“Here, now it’s like new.” Goodbye.As he made his way across the hall to his table, Tobius was acutely aware of the attention of others.- Hold on.- Well, you and frukht, the wisest! - Smiling broadly, almost dancing on the spot, Tom Belza began to pull on his things. “They say the truth about you Riva wizards—you are like those orcs!”- Firstly, either "Rivne" or "Rives". The word "Rivne" denotes our origin from the kingdom of Riven as representatives of the craft, but as a people we are Rivs, not Rivs. Secondly, if I wanted everyone to know that I was a magician, I would have yelled at the top of my lungs about it myself. And thirdly, why orcs?!- Well, sorry, sorry! Belza was fully dressed and sat back at the table. “I keep forgetting. Are you mad at me?“I don't take offense at anyone, Tom. Resentment is the lot of children who have small, insignificant worries. Now I just think that I drew attention to myself for no particular reason. I don't need it at all.The gray master wai
A troop of female warriors cordoned off a nickel around the gate, guarding ten bulky, low-sleigh covered sledges. Huge white deer with long hair were restless in the teams. Most of them sported not yet so large, but new horns that had already grown in order in the spring. The animals exhaled clouds of steam and constantly moved, trying to keep warm, although in addition to their native wool, they also wore thick woolen blankets. The men climbed into the sledge, arguing loudly about who would sit where, on two rows of seats facing one another. Balakhas Erdevind and Mongo Buschenglaf chose the most comfortable sleigh, as it seemed to them, and let only their closest relatives inside. It seemed that over the past time, these two had become friends in some sense, although they arrived on Ora in search of the same treasure, which could not be divided in half.Accompanied by a convoy of five dozen reindeer riders, the sledge caravan moved further north, to the halls of Jofrid's horsemen, in
The guests left the sleigh with noise and laughter. They stretched stiff limbs, talked loudly and were just glad that they could get to Cardenwig, which seemed so warm and safe. They were shown the way to the hall of the konani, and the guests hurried through the open gates, from which the hot and inviting smell of food poured out.- Wow, finally!Don't rush, Tom. The wizard wrapped himself in mimicry and exhaled a thick cloud of white vapor. The frost was getting stronger. Look around and remember everything.— Yes you what, the wisest?“Listen, we voluntarily entered a well-fortified and guarded castle. On the one hand, tall walls, on the other, an abyss, there is only one gate. Judging by the size of the barracks, there are at least a thousand guards alone, and most likely twice as many. The guard guards Kardenvig, and the squad accompanies the horses on campaigns, I read the description of the local way of life in the history of Kalebdin ... Now Yofrid is here, in the fortress, wh
“How cold it is here… I don’t understand how they can live on this cursed island! However, this is not so important! I was able to get to Cardenwig without incident, had to look away from these women, hide and steal food, but I still got there! However, you can’t stay here: the old woman has eyes everywhere, and they are already looking for me! I'll try to collect food for the journey - I need to run! Now just west. On Ora, inhabited by people, there is nowhere to hide an entire library. If you're reading this, then you've made it here too. Be careful! The best thing to do is run now!”Tobius bit his lip thoughtfully as he reread the message. If his predecessor hadn't perished here, then he had gone further... west? Coming out from behind the stag, the wizard looked towards the chamber.The gates of the banquet hall were wide open, and half-drunk suitors walked out of them, accompanied by the Orians, in clubs of warm fragrant steam. They walked with songs and laughter, stomping loudly
But the frivolity of the Oryek was feigned. Since his “cell” was in the barracks, there could be no shortage of guards by definition. In addition, the room in which the southerner was locked up was filled with spirits. Dozens of small ephemeral entities, probably drawn from some small thing like a stone, an icicle, something else. For the magician, these little things did not pose the slightest threat, he would have dispersed them with one Invisible Gong, but then, he had no doubt, the old woman, without pity or warning, would pounce on him with everything she had. And she was strong, many times older, more experienced and more cunning than a young reev. Tobius had strong doubts about his victory in the battle with Orza. So I decided to sit quietly and not touch the spirits.Sleeping on a hard bed was surprisingly comfortable. Having been captured, the master for the first time since the day of descent to the Ori coast was able to sleep properly, and then eat. Waking up, he saw next t
“I picked her up, that means a deer, pulled her out, and she attacked me with a dagger!” Well, I drove my forehead into her cheekbone. And so our love began.- It's very romantic!“Yeah, whistle more,” Yorman smiled, “suddenly I’ll believe it!” I'm not a local fool who sighs at the thought of a strong woman, behind whom is like behind a stone wall! I was a Reeve, and they called me Martan until they called me an Orian and named Yormen. Leave the romance for my sons, who squeal like young brides at the sight of horsemen's warriors, ugh, muslin kitchen peasants!Yorman was clearly not delighted with the way his sons had grown up, although he loved them.“Sometimes I feel like I’ve done a lot myself…”“You can’t say for you,” the wizard hastened to assure, “if I met you at home, I would try to bypass you, away from sin.”“Uh-huh, and here I’m exactly the damned cook, while my fool goes on military campaigns and squeezes herself there with her subordinate women, deviant wiggle-tail!” Yorm
“Be careful, woman. You may have been born with a weapon in your hands, but only I am a wizard, and for me all your strength is a modest and harmless thing. You try to hurt me again and I will hurt you. He unclenched his fingers of steel and made a mask of regret. Sorry, I really don't like being hurt. I just hate it. Keep the card for yourself.- When do you intend to leave? Yofrid asked.“Soon, mistress. I can right now… No, I can’t now, the night is not over yet. But I can before dawn. I would like to speak with your adviser.— Orzoy?- Certainly. Who else here can you ask for sound advice? - A small attack in the direction of the senior combatant was a success.- You are being escorted.Accompanied by warriors, Tobius went deep into the halls of the konani. They did not make a big impression on him: outside the decorated banquet hall, dark short corridors with poor heating seemed abandoned and inhospitable. A lot of stairs, doors, cold nooks, everything is crumpled, there is littl
Camaront froze at first, and then his brain finally realized that he was dead, and the beast fell heavily onto the stones. His body swayed for a long time to the screams and howls of his relatives. They were not very upset by the death of the ruling king, and the applicants almost immediately began to redistribute the territory. They tried not to pay too much attention to the little wizard.Tobius drew a ritual knife from its scabbard, twirled it between his fingers in an old habit, and approached the huge carcass. It took a long time to peel off a strip of skin and wade through a thick layer of fat, the magician even sweated and undressed to the waist to make it easier to work. He ate some warm fat along the way - and soon he was butchering the meat of the defeated beast. The magician baked pieces of red tenderloin on magical fire, sprinkled with spices, which he carried with him in abundance for some rituals, and for the first time in a long time he ate his fill of hot food.Already