Chapter 34 - Kaverinka on Ilya's Day

General Summary

After the Yokels finish their nightly repose, the mushrooms return, only to find that their master has been slain. At this, they begin to plead with the party so that one of them replaces him as the The Forest Tsar, especially since Vasilisa had already threatened to take the forest away. Chonkorchuk tries to convince them they don't need a tsar, but they insist that without a tsar, they are nothing. When he suggests bringing back a creature similar to their tsar that he met in the The Otherworld, they say that another tsar from another domain would simply be a tyrant - what they want isn't any tsar, but their own tsar. What they really want is a changeling who can be raised among them, to become the leshy when he grows. Drazhan groans - he has already sworn to give away a firstborn to Grandfather Frost if he goes back on his oath to him. But Plamen, ever-eager to give away children, promises that they will look for a suitable candidate. The mushrooms agree to give the tsar's magical sack in exchange for a promise to find a replacement. Chonkorchuk confirms that it is indeed enchanted, and one of them explains that if its keeper recites the magic formula "two out of the sack", two servitors will appear. Plamen looks in the sack, and after finding nothing, places a rock in it. The mushrooms tell him to be careful with it. After receiving the sack, the Yokels depart. They look for the tracks of the riders who led them to the tsar's thicket after taking their silk. the tracks seem to circle around, and lead back in the direction the party came from. Vasilisa proposes following the tracks to learn who those men really were, and to take back their silk, but Chonkorchuk says that it's not worth it, since the riders they saw outnumbered them, and in any event, doubling back to chase them is not worth it. In the end, the party continues on to Kaverinka. Along the way, Drazhan starts to feel sick, likely because of the mushroom he swallowed, but he is healed by Plamen, so the group can proceed. On the evening of the second day after leaving the mushrooms, they reach Lake Vesi. There, they soon see the promontory called Devil's Nose, with its own standing stones, the nearby monastery, and just north of there, the village of Kaverinka. Uncertain about what they will find there, Sasha and Drazhan are sent up ahead to see if Reznikov is hiding out in the village, if his family lives there, and also to look into accommodations, and possibly, for glue, so that Vasilisa can make another bow after giving the first to Drazhan. The scouts are also charged with finding out whether the villagers would be willing to put up Vasilisa's new wolf companion. Soon after entering the village, they meet an eager man named Nikolai, who asks if they are in Kaverinka for the celebration of Ilya's Day, which takes place on the morrow. There are many pilgrims from the surrounding area in town, but Nikolai will undertake to find the pair and their companions a place to stay at one of the local hostels. After naming the village notables - the Alferov, Bocharsky, and Grushin families, as well as Bishop Fedotii, he denies that the Reznikovs live in town, though he does say that Sergei Reznikov arrived a few days ago, but has now ridden off. He also tells them that Reznikov was seen in the company of another, foreign man in dark clothes, whom they identify as Rogdai. Rogdai still seems to be around. Nikolai then takes them to an hostel owned by a family named Nikiforov . There, they try to convince the proprietor to put up a wolf, and after bargaining a bit, he agrees to put him in a shed for a downpayment of 10 kopecks. Drazhan and Sasha return to the rest of the group, and explain the lay of the land. Vasilisa decides to let the wolf wait for them in the woods, instead of risking any sort of confrontation with the locals. The entire group then proceeds to the Nikoforov hostel, where they take a little refreshment, and speaks to the owner about the events of the next day. The Gaalite celebration, marking the dethronement of the old gods, takes place in the morning, but the heathen celebration takes place at Devil's Nose, at night. It is usually led by a local woman named Evtepi. Apparently, the heathens and the Gaalites coexist in Kaverinka, and the Church lets its Kuz' residents (and any others) worship as they please. Plamen is especially impressed by the religious accommodation. But everyone is concerned about Rogdai's presence, and wonders why he came to Kaverinka, and how he got there without them seeing him on the way. The following day, the party attends the celebration. A throng of people proceeds to the outskirts of the village to chop down a large oak tree, which they then call Perun. 'Perun' is then dragged through the streets by two oxen, while the crowd heaps abuse on it. Eventually, it is dragged into Lake Vesi, where it is drowned. While parading around with the assembled pilgrims, Chonkorchuk and Plamen spy a familiar figure in the crowd. It is Zhitko, who clearly sees them and acknowledges them. Chonkorchuk informs his companions to watch out for Zhitko - he can turn into a fire-breathing serpent, and is very, very dangerous. After the drowning of Perun concludes, and the crowd files into the church to celebrate St. Ilya - a bogatyr saint who took over many of Perun's attributes - Chonkorchuk has a brief chat with Zhitko. The smith inquires into the whereabouts of Katarina, and also asks when he and his companions plan to deliver the promised Alatyr Stone to him. Chonkorchuk says that they looked for it in the Otherworld, and are still looking, and will give it to Zhitko at the earliest opportunity. The rest of the morning is spent at the market, though Sasha also pays a visit to Hegumen Onufrii at the St. Pimen the Annalist monastery, that lies close to Devil's Nose. Here she inquires about scribal supplies, though she learns that the monastery does not sell them. Mostly, she asks what the monks know about the heathen ceremony that is to take place in the evening. He repeats the story about Evtepi, but then mentions that some of the visitors from out of town are likely to participate in the ceremony tonight, as they have walked by the monastery on the way to rehearsing their ritual the previous night. After Sasha returns to the hostel with the information, Chonkorchuk reveals that he has seen a raven flying over a field of bones - a worrying sign. To be ready for what is to come, the Yokels rest at the hostel for the remainder of the day.