Page 96 - СКАЗКИ СНЕЖНОГО ЭЛЬФА

‘Oho-ho,’ the old man muttered unhappily and took the girl’s
hands in his broad ones. ‘So deep inside the snow witchcraft
set in you, it looks like the Snow Witch was eager to get you.’
‘What did she want, grandpa?’ asked Snowyflake, close to
tears. ‘Why didn’t she like me?’
‘She rather did. I’d long heard rumors that the witch liked
a girl and wanted her to be the successor. If it hadn’t been for
Squir that called me for aide, it would’ve been impossible to
save you, girl.’
Snowyflake screamed and turned pale; sharp claws of pain
sank into her limbs. The squirrel jumped on the old man’s
shoulder and started chattering, demandingly and angrily. The
old man raised his eyebrows in surprise.
‘ Are you sure, Squir? I’ve never given a human kid Power of
Winter Forest. But you may be right, it’ s the only thing we can
do here.’
With those words the old man came up to the big hoarfrost-
ed cupboard and took out a dark green bottle, evidently filled
with some heavy moving liquid. The man chose the frost pat-
terned mug, poured some liquid from the bottle, breathed into
it, and then handed it to Snowyflake.
‘Drink!’
Snowyflake breathed in the resinous smell, coming from the
mug, then closed her eyes and drank up the raw biting liquid.
She felt dizzy and high fever, driving away pain and cold, crack-
ing to break the spell of the Snow Witch. There was a random
shifting quality as if the invisible barrier between her and the
world was vanishing; everything became much brighter, the
smell was stronger, and then came a penetrating voice.

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