The Bear and the Nightingale

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of animal death, religious discrimination, death, and child abuse.

After Kyril’s departure, Anna presses Pyotr to send Vasya to a convent. She argues that the girl’s defiance, horse riding, and what she deems as “possession” leave no other option. Father Konstantin, still wrestling with his obsession with Vasya, supports the decision and says it’s necessary to save her soul. Though Pyotr hesitates, the priest’s influence sways him. He decides to send Vasya to the Ascension convent in Moscow along with the winter tribute, hoping she will find safety within the Kremlin walls before midwinter.

Vasya rescues a young monk, Brother Rodion, who became lost in the woods during a storm. Rodion has a message from Sasha, who has since become a respected advisor to Vladimir and sends word of a brewing rebellion against the Tatars. They are seeking Pyotr’s support should Rus’ rise. Kolya and Alyosha both want to go, but their father refuses to involve his household.

While checking their traps, Pyotr and Kolya find an eviscerated buck in the forest. The violence of the attack and the lack of tracks nearby leave them uneasy. Fear spreads in the village when a dog and a pony are found slaughtered.