Page 21 of Cry of the Firebird

"I doubt it."

"You've no idea who you are and what powers you have," the witch said. "I could tell you. I could show you."

"For what price," Yvan said.

"It's cheap for knowledge of her magic and destiny," Baba Yaga said with a gray smile. "I want Yanka's rune stones."

"I'd rather not know who I am. Ignorance seems like bliss," Anya lied, hoping the witch would get bored and let them go.

"What about if you give us the directions we need?" Yvan asked. "As beautiful as it is, we want to leave your forest."

The witch scratched her nose. "For the stones?"

"It's a different thing we bargain for, witch, and it has a different cost."

"What do you offer?" Baba Yaga still hadn't taken her hungry eyes off Anya, which annoyed her. She remembered what Yvan said about the Powers wanting to use her and moved closer to him.

"How about a feather from the firebird?" Yvan suggested. "You know what it could be used for, and it is over-paying for simple directions."

"Where do you wish to go so desperately, Yvan Tsarevich?" the old witch asked, rubbing her hands together.

"We want a straight passage through Skazki. One which doesn't involve getting waylaid by any of the Powers," Yvan replied.

"I don't know all the ways of the Otherworlds, but I have an item in my possession that does." Baba Yaga grunted. "You better make it a good feather, princeling." She turned and went back into the cottage.

"I hope you know what you're doing. I don't think we can trust her," Anya whispered.

"Not even for a second," he replied, and Anya turned as he started taking his clothes off so he wouldn't destroy them.

Yvan whimpered as the transformation began, and Anya turned just as he burst into flames. The firebird let out a joyful cry as it launched up into the sky. It floated through the air, dancing on the wind like a kite of fire.

"I never would've believed it if I hadn't seen it," Baba Yaga said as she exited the cottage again. "Two creatures sharing the same body is tricky, especially when one is more powerful than the other. The firebird will get frustrated and try to take over. People will come after it, wanting its magic, including Yvan's idiot brother. You're better off letting Yvan go off on his own and staying here to become my pupil."

"Is that what Yanka did?" Anya asked.

The old witch spat on the ground before answering. "She should have. She had too much power in her that she didn't know what to do with. I heard she blew herself up." She grunted again. "The magic isn't as strong in Mir, so it was a waste. Yanka never had enough sense to know what was good for her."

"Perhaps the magic here got to be too much for her, and in Mir, she could live more normally," Anya replied.

"Why the fuck would you want to be normal when you could be extraordinary? I suppose it would explain why you are such an untrained, bad-mannered nuisance," Baba Yaga replied. Her expression grew sly. "You will have the same problem. The magic will consume you if you don't learn how to control it. You look like her, you know. Yanka. The same eyes, same white hair. Same magic, I wonder?" She stretched a bony hand to touch it, but Anya sidestepped her.

"I don't think so. I only learned I had magic a few days."

"They probably didn't want to train you in case you were another rotten apple. You should stay here and let me protect you. Let the prince go. He doesn't have the power to look after you."

Anya blinked, cold probing behind her eyes again. She slammed it back, popping her ears.

"Stop it. Stay out of my head," Anya said, clutching at the pressure in her skull. "Yvan didn't leave me behind, and I won't leave him."

The old witch's smirk disappeared. "He's already clouding your judgment, foolish child. I can't believe Yanka produced such an idiot." The cold vanished from her head, and Anya inhaled a painful breath.

The firebird cried out in warning and landed softly on the ground beside her. It ruffled itself up and selected a feather before pulling it out. It screeched angrily, and Yvan pushed his way back through, feathers melting back into his skin until he was naked and shaking, clutching the feather in his hand.

Anya handed him back his clothes, and he dragged them on slowly, his body obviously sore from the transformation. The firebird tattoo moved back into place, and Yvan held out thefeather to Baba Yaga. In return, she passed him a round leather bag the size of a small plate.

"CastRaidhofrom Yanka's runes on the drum, ask it for guidance, and it will show you the way," Baba Yaga said, tucking the feather into a fold in her robes. "There's a village not far from here. I suggest you get there as quickly as possible. If you are still in my forest come nightfall, I'll get my Black Rider to kill you." Baba Yaga looked Anya over again and spat a ball of phlegm into the dirt. "Until our next meeting,shamanitsa."

Vasilli had searchedthe forest for Yvan around the farm without success until his minions had called to him, confirming that both he and the girl lived, no doubt with the firebird's help. In his haste to get into Skazki, his horse had tripped over a rotting log and broke its leg. He had liked his horse, but he still cut its throat and continued on foot.

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