style="font-size:15px;"> – Nobody stole anything from you! Just wanted to joke! Who knew that you were completely bruised! – Mom’s Pie lost his nerves.
He was the first of all to arrive and, grabbing Mikael by the arm, tried to lead him into the alley.
– Return everything safe and sound, otherwise the ruler will know about your trick. I'll take care of it! – I threatened, carefully dragging the northern woman in the opposite direction. – Things should be sent…
I looked expressively at the victim.
“To the Academy of Wind and Storms,” she muttered reluctantly.
– To the Academy of Wind and Storms. Clear? – I echoed. “And if I find out that anything is missing or damaged…” without saying anything, I arched my eyebrow meaningfully.
More precisely, I imagined how Grymza does it. I couldn’t do that well myself.
Mikael hesitated, nodded and finally allowed himself to be led away.
Considering the conversation over, I led the northern woman to the gig. She walked not too willingly and did not take her frowning, promising gaze off the backs of the would-be killers disappearing into a dark alley, but she did not provoke them again. She probably decided that it was better to disperse peacefully this time than to continue the obviously losing confrontation.
Once we were in the wagon, Bathmore breathed more freely. Jumping onto the box, he lashed with the reins, and we were pressed into the seat. The ice fence ahead was broken by the same lightning, and its fragments had already melted considerably. Having released an air wave, the driver scattered the remains, clearing the passage, and drove the horse to the station.
– Thank you, eshsheri. But you shouldn’t have taken such risks at your age,” the northern woman expressed her gratitude ambiguously as we drove around the block.
She sat hunched over and winced from time to time when the gig bounced on potholes. The road closer to the station turned out to be completely broken.
“Eshsheri Blackrock, I will have to report to the Ashsheri director about your prank,” Bathmore suddenly said and unexpectedly added: “But you’ve done well.” I don’t know how it all would have ended otherwise.
“Thank you,” I thanked him for the praise and pulled the pendant from my neck.
His hands were shaking like a never-dry drunk. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and the taste of iron appeared in his mouth. It seems that not everything is so simple with this artifact. A full mask sucked out magic faster than maintaining an air funnel, and yet my potential is not below average! No wonder Grymza talked about warts and wrinkles. From now on, you should be careful and not use complete images of other people, only small details.
– So, you’re not an old lady! – the northern woman was sincerely surprised.
She even straightened up, but immediately bent over again, wincing in pain.
I smiled welcomingly, looking at my new acquaintance, and answered:
– No. I am just a future adept at the Academy of Wind and Storms. So that's where you're headed?
Chapter 3
The girl Batmore and I picked off along the way was called Adalbjorg Hedvin. She was the only daughter of the northern jarl of the Coast of Iron Blades.
“I know our names sound unusual in these lands, but you can call me Ada.” I am in your debt, Mirre.
– Stop doing that. Any person would try to help in my place,” I was embarrassed.
The new acquaintance sat unevenly, leaning on one side, as if she could not fully straighten her back. She winced every now and then, clearly in pain, and I tried to turn the conversation to what was really important now: “No, Mirre!” Not just anyone. Only a very brave person with a caring heart would risk speaking out against six elemental magicians who are not burdened with either reason or conscience,” the northern woman objected, which embarrassed me.
– Did they hurt you?
– Nonsense! “It’s been worse,” the northern woman shrugged it off, but I didn’t believe her.
– Not at all! You should see a healer. Let's go to the station, there is a 24-hour first aid station.
– Perhaps you're right. That’s what I’ll do, only… Only now I have nothing to pay for their services,” she frowned sadly.
– Don’t worry about it, I won’t leave you in trouble.
– Mirre, I…
– No objections, Ada! You almost got killed! And then, when your things return, you can pay me back,” I reassured her.
– Thank you!
The Northern woman touched her forehead with two fingers and, with an unexpectedly graceful gesture, extended her open palm to me. A small ball flashed gold above her. He swam up to me and hovered, and suddenly pleasant shivers ran down my back, like when trying on a tailor.
– What is this? – I asked quietly.
– Oath of purity of intentions. If you accept it, just touch it.
“Ada… Really, it’s not worth it…” I stopped short, catching the northern woman’s gaze, and realized that if I refused, I would offend her to the core.
Sighing, she dipped her finger into the golden light, and her chest felt hot, as if she had sipped the cinnamon wine that we were treated to at the boarding house on New Year’s Eve.
“We are now more connected than sisters.” “You are my kyari, my savior,” Ada explained.
Her face suddenly blurred, and then I blinked, and two tears rolled down my cheeks.
–What are you doing? Are you crying, or what? – The northern woman frowned.
– No no! It's just… Everything is so unexpected. I lived alone for a long time, and just recently met my older sister. And now I have another sister.
The northern woman burst into a smile and hugged me by the shoulders in a familiar way, but immediately shuddered and again took the “hook” pose.
– Hurts?
“Stronger than we would like,” Adalbjorg answered with a dark smile.
Hearing her, Bathmore reined in his horse and began to choose a level road. We were just driving past the giant gas holder, and ahead there was already a station glowing with lights, where life was in full swing day and night.
– Ada, forgive me for the indiscreet question, but why did you need to get involved with this dubious company? Where did you actually come across them? – Unable to bear it, I asked.
– I arrived in Verlor this morning and decided to take a walk around the city. I haven’t been to the capital of Onyx Rocks before. Everything here is structured differently than here. And I accidentally encountered these children of a sick walrus on the street. They stuck to the sole worse than dog shit. No matter how many, it still stinks and stinks. I usually
