Chapter II: Winter

Damn. Damn. Damn.

We are traveling the first day only – it is coming to an end now – and I already feel wretched.

Today is warmer then yesterday, and I'm not very cold, but maybe it would be easier to go if there were no crust of ice over snow? I'm just sticking in the snow and hardly move my legs, and my Wolf is jauntily pacing in front of me, as though he isn't tired at all. However, I'm ready to believe that he really isn't tired. Who knows these wolves?

I must give him his due – even if he looks around at me with a very dissatisfied look, he didn't say a single word about me, though, to all appearances, mentally he cursed me more than once for imposing myself on him. Or cursed himself for letting me to impose myself?

Yes, I'm just a noblewoman, who is used to tasty food, sweet drinks and sleeping on the warm soft bed. When I think that more terrible days like this are waiting for as in the future, I feel uncomfortable. And I'm consoling myself: well, if I survived this day, I must stand the others, right?

It's beginning to snow. I look at the sky lamentably, hoping that it would stop mocking at us, but it only starts to pour more snow on earth more generously.

Damn.

Tsume keeps on going.

Interestingly, when will he become bored with taking trouble over me? He can leave me every moment – and then I'll die, because I won't be capable of anything more in such a situation. Miles from human habitation, without food, claws, fangs and strong feet, and without thick fur, which saves a Wolf from cold.

"We won't go further," informs me my Tsume. It seems that he found a small cave. Not much of a catch, but we can hide there from snow.

We both haven't eaten anything during the last day. Generally, I eat not much, but one day without food makes even me feel not very good. How many days can wolves live without food?

Tsume falls down right now, using a rock instead of a pillow. I tried to find a clean place for some time, but after I understood, that everywhere is equally dirty, I sat down on the ground near him. It's snowing outside.

I want to talk with the Wolf about something, but, if honestly, I'm a little bit afraid of him. That's why I'm curling myself up into a ball to warm up and looking at the white sleet, pouring from the sky, until I'm falling asleep.


"What do you think you're doing!" I was awakened with a low, but still very impressive wrathful exclamation.

"What! What am I doing!" I'm horrified, being half asleep. The face of my Wolf is dissatisfied, vexed.

"Indeed!" it seemed that he is angry not only with my slowness, but with himself too.

"But what am I doing?.." I really don't understand.

"Stop cuddling up to me in your sleep!" snaps he.

It's so absurd that it makes me laugh. I giggle and just can't stop doing it, it feels that I'm going to die laughing, because the situation is quite funny – by night, in a cave, he jumps out of "bed" and begins to accuse me of cuddling up to him in my sleep. By the way, I don't remember such a thing. To tell the truth, Tsume can't see what's so funny is going on, and, what's more, he's beginning to suspect me of laughing at him. You can read in his face what he thinks about me, how tired of me he is and how annoying I am.

"But you are warm!" I'm trying to justify myself. "And I'm cold!"

He frowns, trying to decide what to do with me, then turns around and snarls:

"Do not dare to do this anymore."

I lied down aside and tried to fall asleep again, but in an unequal struggle between Tsume and my sleep the first one won and the sleep didn't want to return to me. It seemed to me that I'm just about to fall asleep, but I had only to change my pose or open my eyes, and I found out that I was wrong…

Then I was extremely cold. My hands were cold, my legs were cold, my whole body was cold, even my ears were cold! I wanted to stand up and jump to warm myself, but I was afraid that Tsume would disapprove it…

Oh! Tsume! It probably already passed half an hour, and he certainly is asleep now…

Carefully, I sidle closer to his back. But when I'm already near to it, the back suddenly moves aside from me and a dissatisfied voice calls:

"I told you not to do it anymore!"


I ended with Tsume sleeping outside for the rest of that night.

"TSUME!.."

No answer. Just the wind howls darkly.

"TSUME!.."

Try to yell loud in the cold, when the wind flings snow in the face, and if you open your mouth, the snow gets into your mouth and pricking your tongue with little icy needles.

"TSUME!.."

I'll lose my voice…

The Wolf left earlier too. He told me to go further alone and went somewhere to hunt – he always returned in two hours or maybe a little more, always returned with prey. Now he's absent for four hours already.

Honestly, I understand that yelling is useless, but I'm afraid, and it seems I will go mad because I can't do anything. That's why I'm yelling – at least, it's an illusion of activity…

"TSU…"

Cough. You see!

"TSUME!.."

To the left from me is the field, which seems endless to me. I thought that a field covered with sparkling clean snow is very romantic and beautiful before; but now I'm ready to curse this snow, in which my legs stick, and my eyes hurt because of a white color. To the right from me is the forest, but it isn't looking more friendly or attractive; black stripes of the trunks on white will drive me crazy… I feel myself on an edge of a razor, and a heavy, low sky with clouds cut out from cotton wool is weighing upon me.

"TSUME!"

"Why are you screaming?.."

The strong, ashen beast appears from the wood fast and quiet, with a piece of meat in his fangs, and blood is dripping on the white pure snow, leaving neat pink dots. One moment, and the tall swarthy man with a dissatisfied expression on his face stood before me; the meat was left on the snow, underfoot. The voice of my Wolf was also dissatisfied, but I already understood, that taking care about me is a kind of "point of honour" to him, so he won't leave me alone in the wood or in the field, where I have no chances to survive.

"I called for you…"

"Something happened?.."

In that moment I felt myself uncomfortable, and maybe I was even ashamed – he ran because he heard me and thought that something occurred and I need his help…

"You was absent for a long time. I thought that something might have…"

I caught myself on making excuses.

My Wolf frowned, but I noticed he is not angry anymore. He looked at me, at the wood, and then snarled as usual:

"That's for you. Eat faster and let's go – I want to get to the mountains before dark."

For a moment an image appeared before me: a large, ashen Wolf, the leader of a pack brings his wife and Wolf-cubs a piece of warm, still smoking meat…

Of course, the meat wasn't smoking anymore: the snow absorbed warmth and blood, and a delicate pink edging was surrounding the piece, which was lying under my feet. I sighed and started to break dry brushwood off for the fire, groping for matches in my pocket at the same time.


Five armored troop-carriers were crawling through the ravine like paunchy, self-satisfied bugs, were walking their way in snow. Tsume and I watched them with distrust from the edge of the precipice, lying prone on the ground; however, there was interest mixed with a slight scorn on the face of my Wolf. Snowflakes pecked our faces every now and then: sky, which pitied me didn't drop a single frozen tear the last few days, showed a bit of generosity at noon and it was snowing lightly. The wind has risen; it remained still gentle, but there were unfriendliness and a rough, hard paw behind its soft stroking.

Indeed, it's interesting, whose these carriers are, where are they crawling and why… Each of them had an emblem of its noble master engraved on its side, but I didn't see, which exactly: we looked at the procession from above, the snow was blinding, and I have poor eyesight – I needn't to read so much in bed evenings…

Not daring to ask Tsume, I risked to lean out to look closer – now the carriers were crawling right past me. An oval elongated upright, a head of an eagle half face…

Before I leaped to my feet, I had been roughly grasped and pulled back, and I fell on the thorny snow. Not giving up, I lifted my head and crawled forward.

"Where are you going?" steel fingers clenched on my shoulder.

I helplessly looked back at my Wolf. He didn't understand…

"But it's my… It's my emblem!"

It took some time for my Wolf to understand what am I talking about, but then his fingers clenched even harder. The fifth carrier crawled by, jingling – an ugly iron caterpillar on the white sheet of the field. The wind threw a handful of snowflakes in my face, playing, but I just waved off.

"It's not yours anymore! Don't lean out, or you'll be discovered!"

Of course, my Wolf was right as always, but I forgot about everything except the profile of a bird of prey, caught in an oval of the noble Klaracks family – my family! "A flattened out cormorant" - so my father called it when he was irritated. "Flattened out and fried on a pan!"

"But there…" I tried to protest again.

"Go then!" Tsume raised his voice. The next moment his hand disappeared from my shoulder, and he himself turned away from me, waving his tail of white hair independently.

"And I will go!" hissed I. After floundering in snow I found a bearing and got up to my full height.

While Tsume and I were wrangling with each other, the carriers crawled away, and now the first of them was turning the corner of the rock, and disappearing. I followed each meter of a disappearing steel and even made some steps after escaping caterpillars.

The second carrier turned after the first one.

Right in that moment I sharply felt that my life already left me, and all that remains of it is turning the corner now, trampling the snow down with heavy tracks. I think Tsume can't understand it.

I stood like a lighthouse or a perfect target for anybody who can hold weapon in hands. But nobody fired at me; maybe I wasn't wanted, maybe, they just didn't notice me.

The wind was growing stronger, and sky didn't grudge the cold, pure first-class snow for us; it got in my hair, settled on my eyelashes.

It seemed to me that I already died in this desert, and now I'm being becoming covered with the eternal snow.


It became really cold towards evening, and the weather was depressing. Tsume and I found a temporary shelter in a next cave – how does he find them? I think, it's the Wolf's intuition.

We haven't eaten anything for three days already, and in addition to this my shoulder started to hurt again; I sat on the ground in the corner of the cave and was rocking myself to and fro, trying to force myself to forget about hunger and pain.

I thought that I eat not very much earlier… Yes, it's easy to go without food in the castle, when you know, that every moment you can have a dinner – you should just want it. That is quite different not to eat among eternal snow, after some lean days…

But there was one thing which comforted me, if not reconciled me with the reality: Tsume was alongside, and he was as angry, as me. And Tsume is not one of those who will quietly lie, kick the bucket and wait until the prey will come into his teeth itself – or until death will come to him instead of a prey.

And while Tsume is alongside, I can not fear for myself.


Tsume and I were running somewhere. Someone was pursuing us closely, I didn't know, who exactly that was, but I could sense danger emanating from our persecutor and Tsume's exertion very well. It seemed that he knew where to run, and I followed him; deserted lifeless streets and crossroads were vaguely familiar to me, as though I saw them for the first time, but had been told much about them before. My legs were easily carrying me forward and I constantly thought that we are just about to find out we left our persecutor behind, but he kept on running after us. And for some strange reason I didn't turn back to see who he is… However, I wasn't afraid at all, because I was sure, that if Tsume is with me, nothing bad can happen. And then…

And then I woke up, and at first didn't even understand, why.

A Wolf was howling nearby. And how! He put all his Wolf's soul into the howling. Loudly, with inspiration, with sorrow – but I was terrified with this Wolf's pain and grief. I turned, looking for Tsume, but he… Of course, he wasn't in the cave.

Wait, Tsume! You can't wake me up at night with your howling!

I went out from the cave with the intention if not to scold him (no, of course, I don't dare to do it), then to look at him reproachfully, but I forgot it all, when I saw him.

It turned out to be very beautiful – a strong, beautiful beast standing on the rock and howling at the moon. It's an ancient sacrament, ritual, the sense of which is clear only for wolves themselves, but not for me. But still I, standing not far from it, also can communicate with it a little, feel this ancient power and might…

It was impossible to stay – I was afraid that he will notice me. But when I decided to leave carefully, he stopped howling, turned his head towards me and looked at me with his gold eyes, which belonged neither Wolf, nor human... And I froze on this very spot.

A moment – and a human stood before me, and he was very dissatisfied.

"What are you doing here!"

"I'm standing here," answered I honestly.

A strange expression appeared on his face: he looked like he wanted to say what he thinks about me very much, but still, he is controlling himself.

"Go to sleep!" ordered he. And I don't like when someone gives me orders.

"I don't want to," answered I. Really, I was already awake, and didn't want to sleep.

"Go to sleep," repeated my Wolf. This time there was a temper in his voice.

"But I just…"

"Now!" bellowed he.

I'm a stubborn girl, and I know how to stand my ground, but I'm getting absolutely – totally – lost, when someone is shouting at me. For some reason I can't bear it from anyone. Of course, I could have argued for a while (maybe – if I remember his eyes…), but understood, that I'm so upset I could cry. I'm an ambitious girl, but I better give in this wrangle (I would have given up in any case later or earlier), then let him see me cry. Even it isn't the matter – I'm crying, and to hell with this…

But I couldn't let him think I'm crying because of him.

That's why I turned around and walked away.

What did he do, anyways? Nothing in particular! Just raised his voice. But if he had hit me, or pushed me, or said something very insulting in a calm cool voice, it would not offend me so much. But the fact that he shouted at me…

Well… I burst into tears, already in the cave. Quietly, silently, biting my lips from malice. I hate hysterics with sobbing and wringing hands.

Tsume came ten or fifteen minutes later. Almost noiseless went to the other corner of the cave and lied there down, turning his back to me.


Now, when I remember this month, when my Wolf and I were getting to the other city – it doesn't matter which, just the other – the white color comes to my mind first of all. There was no escape from it; and, only after your eyes got used to it, you will discern the skyline, which separates the clear white field from the dirty white sky. And there, in the midst of this crystal-clear white color, Tsume and I are making our way, and it seems that our way has no beginning and no ending no more – they disappeared in the milky white fog, which was settling on my hair, my eyelashes and his ashen hair. There are only me, him, the field, the wind, the eternal snow, yesterday, today and tomorrow, and all that is beyond the scope doesn't exist for me anymore. The past earlier than yesterday is lost and seems to be a dream, the future further than tomorrow is a fantasy, a hope, which is predetermined not to come true, though through habit you still hope it would, even if you aren't sure yourself anymore, whether you need it or not.

That's why when the walls of a city suddenly appeared before us from the whitish fog, I didn't believe that we finally came. I already started to believe that we are making our way just to do it, and that we have no other goal…

"What is it?" asked I, wrapping myself up in my fur coat: the day turned out to be windy.

"A city," muttered Tsume, disapprovingly casting a glance at the walls. "Come on."

I had nothing to do but to follow him. Little by little I understood that our long way is over, so there's no need to think about snow and wind, from which you can't escape, we can find a corner and eat well, and have a good night's rest. Tsume's back was somewhere in front of me, and I, not thinking about something in particular, followed him.

We passed the gate, but it seemed that everybody didn't give a damn about us: there was no trace of guards, and rare people who came across us darted sidelong glances at us and hastened to pass out of our sight or at least to move off. I heard my Wolf mutter:

"Rotten city…"

And he snorted contemptuously, with conscious superiority. I remained silent, there's nothing to say: Tsume knows how to sniff scornfully like no other.

However, I felt with my whole being, that he likes this city no matter what he says; at least, there was a note of approval in his snorting.

Most likely we were looking strange from the direction of others: a tall, beautiful, young man with a swarthy skin in summer clothes and a thin blonde in a warm fur coat, which was large for her.

There were less and less squalid houses along the road, but more wealthy, where people with sufficiency lived; the noble ruling this city evidently was not one of those who thinks about well-being and prosperity of his domain day and night. We went into the street, which was if not the central, then, at least, very busy. Stalls and sellers with trays were press close to the walls, customers and simple passers-by were scurrying about, and no one paid attention to Tsume and I, which gladded me a little. But it became harder to follow Tsume: his back disappeared in the crowd every now and then, and I had to push people aside not to lose sight of him and to stay alone. I wanted to call for him to ask him to wait for me and not to go so fast, but I didn't dare.

I had luck. Some meters more – and he turned to the right in the quiet alleyway, and when I whisked out after him, I bumped into him face to face.

"Why are you following me?" asked he with the irritation in his voice.

I felt myself uncomfortable. I remembered that he promised to accompany my only to the nearest city, but during our journey I got used to the fact we're together, so the thought about our parting seemed absurd to me. Yes, it crossed my mind sometimes, but I banished it, because I didn't want to think about something like it. And I wasn't prepared for him to turn around and leave me.

"I…" I even didn't know hat to say, because he was right.

"I promised to accompany only to the nearest city, and now do what you want to, go where you want to, but don't follow me, understood?"

"I won't!" hissed I in response. I wanted to add something primitive like "To hell with you!", but I felt lump in my throat and couldn't.

So he walked away from me, and I stood, looking on the ground, on the Wolf's footsteps before me. However, they began to blur in front of my eyes soon: I don't like it when somebody's shouting at me…


What can a girl do in a city, if she has no relatives or friends, she can't imagine where it is possible to find a job?..

The evening was coming near, and cold with darkness were descending on city streets. Being alone, I lost all longing for doing something, for fighting further, and all my thoughts lost meaning. Really, is it possible for me to do anything? And it is necessary to do anything? And what for?..

The snow began to fall from the sky over again.

The week that I spent in the city was in a fog; all seven days fell in a pit full of cold dirty water.

I stole a loaf for the first time in my life. I did it lubberly, my heart was pounding as if it was mad, and it seemed to me that someone is drilling a hole in my back with his suspicious look, but still, the loaf was in my hands. Didn't it much, because I couldn't – the loaf became a lump in my throat. Not because it was stolen, but because I hadn't water to wash it down with. Then I gave the loaf to the ravens – it seems that these birds occupied the whole city and think they are its only owners. Well, I think that they have the right to do it.

I didn't dare to steal for the second time, and I couldn't force myself to live by begging or to look for food in garbage cans. Of course, I didn't find any job. Maybe if I were dressed better...

In the dark alley a streetwalker was trying to light the cigarette up, hiding from the wind.


"Do you have any skills?" asked me the forty-year-old Ginny the Girl, crossing her legs with a whore's gesture.

Well, I could make up and tell different stories, but the woman certainly meant not it, and I simply shook my head: no. I don't think that experience I got when I was stupid with one member of the gentry, whose name I already don't remember now, can be called "a skill".

"It doesn't matter. You'll learn something later, in process, so to speak... Aren't you a virgin?" all of a sudden strictly asked she, knitting her drawn brows. Her own were pulled out long ago and it was already impossible to restore them, and an absurd and inappropriate thought crossed my mind: if I have to pull out my brows too, I will refuse – I don't want to be a prostitute then.

I shook my head once again: no.

"Not a problem, - repeated she, settling back in her armchair. "Though virgins are expensive... Though they are disposable..." she laughed. "What's your name?"

"Alliah," informed I.

Ginny the Girl pursed her lips.

"Well, we'll think out a pseudonym for you... We'll deal with it later. Welcome to Ginny the Girl's... establishment."


The "establishment" appeared to be asecond-rate, it wasn't an elite house of prostitution, but I had no choice.

During the first days I did nothing, just ate and had my sleep out, and Ginny the Girl didn't allow me to work, because, as she said, I was so scary that I could be a great anti-advertising of her establishment.

I didn't protest. The job of a prostitute seemed to be in a fog to me like all that exceeded the limits of yesterday and tomorrow: maybe it is real, maybe not... But still, the evening when I was sent on the streets came.

I was in the same clothing, because Ginny the Girl said the I look like a tramp without any disguise; I just had to pin a badge, which represented me as one of Ginny's girls, to my fur coat.

I was let out alone.

That day was already warm, and I was walking up and down the street not to warm myself up, but to busy myself with something. There were few passers-by on the streets in this late hour, and most of them were hiding their eyes and passing by like shadows, pressing themselves to the walls. Some of them glanced at me, but then indifferently turned away.

I caught myself at watching their reaction when they looked at me or at my badge, but almost all passers-by didn't show any interest or disgust: nothing but a whore.

Nothing special.

Nothing.

My fingers already reached out for the badge to take it off, but I remembered a rumor that Ginny the Girl hires boys to look after her harlots. Their duty is to prevent clients to harm the prostitutes and to watch whether we... discharge our obligations.

I withdrew my hands and even put them into my pockets as far as possible from temptation.

"What's your name?"

The client emerged from a side street right when I was passing by. Probably he was spying upon me for some time already to chose the right time to show himself...

"Lestianna," nodded I. A middling name, but I was explained that a prostitute named Alliah is funny.

"OK," agreed the man. "And my name is Joke. Come on?"

So, that's all. I was rented.

Maybe the other prostitutes could envy me. Joke was my very first client, but he was young, quite attractive and to all appearances I had all chances to enjoy my job, which happens not often. In a word, I was successful and lucky, but I wasn't happy for some reason.

"Is it far away?" asked I nervously. Joke shrugged his shoulders:

"Not very far."

We were going, and an icy spring was convolving in my stomach. Yes, Joke was attractive, but maybe if we had met each other in a more romantic atmosphere... Maybe...

But not now!

And I need to...

The house where he lived was really not very far. We entered a doorway; there was a terrible smell in the air, and all walls were covered with writing. In the light of a single naked bulb stuck to the ceiling I could read:

"The God hates us all"

This inscription suddenly became engraved in my mind and, climbing the stairs with Joke, I was thinking about this. The God...

Do I believe in God?

Joke stopped near one of the doors and began to open it with the key.

"Wait a second, babe," he "calmed" me.

But the lock didn't want to give up, and Joke was already scolding through clenched teeth.

"Didn't have time to buy a new one, see, babe..."

I was saved by a knock of the street-door, quick like a shot. Then we heard feverish steps up the stairs, clear like a burst of sub-machine gun fire. A young man, Joke's coeval, darted out on a landing and began to speak rapidly:

"Joke - good I found you - I was looking for some time already, couldn't find toy anywhere - the boss is calling us, now!"

"Why the hell!" snarled Joke. "I already bought the girl."

Lie. He didn't pay yet.

But he pulled me to him with his right hand, either inviting to take a look at me or demonstrating his right to sleep with me. Whatever the case, I didn't like it.

"Forget it - we don't have any time - you know our boss - Tsume isn't fond of joking..."

"Tsume?" now it was me who seized Joke's hand in a death grip. "You know Tsume?"

Joke took my embrace as he wanted to.

"Sorry, babe," he shook me off with a single careless gesture. "We aren't fated to. Here, catch," he threw me a purse, and I caught it mechanically. "That's for trouble."

"So Tsume?.." began I, but I didn't finish, because these two were already running away, and I was left standing near Joke's flat, twiddling the purse in my hands.

They knew Tsume!


My legs were tired and, though I was still running, I began to feel that the street under my legs is falling into emptiness, and I waited that my every next step will turn out to be a step into abyss. The fur coat became heavier twice and I was running slower and slower, and I needed more and more effort to overpass another meter. My heart was beating like it was mad, and it seemed to me that then it burst and left only a wound. The blood was hammering in my temples and my ears, and I heard it whisper to me muffled, "Tsume... Tsume..."

Tsume.

I was running forward because I understood that I have only to stop, and I won't be able to get myself moving again. Joke and his friend were already far from me, but I could still see their backs, I...

Somewhere not far away shots were ringing out.

Gangsters' skirmishes were ordinary in this city. People already got used to shots on the streets at night and to finding dead bodies on back streets in the morning. After all, gangsters sort out their relationship mostly between each other, and it's safer not to thrust noses into their business...

Only a few lanterns were gleaming on the square; the others were either broken by hooligans long ago or simply were too old to work anymore. In the artificial blue light men's shadows were brokenly running about, someone shouted something, someone was writhing in pain, but there was one shadow that I recognized immediately. Lissom, predatory, insinuating but in the same time impetuous movements...

"Tsu... Tsume!"

For one second everyone froze, and then Tsume's shadow rushed to me, loosing its human shape right on the jump, turning into a strong animal. I heard that someone yelled, "A Wolf!", then I heard shots, and then my Wolf fell down on me with all his weight.


I came to myself in a ditch; there was cold and wet, and my right shoulder was smarting because of a stone I lied on.

I turned and lied on my back for some time, looking at the sky overextended with dull clouds. The sleet was falling from them once again. I had to collect my strength to move, and it seemed that I couldn't do it. There was a black hole in my memory; I didn't remember and I didn't want to remember what happened an hour before.

Probably, if someone had asked what my name was, I wouldn't have answered right away...

There was a smell of winter, which included snow, and winter blind sun, and waiting for the spring in the air.

My Wolf was lying next to me. His ashen hair was covered with snow, and I carefully reached out my hands to his strong nape.

"Tsume..."

His eyelids rose and two yellow eyes, which I already got used to - not animal's, but not human's either - looked at me. It seemed to me that there were a weary reproach and an apathy forward me and his own destiny in them.

The eyes closed, and I felt a wave of panic.

Tsume is strong and unbending. He is from those who will fight for their lives because it's worth it. Tsume couldn't be tired.

I made bold to caress his nape - he would never allow me it earlier. His ashen hair was wet from snow.

Though...

I brought my hands to my eyes. It was dark, but there was enough light for me to see that my hands were covered with black liquid.

Blood.

If he hadn't protected me, the bullets, which were in him now, would have been in my stupid head.

And my stupid heart...

Why did I meddle in this skirmish? Why?

I took my fur coat off and covered Tsume with it, tucking it up like a blanket. The coat was big - really, like a fur blanket! - and I climbed under it and cuddled up to Tsume's downy side. Sometimes it seemed to me that I could feel him breathe.

Then I started to fall into a pit of a dream; drowsiness already covered my eyes. I still understood where I am and what was happening to me, but fantastic images already were appearing in my mind. They appear only when you are half awake, half asleep; I love such a state, when I'm not in this real world, but not sleeping either, and...

And I heard a muted but willful roar through clenched teeth:

- I told you not to do this anymore!..


To stela: Thank you very much! Actually I have written the fic in the winter, but it takes a lot of time to translate it (and I'm studying at the University and have to pass exams in June, so I don't have much free time). It's quite hard to translate because I'm afraid that some metaphors, epithets or similes may seem well turned to me (and to my native language readers), but not very beautiful for native speakers of English. Furthermore, I think I know English quite well, but I'm not so self-confident to think I'm perfect. I also think I can simply transfer some rules from my language into English, especially in punctuation (we have VERY complicated rules in punctuation) .