Moonbeam, Ra Gro Manor,
evening watch
I suspiciously squinted my eyes at something white splashing in the mug brought by my mother.
- What's this?
“But you don’t even know!” Inis shook her head indignantly.
I look closely and sniff, after which I ask again with disgust:
- Milk?
- It is the most.
You know how much I hate...
- Calm down, the foam is removed! And why don't you love them? It's so yummy…” Ma smiled dreamily.
- Like it, eat it!
— And I already. Ate.
- To health!
“Life in the city did not do you any good, son,” a thoughtful and unquestioning remark follows inappropriately.
Inis, who has changed from her trousers and jacket to a homespun dress, runs her hand through my hair.
- Should be longer.
- I know.
“Your father’s braid fell below the waist.
- I know.
"You don't want to be like him to spite me?"
Well, the conclusion! Why did she decide so? Everything is exactly the opposite!
- Ma...
- What? - tired look.
- I can hardly cope with hair of this length, and you want it to grow back ... Who will take care of them? It was easier for my father: he had you. What should I do?
She is silent, lowering her eyelashes. Long long time. And when I already despair of getting an answer, I hear sad:
We are to blame for our troubles.
Ynys shudders shiveringly, even though the library is quite warm, if not stuffy.
- Drink milk and go to bed.
— Yes, ma.
- Don't sit up.
“Of course, ma. As always.
She leaves with her favorite "elven step", weightless as a feather. How many times in childhood did mother catch us red-handed? And do not count: Vig and I were terrible pranksters and fidgets. And even Callie occasionally took part in our fun ... Where are these carefree days now? Gone with the waters of Lavuola. Away. In the sea. But, hhag take me, even now I see in the gray eyes of the re-amiter the light of the look of that boy, with whom I merrily ate the jam stolen from the cook! And when I look at Ra-Dien, I remember what wonderful golden curls framed his still thin face then ... I wonder what they see when they look at me?
Okay, let's leave the memories alone and go back to today. Why do I feel bad? Let's figure it out.
Yes, I swallowed smoke. I cannot say that this is the first time I am committing an absurd and poorly thought-out act, but this one, like the previous ones (luckily for me!), did not entail irreparable consequences. Tomorrow I will resort to the old proven methods and completely expel all the dirty tricks that managed to get there from the blood. Even the remnants of booze, which did not go either for good or for pleasure. And it's a pity how ... Well, it doesn't occur to Kallas to forbid me to pour something stronger than ale diluted with water one to three in drinking establishments. It is strange, by the way, to realize that dan the Counselor has not yet threatened me with such a measure of punishment. Either he doesn’t understand all the charm of a drunken stupor, when you can not think about anything, or ... Doesn’t he want to deprive me of the last joy in life? There is something to think about. If the second is true, then ... At the next meeting I will be quieter than water and lower than grass.
So, it is established: the state of health has nothing to do with it. What is bothering me?
Favorite experience? Here it is not. In recent months, I have hardly thought about the meaninglessness of my own existence. Once. Perhaps this is precisely the recipe for the cure for any blues: work. From morning to evening. Preferably tedious, nasty and taking all available power. Then, when you come home, you no longer want to suffer and complain about your fate: to get to bed ...
So, there is no reason for me to worry inside. Not in the soul, not in the body. It is gratifying, however ... From where does that worm come from, which successfully makes its way through my heart? What did I miss and where?
Before visiting Savek's tavern, I was normal: angry, tired and mischievous. After visiting... drunk and demanding nothing from this world. Then I slept to wake up from the screams of the cat, and trudged to the market for smelly fish. Yeah. From this point on, you need to remember more carefully.
Khes children. Is my concern related to them? No, it can't be: I double-checked them. Although he was not in the best of health, he was quite suitable for such a simple task. Yes, the girl made me a little nervous. With his despair: it seemed too deep. Or didn't it seem? However, at a young age, we experience any trifle violently, as if it were the most important and the last. He himself was like that. And the little one crossed the sea in a fish-smelling basket, clinging to the only hope of reaching the blessed land of the Free City... It's possible to panic when you are discovered in your secluded corner, right? The smell was a little strange, I do not argue. But strange not at all to such an extent as to raise the alarm. And what is there to worry about? It used to be, when the great-great-grandfather of the identified khes were immediately destroyed, and now they are just being expelled from Antreya. Why take sin on your soul and stain your hands with the blood of people guilty only of the fact that they cannot drink the local water without harming those around them? ..
What was wrong? Ah, I remembered! Fishmonger. His appearance seems to be noticeable: he is not a newcomer to the market. Then why did he take on such a risky business as the illegal import of living souls? The profit, of course, is very good, although in this case it was hardly possible to count on any worthwhile payment: what can you take from a child? Unless the girl is the heiress of a noble family and sold all the family jewelry to pay for the fare. More precisely, the transportation of oneself as a commodity. Unconvincing. So, the man was flattered by something else. For girlish delights? It is also likely: some people love very young ones who have not had time to bloom. So, there are two reasons. You can not write off the third one: the merchant simply took pity on the poor thing and decided to help her. Out of the goodness of my heart. In our callous time of searching for profit, it is hard to believe in everything, of course, but ... Anything can happen. Good, dealt with the reasons. Now let's look at the accompanying nonsense.
Did he know my face? A very complex and very important question, the answer to which will make it possible to understand a lot. If not, it's very simple: my sudden interest in the contents of the baskets was dismissed as an aristocratic whim. And arguing with a nobleman is more expensive. Therefore, he did not stop me and prevent me in any other way. But that smile of his… If he knew that the poorly-slept and gloomy young man with a slightly swollen face was Raiden Ra-Gros, why did he let me come closer and smell the hes? Out of curiosity: can I or not? Ruled out. Uncle did not look like a fool who wants to lose his license to trade in Antrey because of two underage vagrants. Oh, how I don't like yesterday... I don't like it at all. When I get back, I'll have to dig through the records of the case and get all the details about the fishmonger from the leading investigator, who at first sight recognized me as "noble". It seems to me that he hunted not only with fish during his long life. It will also be necessary to take an interest in the further fate of the girl: where did she get, under whose wing, how did they arrange the baby.
Yes, it will be necessary. But that's all later, because the first item in the routine of my city life will be the compilation of an inventory of the affected property and familiarization with the protocol of the inquiry regarding the causes of the fire in the shelter. And with the results I'll go straight to Kallas. Ask for a generous donation, of course. Dan The adviser will bully me again... Okay, let's forget about the sad things for now. Sad things are ahead of us. In the face of the immense daneke Amira, whom I will have to please. With all your might and with all diligence.
“Go to sleep, night owl!” Ma calls out from somewhere in the hallway.
I dump the contents of the mug into myself. Br! Cold, oversweetened, fatty milk. How much honey did she swell in there? Everything inside of me is stuck together.
For a moment, I squeeze the wick of the candle with my thumb and forefinger. The light goes out, only real darkness does not come: the moon peers through the windows of the library. Not complete yet, but close to it. Soft moonlight envelops everything around with a mysterious shimmer, which someone will call deadly, and someone - silver. I belong to the first, then to the second. Alternately. Depending on my mood, which jumps from just bad to very bad and back.
That's it, I outlined the goals, set the milestones, it is possible on the side.
Seventh day of the month of the First ThundersKa-Yi in the constellation Ma-Ankin, two and three quarters of a rumba to the Sun, a rumba with a third to the Archer.Domestic Ka-Yi is fussy and burdensome, like a mother who adores her children and protects them from the outside world at all costs.The rule of the lunar day: "Any choice is not only your will, it is support or betrayal of your gods.""Lotion of star rivers" instructs:“In general, a favorable parking of the stars, opening the way to the improvement of the spirit and body, allows you to feel the quiet steps of the stars along the road of Fate, hear the voice of the past in the hubbub of the present, helps to fight evil around and, most importantly, evil in yourself. It is important to defeat your own selfishness and humble the outward militancy. However, any careless action or word can bring pain and sadness, loss.Lunar Bend, Ra Gro Manor,morning watchIt turns out that I completely forgot what it's like to wake up in
Lunar Bend, Ra Gro Manor,day watchI sit, clasping my knees pulled up to my chest, and watch how the water tries in vain to climb onto the shore. Upstream and downstream, the rifts are noisy, but here, in front of me, as far as the eye can see, there is a smooth and fast current. Dissatisfied with the narrow limits set by nature. To break free and bury everything that gets in the way under a sparkling and as smooth as a strip of steel smooth surface! To break free... At least for a moment. No, it won't work. Neither you nor me. Unless a miracle happens.A flexible long rod, whistling fervently, cuts through the air, straightening the rings of the hair line, and the spring fly, which a minute ago crawled listlessly in the grass, makes its last flight, splashing against the water at a distance of twenty steps from the place where the ruthless fisherman is. Plop!Shhhhhhh… It's the sound of the river, trying to take the bait with it. He tries in vain: the fishing line is pulled out to t
Eighth day of the month of the First ThundersFree Ka-YiRule of the day: "The enemy can deceive and frame, but not betray.""Stellar Rivers Lot" indicates:“A leisurely day full of misunderstandings, incidents, surprises.The best time to correct the mistakes made, because the gods do not interfere: they rest with Ka-Yi. The main thing is not to lose anything, not to miss, not to forget and not to get confused in a series of tasks and duties, remembering that the surprises of fate are not always sweet and pleasant, and you yourself will have to answer for everything.Antrea, suburb of Neari,morning watchFrom the first time it was impossible to quickly find the gate in the hedge, unceremoniously entwined with lashes of wild roses - I know from my own experience. No, honestly, when Vig invited me to his house, but at the same time asked me to come in “from the back door”, although I was surprised, I decided that it would be up to me. Like any business at seventeen, of course. But whe
Overcoming the temptation to frivolously decorate myself with one of the dark cherry roses, I slowly, but without slowing down on purpose, trudged along the path that led to the back porch of the Ra-Ken mansion, once again mentally chastising my friend for neglecting safety.No guards, no heavy magical bolts - well, what good is that? It can be said that he is one of the first statesmen - and he does not care about his life at all, when even such an idiot like me has personal bodyguards ... I remember that we once quarreled about this so much that we even got into a fight. By the way, it was at that time that I first became convinced: if Vig is a little weaker than me, then he is noticeably superior in resourcefulness and imagination. Suffice it to say that in terms of the number of cracks in my own bones, I won, while Ra-Ken, who was already a re-amer at that time, for the most part escaped with sprains. And then... Then we healed the wounds. Together. In one room. Locked up. Because
Ta-ah-ah-ah, it's here. As follows from the certificate issued by Ragin, the girl and the baby were taken into care by a wealthy merchant, who comes from a family that, from the very foundation of Antreya, has been supplying red copper to the Western Shem from its own mines on the northern coast of the Dead Lake. Dan Soyner.A solid house that immediately betrays the prosperity of its owner. And after all, for sure, everything is earned by righteous labor. There is no garden in front of the front entrance, but the back porch most likely has several flower beds and a lawn. What did you think? Only respected people are endowed with vast tracts of land in the city. I mean, from respected families. I myself live in a mansion that cannot boast of a park. And why? I want to look at the grass, I can always go to my mother. Although you don’t have to travel, it’s enough to get to the shelter. By the way, I will go there, but a little later. When I finish my business here.Wrought iron bars on
Was a trap set for me? But why? I see no reason. None. Yes, in the old days, the Guards of Antreya were a formidable force and had a huge impact on royal politics, but now ... Already under my father, the services of the Ra-Gro family were practically not used. Special services, I mean. Therefore, you have to mind your own business, helping Callie in his trading operations, in order to at least somehow justify the funds going to the maintenance of the shelter, and to carry the most ordinary shifts in the port. It makes very little sense to me. Yes, I can make a mess within the limits of my own perverted fantasy, but no more. Yes, I have the right to kill without explanation, but ... When did I use this right? In fact, I'm quite harmless. And yet, someone needed to sneak into the shelter under the cover of twilight, pour oil on the walls, after “drying” the tree,Yes, the most charred panels are in the alcove, which Hammis politely but vaguely called "the last third of the corridor." W
True, for me this potion would be useful. In the light of the circumstances, only it, perhaps, is able to help restore the favor of Nais. No, why am I kidding myself? Not capable. So, you have to try yourself. If only I could find the strength to do so...“It’s a shame to know that your old acquaintance, one might say, a fellow student and almost a friend, doesn’t value your mental abilities,” I drawled with deliberate chagrin, driving away annoying thoughts.“Ah, already “almost a friend”? Alden asked caustically. “A couple more minutes and what will I become?”“Don't hope,” I shook my head, and we laughed.A joke understood by a few, including me, Ollie, Vig, Callas and a few other important people, no one is included.With my lifestyle and my options, I could have an endless number of girls for entertainment, since the spouse refuses intimacy. Could. However…Just imagine how unpleasant it is at the very peak of pleasure to fall into the pool of other people's "memorable sketches"
Caravan route, Ra-Dien mansion,evening watchThe scratching of pen on paper fell silent for exactly the amount of time it took to ask:— Dan Ra-Dien made an appointment for you?I paused, admiring the glare of candlelight on the smoothly combed back of the girl leaning over the desk, and answered:— Of course. Even before I was born.Daneke Miina, Kallas' assistant in his difficult task of collecting tribute from merchants for services that are not always visible even to the eye, severely struck a pen, drawing a particularly strict curl at the end of a word, and only then raised her head:— Dan The counselor has finished the appointment for today.- Truth? And I expected that we would just accept him!Miina's light brown eyes filled with indignation.“You know as well as I do that dan Counselor adheres to—”"Didn't you have three days to rest?" - Callas, who appeared on the threshold of the office, asked a little surprised.In view of not too good health, and also simply out of conve
Four hours, this, of course, is not a complete rest, but at least it turned out to freshen up a little, otherwise, in fact, a day on your feet fogs up your mind. He called Dmitry, found out which of those present was more respected, and on his advice he called three more. I need people who can be senior in my absence, and for this I need to explain what I want from them and what the plan is all the same. I had a conversation with Dmitry, because I know him better.- So what did you think, Mirage?- A little about the situation: the streets are clogged with undead, I did not find the living from the word at all. Apparently we are the only ones in this city. Now about the main thing: while reading a book about the undead, I found an interesting fact - after death, the bodies of the undead are burned, as they burn well, like an oiled rag. There are thousands of bodies here, outside the walls of the city they lie in a dense ring to the very walls, and in the city itself, although not so m
The further path was marked by the passage of a dozen more traps. And finally, in front of me is the wall of the secret passage. The hope of getting out outside the city was not destined to come true, gently opening the sash, I slipped out in invisibility right behind the zombies. Moreover, the zombies stood in a tight wall, shoulder to shoulder, and so far as the gaze spread. In order to inspect everything, I carefully climbed the wall to the roof, fortunately, my stealth skills have already taken a big step forward, and I'm not talking about the level of invisibility, but about understanding how to put a foot, how to move silently, which side to enter , so as not to impersonate any third-party factor.The view from the roof amazed me. All the streets were densely packed with standing zombies, they stood everywhere, on every free heel of space, all the floors of each of the buildings were occupied, where there was an exit to the roof, they stood on the roof, and all this without a si
We were very lucky - by the time the undead broke into the city, we had blocked all the passages and windows, remade the chimney, closed the fresh masonry with oak shields, and collected firewood and supplies. And, most importantly, while working, people gained the determination to fight, now there was no crying, but only quiet and calm conversations. The people who showed their leadership qualities during the work organized the sorting of supplies without mention. The breakthrough occurred in the evening, at which time the parapet¹ of the bodies reached the top of the wall, and an avalanche of undead flowed into the city. We could not watch everything, I wanted to go out in invisibility for reconnaissance, but there are so many undead that they will trample the invisible. Therefore, one had to sit and listen to the growling, the beat of thousands of feet shaking the ground, and the screams of people. I really wanted to help them, but there was no such opportunity, our she
Finally a city. The transition turned out to be tiring, so I decided to rest in the city for a day. The town is small, but located on an important trade road, so many caravans stop here all the time. The walls are not high, but thick enough, they are more from robbers than enemies from abroad. I decided to stay at the Prancing Pony Hotel, which is run by a young couple with a young son. I liked the hotel with a simple but interesting style. When I went inside, I was amazed: a simple house on the outside, unremarkable from the rest, inside looked like a marvelous garden. All the walls were covered with vines and, remarkably, with bunches of grapes. At the entrance, a security guard stopped me and warned that it was possible to pick grapes, but only visitors to the establishment, and as much as they need for food now, cannot take grapes with them to their room and take them out of the hotel. A reasonable rule of thumb is to ensure that there is eno
It seems that the job is done, but it's too early to relax. The first desire was to wake up all the slaves, but after a little thought, I decided that it was better to leave this matter until the morning. Firstly, it is difficult to predict the reaction of people to a man in black who appeared out of nowhere and soaked fifty people. And if this appearance is also at night, but by the light of fires, uuuu. So we clear the leader's tent from the corpse and climb there on the bainki. The morning is wiser than the evening, although it is not clear why, the evening is older, which means that he has more experience. As soon as he fell into bed, he immediately jumped from a sharp cry right above his ear. This is the same girl who was with the leader, I was in the middle of a fight and forgot about the poor fellow, and she sits there, shaking, apparently, she hid here all day, and I accidentally lay down on her. And once such an incident happened, you need to calm down. To begin with, I took
The day was beautiful, today I had to drive through a pine forest. The sun broke through the tent of branches, playing like bunnies in the morning dew. The camel, to which I never bothered to give a name, easily walked along the coniferous carpet, breathing easily and naturally. Today I was going to make a decent push and leave most of the trip behind me. The road ran easily, from the soul poured out of nowhere a pop-up song: “You are a sailor, I am a sailor. You are a fisherman, I am a fisherman. You are on land, I am on the sea. We will never meet." Further, for the life of me, I don’t remember, but I sang these four lines for probably an hour, until a branch from a fallen tree flew over me. It was so unexpected that I choked on a sailor, and then, by inertia, it turned out that I was a crack. I didn't think about it, didn't think about it. I am sitting, thinking about the intricacies of fate and the love of a sailor and a quack, and what should she do, poor fellow,
I woke up to the accompaniment of a downpour, the rain charged like a bucket, and, judging by the sky, this is for the whole day. The mood has dropped sharply, like it or not, but you have to shuffle under the downpour, the time spent in this location is limited. I reluctantly had breakfast and took food for the road, and why didn’t I do this before? Fucking romantic. Hunt him, you see, serve, uuu, how angry I am. Okay, depressed, and that's enough, it's time to go. He called his hunchbacked horse, jumped up and rushed towards adventure, that is, he trudged along where the map ordered. In the whole situation, one thing was pleasing - the road remained strong, the camel's hooves did not fall into the mud, so we were going fast enough. The whole day passed in silence, I was already used to the rain knocking on the hood, and the next day was just as wet and cloudy. So a week passed, during all this time only once a horseman came across, and even that one, judging by the form, the messeng
Lunch was almost here, and in order not to remain hungry, I decided to go hunting. Yes, I understand perfectly well that there are crackers, but who wants to eat them? So go ahead! Into the forest! And don't look at me like that, I'm on the hunt, the environment will not suffer. There was a pleasant coolness in the forest, the birds were singing, somewhere not far away I heard the roar of deer. The deer attracted me, calling the camel away, I went into the shade and began to creep up to the place where I heard the roar. I had to walk long enough, almost an hour, and when I did find them, I fell asleep, stepping on a branch, so I had to catch up. Perhaps it was worth spitting on this matter, but I had already bitten the bit and did not want to leave without game, although I spent several hours on it. It seems to have overtaken, deer stood in a tight circle in a clearing and ate grass. I’m not going to make such an oversight anymore, so I tried to foresee everything: branches, wind,
Early in the morning, so as not to waste time, I got up, had breakfast and went to Master Loiniel. The master got up early, so he was not afraid to wake him up. It must be said that the sleeping city is beautiful: dawn rose in the east, its red rays illuminated the spire of the town hall, touched the magic dome of the academy and sparkled in it with a riot of colors. It was like a miniature aurora borealis, under which a soundless salute exploded. This celebration of the eyes did not last long, about five minutes, the sun came out, and everything took on its colors. Immediately, the magic lanterns along the streets went out, a rooster crowed somewhere, and I realized that I had been standing with my mouth open all this time. Coming to his senses, he moved on. Loiniel, as usual, was standing on the porch, is he sleeping here, or what? After greeting, he told me to open the map, on which he indicated the purpose of my visit. He also handed over a tube of papers for the Scorpions. Thanki