, breath was not enough, tears flowed from his eyes.

- Okay, let's consider that enough, - he was released.

Yarsi rolled onto his side and doubled over in another fit of coughing. Then he tried to catch his breath for a long time, noting with surprise that he could move. There was almost no trace of the recent weakness. And if it weren't for the pain still throbbing all over his body, and the numbness in his right hand, he could say that he feels good...

He finally straightened up and sat down on the grass, looking around. A narrow lawn stretched around, very close to the beginning of the forest. And after a few rows of trees, the border of Reeta rose up like an inexorable wall, which he still felt just as clearly. Yarsi shifted his gaze to the one who had saved him. The stranger was sitting by the fire, stirring something in a cauldron on the coals.

He looked not much older than Yarsi himself. Eighteen or twenty years, no more. Thick black hair went down to the shoulders, the skin was dark, but the eyes were the opposite - light, green, unusual eyes, very bright, burning as if from the inside. And not quite the right facial features, which are distinguished by some kind of wild, hidden beauty.

This young man could be anyone, but Yarsi would never have mistaken him for a sorcerer. There are no sorcerers with such broad shoulders, such arms intertwined with steel muscles and such a landing of the head. And the look is not filled with that sad wisdom that distinguishes even the students of sorcerers, but burns with mockery and recklessness. And he was dressed more like a hunter - in a solid, practical suit, with a traveling cloak draped over his shoulders. But Yarsi did not see a sword or a bow, only a dagger in a sheath could be seen on his belt.

The stranger looked up at him, his green eyes twinkling merrily.

- How are you feeling?

“Almost normal.” Yarsi coughed again, his voice was hoarse, his throat tickled. Thank you, of course, but what have you poured into me? I've never tasted something like this!

The stranger smiled.

- But it puts the dead on their feet! I made this one myself, it works great. Of course, it does not relieve all the pain, but it restores strength.

- Dead? - muttered Yarsi and looked at his own body. A tight bandage covered the right shoulder, the hand could not be moved, but the fingers moved. The sleeves on both arms are torn and soaked with blood, the shirt is torn and also covered in blood. Only rags were left of the trousers, through which solid lacerated wounds were visible. Yarsi shuddered at the sight of himself.

- I treated all the wounds with ristor juice, it disinfects well and stops the bleeding almost instantly.

“Uh-huh,” Yarsi shuddered again, he heard about the juice of the ristor - a plant of the dead forest, Reeta, only the most experienced healers dared to use it. Yes, it was very effective, but one extra drop turned the medicine into the strongest poison.

Apparently, the stranger noticed Yarsi's worried look and immediately explained.

Don't worry, I know how to use it.

- Are you a doctor?

- Not really.

So a sorcerer.

- Not quite either. Let's just say I have some ability.

Yarsi snorted.

- With only a few abilities, it is impossible to get out of Reeta, and you also pulled me out! By the way, I have to thank you for saving me, can I get your name?

- Matzher. As for your salvation, it's too early to talk about it.

- What do you mean? We're not in Reet. The border is near, but we crossed it.

Matter nodded.

- Do you feel it? border?

“Y-yes,” a cold shiver suddenly ran through Yarsi's body, a bad premonition stirred in his soul.

- Did you feel it before? Until tonight?

Yarsi shook his head negatively and involuntarily grabbed his wounded shoulder, feeling a deathly cold slowly spreading from the wound all over his body.

“I was bitten by a werewolf,” he said without any emotion, only a real storm raged in his heart. I wanted to howl and scream in anger. No, he didn't get out of Reeta, she didn't let him go. They don’t return from Reeta, she stayed with him, in himself. Here and now, he is part of it. Forever.

“Werewolf,” he repeated in a dead voice, and looked thoughtfully at Matzher.

– An interesting reaction.

Do others react differently?

– There were no others yet, you are the first one I pulled out of Reeta. By the way, what's your name?

- Yarsi. And was it worth trying to drive away the undead and drag me through the forest?

“Would you rather be torn apart and eaten?” In my opinion, a lousy death.

Yarsi smiled bitterly.

I think so too, but what's the alternative? Who am I now? Future werewolf? Or is it no longer future and you can immediately run to Reeta?

Matzher shrugged his shoulders and removed the pot from the fire. Yarsi noticed that a tight-fitting leather glove concealed his right arm up to the elbow.

“The conversion has just begun, and until the first full moon you will remain human. You have seven more days.

Yarsi involuntarily lowered his head. Ha, seven days of life. Well, there wasn't even that last night. But even now he can consider himself a dead man, seven days will not change anything. That's just during this time you can try to find out who gave the order to start hunting for him. Or you can try to meet with your father to look into his eyes for the last time, or visit your mother, as he wanted from the very beginning.

Yarsi clenched his fists, at least something, before ending his journey in this world.

“So be it,” he said hoarsely, and looked at Madger intently. Thank you for that, but then what? Will I become a werewolf? Will I start attacking people? I'm not in Reet.

She will call you, and you will not be able to resist her Call. But I do not advise you to go far from the Border. In your quest to return, you will tear apart anyone who gets in your way.

“I don’t want to be a werewolf.” Yarsi stared blankly at the forest. - Don't want…

He was silent for a moment, then turned to Matzher.

“Can you kill me in a week?”

He grimaced, and for the first time the mockery disappeared from his eyes.

“For your age, you take death too lightly.

“I said goodbye to life last night, I didn’t know that you would give me seven more days. I'm sorry to intrude, but since you pulled me out of the teeth of the undead, then you have to finish everything.

"Good thanks," Matzher's eyes became very thoughtful. - And what are you, let me know, going to do these seven days?

I have some unfinished business.

- Far away from here?

- In Erealde.

Matzher whistled.

- The journey in one direction will take five days, and this is if you go non-stop.

Yarsi clenched his fists.

Are you saying that I won't make it?

“I want to say that you should not move away from Reeta.

"I'm not going to become a werewolf, and I'm not going back to Reeta!"

- You have no choice.

Yarsi jumped to his feet in one movement and immediately staggered, but managed to resist.

"So you refuse to help me?"

Matter nodded.

“I'm sorry, but I'm not going to kill you.

Well, I'll find someone else. I think that any warrior, knowing that I will soon become a werewolf, will want to kill me.

And let's not forget about mercenaries either. They also get paid for it.

“Hmm, you’re right, any person, for the sake of their own safety and the safety of their loved ones, will want to take your life. But there is one catch, my friend, it is one thing to want, another thing to be able to. None of the people, Yarsi, can kill you now. Such is the nature of a werewolf. This is a very strong and almost invulnerable creature. Even if you don't resist, but trust me, you can't just stand by and wait to be finished off, no one will mortally wound you. Their blows will only cause the rage of the werewolf, and you will begin to kill. Kill everyone. Without parsing.