The elders say that beyond the swamps, where the grass grows taller than a horse’s head and the quagmire breathes like a living monster, there lies a forest without paths or clearings. Neither beast nor bird dares to step there — only the wind bursts into the treetops, leaving more quietly than it came. In that forest grow predatory trees that whisper in the language of the dead, while in their crowns nest white birds with human eyes. That forest is called — the Womb of Navi.
Once, a brave warrior named Mstislav lost his beloved Lyubava — spirits of the underworld had dragged her into the subterranean realm. An old sage said:
“Only he who journeys through the Womb of Navi and outwits its guardians can reclaim the soul of his beloved. But remember — there the sun never shines, and even the gods go hungry.”
