The story of Baba Yaga and Koschei the Immortal, their birth and life. You haven’t heard this story yet

CHAPTER 4

A week later, Katerina settled in her new cabin, met the other kitchen workers on the merchant ship, and made sure that Yegor was traveling with her. She was happy and began to make new plans for this man.

The ship set sail, and Katerina began to spend more time with Yegor under various pretexts. Sometimes she would complain about being afraid, and he would comfort her with kind words and advice, and then she would subtly engage him in conversation. Other times, she would complain about her health, and he would search for herbs at nearby docks. Then she asked for a tour at the next stop, and he politely agreed to show her around the city, the markets, and even bought her gifts out of pity to make her smile. There were many attempts to get Yegor to talk or spend time with her. She was successful in doing so. She easily manipulated him, and he felt sorry for her.

Over time, he got used to talking to her, spending time with her, and even started taking the initiative. He started inviting her to his cabin for dinner when he was feeling particularly sad. He noticed that spending time with her made him feel less lonely and sad. She took advantage of this.

One evening, when he invited her for dinner again, she brought a herbal tea that she had purchased from the market. The seller said that a bottle of this tincture would be enough to put an elephant to sleep, and a drop would be enough to make even the most severe insomnia go away.

The evening went on as usual, with them eating, drinking wine, and chatting about various topics.

“Oh, do you have a needle? I think I’ve gotten a splinter, and I need to remove it before my finger swells up.” Katerina asked Yegor.

“Yes, I think I have one somewhere, I’ll find it.”

While he was looking for a needle in his drawers, with his back to Katerina, she quickly took the bottle out of her pocket and poured half of it into his glass.

“Oh, I already got it, so don’t look for it anymore,” Katerina said, laughing.

– Okay, then let’s continue to have dinner.

– Let’s drink to the dregs to you, a kind and noble gentleman who saved my life, so to speak. Katerina said, raising her mug above her head.

– Well, don’t exaggerate. To the bottom!

And they drained their mugs. After a couple of minutes, Egor felt very weak and dizzy. He stood up and immediately fell. His legs were not holding and his thoughts were confused. Katerina ran up to him, helped him up, and led him to the bed.

– You need to lie down, you’re tired.

– No, – Egor muttered, – Yes. I don’t understand what’s wrong with me? Olya, is that you?

– Yes, it’s me, and I love you, dear.

Katerina realized that he wasn’t paying attention, so she decided to take advantage of the situation and get pregnant with his child. She figured that if he was calling for Olya, he would be more receptive to her advances. As she tried to undress him, he fell asleep. She couldn’t wake him up. He was completely unconscious, snoring loudly in the cabin. So she decided to create a scene.

She completely undressed him, undressed herself, scattered her and his clothes on the floor, and climbed into his bed under the covers. Lying in bed, she began to shout his name and words of love for him, hoping that someone outside the walls would hear it. Then, satisfied, she threw his arm over herself and fell asleep in his embrace.

In the morning, Egor was the first to wake up and was horrified when he saw that it was not his wife who was sleeping next to him, and their belongings were scattered on the floor.

He tried to remember what had happened during the night, but all he could remember was drinking a lot of alcohol and hearing the words of love from the woman lying next to him. After that, there was a blank spot in his memory and darkness. He was overcome with panic. He began to think about what he would say to his wife when he returned, how he would keep her quiet about what had happened, and how he would hide the fact that she was no longer innocent because of him.

“First of all, I’m giving up drinking. Alcohol is the devil in flesh…” Egor said in a hoarse voice.

“What did you say, my love?” Katerina purred, having woken up from his movements but pretending to be asleep, waiting for his reaction.

“Have we already switched to ‘you’?”

– We not only switched to “you”, but also to something else. Katerina replied and giggled coquettishly. – and I dreamed that I was expecting a baby from you after tonight.

Egor slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand and lowered his head in disappointment.

– This can’t be happening! No need to compose! And address me as “you”. I’m still your boss. And it won’t happen again like yesterday. Is that clear? – shouted angrily Egor, getting up from the bed and turning an angry look at her.

– But what about me? And if I’m pregnant? And if I’m not taken to marry now such a spoiled? What should I do now? It’s your, oh, your fault! – responded on the emotions Katerina and covered herself with a blanket up to the chin offended.

– I am ready to compensate for this misunderstanding. I will find you a groom. I will reveal this secret to him, and he will cherish you as his wife and take care of you despite this bothersome situation. He will keep this secret just like you and I. As payment, I will give him one of my trading ships, and he will be able to profit from goods just like me. You and he will live in wealth and abundance. And if you give birth to my child, I will give the child a ship when they reach the age of majority. But all of this is in exchange for your silence!

– I will try to remain silent, but I cannot promise…

– And why is that, may I ask? – asked Egor sarcastically, restraining all his angry emotions and gritting his teeth.

“I love you and I want to live with you and our child…”

“There is no child and there is no us! Is that clear?” Yegor shouted at her, waving his arms and spitting with anger.

“But I…” Before Katerina could finish, Yegor threw her dress at her, which he had picked up from the floor.

“If you don’t keep quiet, I will insist that it wasn’t me. Who will people believe? Me or some servant from a tavern?” You can lose everything. And your husband will give you up. Think about whether you want wealth or shame on your head. – Egor said in a calm and authoritative tone.

– I agree, I agree. But I give you a month, otherwise how will you explain that the child was born prematurely, counting from the day of the wedding? The wedding needs to be played urgently. What if I’m pregnant?

– Okay, we’ll find one, – Egor replied. – We’ll play the wedding tomorrow. There’s a candidate. His name is Mitka. I’ll introduce you to him tonight.

CHAPTER 5

As soon as Katerina left Yegor’s cabin, he immediately went to meet Mitka. He had known Mitka for a long time, and they had been friends since childhood. They were also neighbors and lived on the same street.

Mitka was not a particularly handsome blond man, and he was not the smartest, but he had managed to survive in this world thanks to his cunning. As a child, he had become an orphan and had no home, growing up in a local orphanage. When he noticed Yegor, a well-groomed and richly dressed boy, he immediately wanted to be his friend. From then on, he never left Yegor’s side. He even resorted to flattery and feigned kindness to get closer to him. He always pretended to be ready to help. He was a great joker. He valued their friendship very much. And he succeeded. Yegor made Mitka his chief assistant in business matters when he bought his first ship with his inheritance. I also started trusting him with all my secrets.

With the help of such a patron, Mitka got a very well-paid job and bought a house in the neighborhood. However, he never managed to get married. It could be due to his intimidating appearance, or it could be his desire to become rich. He had dedicated his entire life to work. He wanted to have everything that he had missed out on as a child, and that he had envied when he looked at Yegor. He no longer had time for women.

When Egor found Mitka, he was already working hard on his papers in the early morning.

– Mitya, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. There’s an urgent matter! – Egor shouted as he entered the room, where they were alone.

– Good morning, Egor Stepanovich! How can I help you? – Mitka said jokingly with a serious expression.

– I hope no one is listening… Do you want to get married?

– Who? When? Why? I hadn’t thought about it,” Mitka said awkwardly, blushing and scratching the back of his head.

– So, what I’m about to say will remain a secret between us. Okay? Can I count on you, my friend? You’ve never let me down.

– Of course, what are you saying? Of course I’ll keep our secrets. Go on, you’ve got me intrigued, – replied Egor, a smile spreading across his face.

– I think I cheated on my wife. But I will never do it again. Do you hear me? Never! And she shouldn’t find out about it. The girl who woke up in bed with me today suddenly claims that she could have gotten pregnant during the night. But I don’t remember anything about our night together, I was unconscious from drinking. I don’t know if anything happened or not.

Mitka’s eyes widened in surprise, and he thought for a long time in silence.

– Egor, this is not like you at all. It’s like a bucket of ice water has been poured on me right now. Mitka scratched the back of his head again, eyebrows raised in surprise, and continued. “And you’re asking me to marry her?” Well, of course I don’t mind a nice lady in my house, I hardly ever go there. I’ll give her a small budget for personal expenses, let her have fun and entertain me. But are you sure she’ll agree to me being so ugly and not rich? And what about your child, if you have one?

– I’ve thought it over. I’ll give you a wedding gift – a ship. And you’ll be able to work for yourself instead of me. You’ve already learned everything from me, and you’ll be able to manage all your own affairs. And I understand that she needs my money. So she’ll marry me for my money. And if I have a child with her, I’ll give him a ship when he reaches adulthood. But please, wait at least three months before your wedding night.

– Why three?

“If she gives birth in nine months, she can blackmail me with rumors that it’s from me, even if it’s your child. But if she gives birth in twelve months, there’s no doubt that it’s your child. And you’ll know for sure. Don’t you want to know for sure?”

“That’s brilliant. I hadn’t thought of that,” Mitya smirked.

“So, let’s make a deal.”

“Why not?” Good, – Mitka held out his hand to Yegor.

– Good.

The men sealed the deal with a firm handshake, both of them looking pleased and smiling at each other with bright eyes.

– We’ll introduce you in the evening, and tomorrow we’ll have a wedding right on the ship. You’ll come up with a story about how you met and fell in love. You’ll tell my wife and everyone around you about it. – said Egor at the end.

In the evening, the bride and groom met, and the next morning, they had a wedding, just as they had planned.

The bride was displeased, but she held back her emotions, because she still had a plan. She decided that if Olga left Yegor on her own, he would have no choice but to throw himself into the arms of Katerina, who was pregnant with his child. This would lead to the annulment of Mitya and Katerina’s marriage, and Katerina would become Yegor’s wife. The chances of this happening would increase if Katerina became truly pregnant. It wouldn’t matter who the father was, as long as she claimed it was Yegor.

At the nearest stop in the city, Katerina sent a letter to Olga with a messenger. In the letter, she vividly described her night with Yegor. She informed Olga that she was pregnant with Yegor’s child. She asked Olga not to torment Yegor and to let him go. She lied and claimed that Yegor had long complained to her about his wife’s infertility and his dreams of having a child. Now, as they awaited the arrival of their child, Yegor was filled with happiness and secretly hoped that Olga would leave the house with her pride intact, avoiding the shame of being forced out. After all, now Egor loves not his wife, but the mother of his child.

The letter reached Olga. She also heard rumors that a hasty, lavish wedding had been held on the ship, but the identity of the bride and groom was unknown.

Katerina tried to spend the night with her new husband in order to get pregnant, but Mitka refused and avoided her. After her unsuccessful attempts, Mitka realized that she intended to have a child and name Yegor as the father. He decided not to give her this chance and, after the agreed-upon time, to have an heir of his own in order to subdue his wife and discourage her from thinking about Yegor. Moreover, he assigned guards to their cabin and ordered them to keep an eye on her for the next three months, so that no man would be near her and no one would be able to speak to her.

CHAPTER 6

Olga couldn’t find a place for herself with worries and anxious thoughts: “What does this letter mean? Does he want to leave me? But he loved me. Has all the love gone because of his desire to raise his child? I wouldn’t have believed the letter if it hadn’t been for the rumors about the wedding… Does this mean that he has already divorced me? And now he’s coming to let a new mistress and his wife into the house, and he’s kicking me out? But that can’t be true!”

Olga tormented herself with these thoughts and cried for several nights, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave the house. She couldn’t do that, and there was still a small hope that everything would turn out well, that Egor would come with gifts and tell her it was just a joke.

After a week, Olga finally realized that it was true and it was time to leave. As she was packing her things, she heard loud people shouting outside. She went to the window and looked out at the crowd running towards the square. It was spring, and the trees were just beginning to bloom, the snow had long since melted, and the grass was green and fresh. It was a sunny day.

“Mistress!” The maid’s voice echoed from the hallway, “Mistress, are you here?”

“What’s going on?” Olga asked the maidservant when she entered the room.

– The royal messenger has arrived with news, and he is gathering everyone in the square. He will read the royal decree. Come quickly. And put on your jacket, the wind is cold.

Olga quickly put on her jacket and joined the crowd in the square. As most of the village gathered, the messenger climbed the stairs, unfurled his scroll, and began to read.

– The kingdom’s scholars have predicted that there will be a Devil’s Night in three days. Everyone should stay in their homes on this night and not leave until morning. Additionally, the scholars have predicted that a person will be born on this night who will become a devil not by blood but by spirit. This person will be powerful and have control over the world. They will be stronger than the king himself.

Therefore, in the name of the king, I order that all the babies born on this night be captured and killed in the morning!

– What is this all about, my good people! – began to be heard from the crowd, – what are you doing? The fiends!

– And who will interfere with the enforcement of the law, will be punished as a criminal. – finished the messenger.

The crowd was raging. And the pregnant women began to weep in fear. Someone from the crowd began to shout:

– Women pregnant, do not cry, you can not be nervous, or you will give birth prematurely, calm down.

The crowd gradually calmed down and went home. The messenger continued on his way.

Olga stood there for a long time, realizing what she had just heard.

“It’s the Night of Demons,” Olga thought. “How could I have forgotten about it? Now is the time for me to get pregnant, and then my husband won’t have a new wife. No one will force me to leave. I just need to leave early, wait for the day to pass, and return the next day. Then no one will catch me on the way and suspect me. I’ll tell the servants not to enter the room, pretending to be tired.”

That’s exactly what she did. She packed a lot of food, water, and warm clothes, locked herself in her room, and climbed out the window during the day, when all the servants were busy with their own tasks. She immediately set off for the Bald Mountain through the forest, making sure to avoid anyone she knew.

It only took her a couple of hours to reach the mountain. She lit a fire, as she was far from any settlements and could only encounter animals. It was better to keep them at bay with the fire.

When it got dark, Olga began to listen to the silence, waiting for the gong to sound. Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound behind her, as if someone was making their way through the branches of the trees. The forest was very close, it surrounded bald mountain from all sides with its darkness. Olga turned around and asked:

“Who’s there?”

But there was no response.

Suddenly, she heard a loud gong ringing in her head, making her ears ring and her head spin. Another ringing, and another, and another. It was so sudden, loud, and fast that Olga stumbled and landed on all fours on the ground. When all twelve ringing had ended and silence had fallen, Olga looked up and saw a glowing passage between two trees in the forest.

She headed towards it and walked through the light as if in a trance, without any fear. Only the body trembled and the muscles seemed to twitch one by one. And there were no thoughts. She moved forward as if hypnotized.

After passing through the passage, she heard a noise behind her. It was the loud music of drums, flutes and some unknown instrument. And also singing from many female voices. Turning around, she saw many women dancing around a huge burning fire. All had their hair loose and only white shirts with a skirt to the floor. Everyone was having fun, laughing, and looking happy.

She headed towards the crowd. Three women ran up to her and began to undress her, leaving only her nightgown. They all smiled at her and said nothing. Then a fourth woman approached with a mug in her hand and silently handed it to Olga, gesturing for her to drink it all.

Olga drank the entire contents of the mug. It tasted bitter and unpleasant. After that, her vision became blurred, everything around her spun, and all she could see before she collapsed to the ground was a large creature with huge horns on its head, like a bull, approaching her on its hind legs from the dark forest.

She woke up later that day, and for some reason, she was at home, lying on her bed under the covers. The warm clothes she had brought with her to the mountain were lying on the bed at her feet.

Suddenly, a maid knocked on the door, shouting:

“Mistress, you’ve been sleeping for so long. Are you ill?

– No, I’ll let you in now. Olga answered and opened the door.

– It’s already lunch. No one in our settlement gave birth that night, what a joy.

“Where was I last night?”

“Like where?” Here. How to close and sleep. And silence. Are you sure you’re not sick? – Maybe you have a fever?

– No, everything is fine. Just stress. Worried about the pregnant.

– I understand. Also worried a lot. But now it’s easier. All behind. What you bring for breakfast?

– I don’t want anything, let’s have tea.

– As you wish, mistress. – said the maid, bowed and went to the kitchen for tea.

CHAPTER 7

On the Night of the Devil, a child was born. But not in a village, but in a castle. The queen gave birth to a premature baby boy during the Witch’s Hour.

The royal physician had predicted that she would give birth in two months. When the king issued a decree to capture all infants born on the Night of the Devil, he had no idea that he was signing the death warrant for his own child.

When the queen gave birth, the learned men immediately demanded that the baby be handed over to them for execution, so that they could make sure that it would not be hidden or raised in secret. The king called a council and began to distract the learned men with the problems that had accumulated and their discussion. And his chief general, Arkady the Wise, disguised himself as a poor man, put on a torn, dirty cloak with a large hood to hide his face, and went to fulfill the king’s request.

They agreed that the general would kidnap a baby from a local orphanage, bring it to the queen’s chambers in secret, and quietly take the royal son away and hand him over to his distant friend in a nearby village. There, they planned to raise the prince, concealing his true identity, and later use him as a servant, eventually promoting him to the position of royal advisor.

Arkady stole the baby from the orphanage and brought it to the queen through a window. The Queen put an amulet with the family coat of arms around her newborn son’s neck, blessed him on his happy journey, kissed him on the forehead, whispered words of love to him, and handed him over to the general. As the general climbed out the window, he heard the loud and heart-wrenching cries of the prince’s mother behind him.

After a while, the queen was visited by the guards, who were ordered by the scholars. They took the baby and left with it. The queen prayed for her son’s health and for the return of the evil spirits until morning. She grew even more hatred for the evil world for taking her son away and for the suffering of so many children on that night.

As planned, Arkady walked through the forest along the river. A little further away from the kingdom, a boat was waiting for him, with warm clothes and food for the long journey. It took about an hour to swim against the current. The child cried all the way, and his cries echoed through the forest.

As soon as the general approached the boat, he immediately fell into the boat from the unexpected pain in his ribs. Looking at his chest, he saw an arrow sticking out of his body.

“So they’ve spotted you and me, little one…” said Arkady, addressing the baby. “Well, at least they didn’t hit you, and you’ll be on your way without me. Your life is now in your own hands. Don’t let me down, and live a long and happy life! Goodbye!”

Arkady put the baby in the boat and pushed it away with all his might, so that it would get into the current faster and move away from the guards. To prevent them from chasing him, he turned around and faced the guards, drew his sword, and charged at them. He knew that if he told them who he was, they would not believe him and would punish him as a criminal for hiding the baby. Even if they did believe him, he would be exposing the king’s secret and the king’s conspiracy against his own decree. And for the sake of the baby’s life, and for the sake of saving his king’s reputation, the general threw himself at the crowd of guards in silence and fought them off for a long time. He had to buy time and let the baby in the boat sail away so far that it would be impossible to find it again.

The general died in this battle, but he still said the last word to the guards before he died – You can’t tell about the fact that there was a baby in the boat and you missed him.… Then you will be punished yourself.… Let no one ever know what happened here.

Standing near the deceased, the guards thought for a long time and discussed his words. And then we agreed that it would remain a secret. They pulled the arrows out of the general’s body, removed all the evidence of the battle from the shore, and threw the general himself into the river and sent him adrift. They prayed and went back closer to the kingdom.

In the morning, the fishermen fished the general’s body out of the river and took it to the guards. It was different guards who identified the general, buried him with full honors, and reported his murder to the king. They believed that he had been killed by robbers, as he had no money on him and was dressed in tattered clothes that the killers could have exchanged for his fine attire.

And the king already had three mourns. The learned minds carried out the decree and executed the baby from the orphanage, thinking it was the prince. They declared mourning for the heir and the first child of the royal family. Then they declared mourning for the general. And when the king and queen realized that their real son had also been killed by the same bandits who had killed the general, they declared a secret mourning for their beloved firstborn.