Chapter 20 Golden Teeth

“You see Ivan this is why I come to fetch you.” Nula’s husband gestured to the closed door. Smoke wafted from underneath. “She will die if she cannot breathe!”

“You did not fetch me. Kel, I was on my way here and you need not fear. This is a difficult birth and those burning herbs are to relieve the pain of your wife.” At Ivan’s response Kel sat down grumbling.

Elena entered with Rose behind her. “It is evening and supper has ended, still nothing?”

“No, Elena perhaps you can go in and aid Grandmother.” Kel’s brow had a cold sweat and he anxiously stood.

“Unnecessary, I shall go.” Ivan stood.

“What? I will not have a man viewing my wife when I cannot even see her!” Kel stood outraged. Ivan punched him and he collapsed unconscious.

“Wife you must fetch some water to awaken him.” He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. “When my mother signals with smoke it means something will or has gone wrong.”

Elena wavered, her brow knit, “Is there nothing else I can…”

“Go.” Ivan commanded and she left to fetch water from the troth. Rose had wandered into another room and back when her Father entered Nula’s bedroom. Cries rang loudly. She saw Grandmother’s arms wide in the air as she chanted and Nula’s eyes glossy and blank as she smiled holding a little squirming bundle. “This is one baby, one perfect child.” She said when she turned and looked at Ivan. Before the door shut Rose saw two chubby legs and feet kicking the air on the cedar chest at the foot of Nula’s bed. That was where most of the crying was coming from. The door closed.

When Elena entered with water Rose clapped excitedly. “Mother, Nula had twins!”

“That is wonderful darling did your Father tell you?” Elena exclaimed.

“Oh no I saw, I saw it kicking on the chest! Listen two babies cry! And Nula was smiling!” Elena leaned on the door and listened. She smiled just before the door opened and Elena rushed in past Grandmother. Ivan had his arms folded under his cape against the back wall. As always he looked grim that did not necessarily mean bad news.

“Nula are you alright! Elena splashed a little water from the bucket setting it down.”

“Oh yes quite content.” Nula said weakly. Her voice rasped a little from the smoke.

“Are there not two?” Elena paused confused to see only one baby. She looked to Ivan; he merely walked out.

“Oh no, I was mistaken. There was only one.” Nula smiled indulgently at the little bundle in her arms. “One perfect child, have you ever seen anything so perfect? I cannot take my eyes off of him. Her eyes were drooping and distant, she continued to stare at the babe.

Elena came and put her arm on her friend and agreed. “Yes how lucky you are just to have one. Even just one child is a blessing. She left the mother to have time with the child alone. Out by the front door she scolded Rose.

“Rose you should not tell lies like that unless you are certain.” Elena shook her head.

“Yes I told her there was only one baby in there. Nula got her thinking from our visits that there were going to be twins.” Grandmother grunted as she lifted the heavy water bucket that she had dragged out during Elena’s visit. “I did see and hear it!” Rose exclaimed, “You did too Mother.” Elena was not paying attention. She was worried Grandmother would injure herself. Yet at the same time was smirking at what the woman was going to do.

“The ceilings are high in this hata. It makes the baby’s cries echo. Not enough to wake this naysayer though.” Grandmother smiled a toothless grin as Elena helped her tip the bucket over the man who spluttered and woke up. “Kel you have a new child!”

“Healthy?” Kel wiped his face with his hands and Grandmother nodded.

“What of Nula?” Kel worked his sore jaw.

“She lives, you must make her comfortable. This was a hard birth.”

Kel jumped up and hugged Grandmother as well as Elena. He then picked up Rose and threw her into the air. Rose might usually enjoy this but her stomach felt sour and the tossing only sickened her more. When she was passed to Elena she whispered into her ear. “Mother, I saw the child. I saw it kicking.” Elena frowned as Sadko had said earlier today Rose was not prone to lying.

“Come we shall leave this proud new family.” Babushka finished loosening her rope belt and placed a hand on Elena’s back to guide her out. Once she shut the door she reached out to Rose who dropped from her Mother knowing Grandmother could not support her weight. She took her hands and swung them instead, finally releasing one.

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“Your mother tells me you are too tired to come to my house this eve. Is that so?”

“Yes,” Rose nodded, for she was more sensible than other children and it had been a long exhausting day. Not to mention for the first time with Sadko she had felt her Grandmother’s words had been bad form. “I fell and my legs are hurt.”

Babushka looked displeased. She knelt down feeling Rose’s knees and ankles, even her calves. When satisfied there were only scratches she stood with a painful wince at the pain of her own legs. She gave a rueful glance to Elena.

“That is why children should not play by the fields. Child come walk with me as far as the woods edge and I shall explain to you how the mind plays tricks.” She turned to Elena, “I would have preferred you not brought her today. This was too straining on her.”

“She was curious. Rose seeks out the truth even when it is ugly.” Elena interjected too tired to be lectured. “Where is Ivan? I wish to speak with him.”

“He lingers near Sadko’s. The lost traveler has yet to return from early this morning.”

……...

Ivan waited near the woods edge by Sadko’s home. Dusk had fallen when glowing tinted eyes appeared. There was a dragging noise following them.

“Help me.” Came a deep voice followed by a whine. “His arrows are still silver tipped.”

Ivan tucked the bundle of his cape under his arm. Carefully he approached the Wolf whose leg had three arrows in it. The creature tried to remain silent as each one was pulled free but he clawed at the tree.

“Did you kill him?” Ivan dropped the arrows.

“No, he saw my approach and struck me from afar.” The Wolf snapped. “I chased him to the outer edge near the river. Is that meat I smell?”

“You know the rules, you can only eat travelers and stragglers. The man was for you your fault for letting him escape. He is still a clever woodsman and he will find his way back.” Ivan berated and then gestured, “That is his home on the hill. Can you pick up his scent from it?”

“Over there near the well at the start of the village? I am down wind of, wait…” The monster sniffed and his eyes alighted,

“What is it? Has he returned?” Ivan shifted his weight.

“Am I allowed to come into the village?” The Wolf gave him a curious glance.

“No the mistress still denies you.” Ivan’s eyes narrowed.

“The man has yet to return to his home. I smell Frost in the air. No doubt he is protecting him since he too travels along the river.”

“That river is becoming a haven to all our irritations.” Ivan’s lip curled.

“Ivan who are you speaking too?!” Elena called from a distance.

“Go,” Ivan commanded. The Wolf was already gone. He had left gladly because he had caught the scent of his family in the village and if Ivan discovered this by asking the right questions he might be forced to hunt them there too.

“I was saying a prayer.” Ivan made his face somber as his wife approached. He saw the suspicion on her face.

“Are you so sorry for Sadko not returning?” Elena paused and then gasped.

“Oh Ivan is that the child you hold, the child that Rose spoke of?” The baby was wrapped tightly in the folds of his cape.

“Its body was twisted.” Ivan said somberly. “Its face was deformed. I released it from this world, Nula’s husband does not know. You must not speak of this to them.” Ivan looked at her solidly.

“No, I never will.” Elena whispered, eyes welling with tears. She brushed the little bundle with her hand. It shook with the temptation to pull back the cape. Ivan inhaled with disapproval and she let her arm drop.

“Go take Rose home to bed.” Ivan stepped away from her. “I am going to bury the child.”

When Elena returned to Rose and Grandmother they were both looking at a flower plucked from the garden’s tree.

“You see the color is starting to darken on opposite petals.” Grandmother mused.

“What does that mean?” asked Rose.

“It means that today you have learned more about the world yet still naive. Today you told one lie and one truth. Is that so?” Under Babushka’s gaze Rose looked down at her feet.

“Well I know what the truth was.” Elena smiled sadly kneeling before her daughter, “Rose there was a child, it passed, your Father must bury it.”

The rose fell apart and Grandmother threw the petals at Elena. “You had no right to tell her such things.”

“I am her mother and I will not lie to her.” Elena suddenly felt very affronted.

“I will not tell Babushka. It was not your fault.” Rose whispered.

Grandmother hugged her, brushing her hair with knotted fingers. “Thank-you child often when things cannot be healed it is the healer who is blamed.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Elena and she continued speaking to her Granddaughter. “Your roses will be darker tomorrow. I wonder what your lie was.”

They parted ways. It was only Rose who felt reluctant. She wanted to tell her Babushka of the boy she met yet felt she had made a promise. Grandmother and Elena were relieved to be away from one another. They both felt the other had failed them this day, causing more trouble than expected.

“Do you have the babe?” Baba Yaga ducked onto a side path where she met with Ivan.

Ivan removed his cape and the baby squirmed and cried suddenly exposed to the cold.

It was a plump, purple, and perfectly shaped boy. Its round little cheeks trembled and its tongue flapped like the fastest little wing.

“Boys are best, they are rare and taste better that way.” Baba Yaga smacked her lips and unwound the bun on her head eagerly. “Place him on the stone altar.” She commanded,

Ivan did so. Baba Yaga took out her gold teeth hidden inside her shall. This was a special occasion. A newborns soul was something to be savored, its purity too much. The gold helped to combat this bad aftertaste. She unhinged her jaw licking her lips before sliding the back spikes into her gums. She enjoyed the pain. Ivan moved behind buckling the leather straps that held the metal in firm.

“This should be a better fit.” He released her head. The baby continued to cry until she approached it with a distinct metal chatter. This was not like earlier when magically the cloak had hidden its movements and sound. This silence was instinct, for babies could sense when a Lueda Yedka was hungry and near. It made them fear to exit the womb. When held by another they cried for that person’s aid. All alone, it's only defense was to hope it was unseen by the demon whose eyes were equally as cloudy. Blood splattered across the altar.