Alkadia part 1

"Tree climbing is the best entertainment, isn't it?" exclaimed a girl sitting on one of the thick branches of an old beech tree, whose branches hung low over the lake.

The boy fell into the water with a loud splash. A moment later, he emerged, spitting out a small waterfall.

"You know," he began, brushing his wet hair back from his forehead, "I don't think you're much of a climber in a skirt." At this, she kicked him, but he swam away with a laugh. He

let himself be carried away by the current to the center of the Still Water. There, he could dive freely and pick stones from the bottom.

Alkadiana, meanwhile, kicked her legs and gazed intently at the clear waters of the lake. She was watching for small fish, which she scared away with a kick of her foot.

The girl was fifteen years old, and anyone seeing her for the first time would have thought she was the daughter of some magnate, not ordinary, poor peasants. She had long, dark hair, fair skin, and large, amber eyes. She looked very dignified.

Rumors circulated among the older women in the village that Alkadia wasn't her parents' real child. The rumor had begun fourteen years ago, when the teenager's family had moved to the village. She herself was only a year old at the time. Somehow, the old women had come up with such an absurd idea. That she didn't look like her, that she didn't look like her. Nonsense!

That day, the girls from her tiny town—adult women too, by the way—went to the market in the city, almost a quarter of a day's journey away. They left with the men at dawn.

How quiet it was in the village, with only small children shouting and running around, watched over by the few mothers who remained at home.

That same morning, as soon as Alkadia arose, she grabbed a thick hunk of bread and ran out into the yard. There, sitting on the grass, Kryspin was feeding the chickens, who boldly pecked at the grain from his hand. Together, they ran to the lake.

It was noon there, and that's where the action begins...

"Hey, Kryspin!" the girl suddenly called out.

From somewhere in the middle of the Still Water, she heard a loud splash, and a moment later, the boy was swimming beside her.

"Where's the fire?" he asked jokingly.

"Did you finally sell that old mare?

" "Well... yes," he said .

"Don't you feel sorry for her?" the girl asked

. "Well... sorry. But what am I going to do? She was old. And after all, she left something behind.

" "That little foal?? You didn't sell him?" she exclaimed, then added more quietly, "Hmm... he's not so little anymore...

" "You're right! But we didn't sell him, oh no! He's too beautiful and too strong. Dad didn't want to lose him, and that's that!

" "Does he have a name?"

"Not yet, but I'm thinking about it. We call him different things, but no one can seem to come up with a clear name for him. Any ideas? It's impossible for an almost two-year-old horse from Swanee to not have a name! 'Foal' doesn't fit, does it? Maybe you can suggest something?" He looked at her hopefully.

They were both silent until Alkadia suddenly exclaimed,

"Feniks!

" "Feniks? Wait, wait, Feniks is quite a nice name. Okay!" he exclaimed, "it's decided! My foal is now Feniks! And you, as the originator, will be the godmother! Dad will be delighted; another headache is over! Thanks, Alkadia!

" "You're welcome!" the girl laughed, but seeing the question on the boy's face, she quickly added, "No way! Don't count on it. I won't ride him no matter what. No matter how you train him! Forget it!"

Among all the children in the village, Alkadiana was a phenomenon. While her friends were playing with rag dolls, she was climbing trees with her friends. And while the girls were terrified of mice or spiders, she was terrified of HORSES!!! All thanks to an old mare who had thrown her off her back a few years ago. Then she broke her leg and had to stay in bed for several weeks. Since then, she'd been afraid to even touch a horse. Even her young one. But she had a strange feeling that soon she'd have to ride him.

"You know, because Phoenix is ​​incredibly strong for his age. Dad says he'll take him out to the fields in a week."

Kryspin fell silent and stared at his friend.

Alkadiana increasingly found herself looking at him as a boy, not as a friend. He had hair the color of wheat, tanned by the blazing sun. He had recently undergone a mutation, and to the girls' delight, he squealed like a little mouse for a while. But now, slowly and gradually, he was transforming into a grown man. His facial hair was falling out, his features were becoming more powerful. Besides, Alkadiana was changing too. She was already a woman, her hips were rounding, her breasts were growing. Simply put—from small children playing bandits, they were turning into adults...

Kryspin suddenly snapped her out of her reverie, grabbing her leg and pulling her down—straight into the water.

With a scream, she fell beneath the surface of the lake. She swallowed a mouthful of the slimy, disgusting liquid, which made her sick.

"Kryspin!" she screamed angrily, looking around. "There he is." Satisfied, he floated on his back, making small circles. "Do you realize what a war I'll have at home? A new, clean dress!" The boy ignored her. "Ugh! You're mean, Kryspin. I'm going home."