Raven's Soul. Volume 2 - стр. 16

– Hide! Now! – Evans ordered me, pushing me to the wall, where there was a row of full-length metal armor, and I obediently hid behind one of them.

The room was filled with bright flashes, the clang of metal, and Alviss's loud cursing. But I didn't want Evans to have all the work, so I ducked out of my hiding place and headed toward the mad old mage. On the way I came across a heavy glass ball, probably for divination, and taking it and creeping stealthily to Alviss's side, I struck the old man's head with it, and Alviss fell to the floor.

– Sylvia! You killed him! – Evans exclaimed angrily, running up to his mentor. – He raised me as his son!

– I'm sorry! – It was all I could say in response, and I hurriedly threw the orb to the floor as if it were burning my palms.

– Alviss… No, not again! – Evans moaned and leaned in close to the old man's face. – Alive! – he reported with relief. Then, rising to his feet, he quickly pulled the Dead Man's Axe from the shelf and hid it under his cloak.

– What now? – I asked, staring dumbfounded at the old mage's body on the floor.

– Now we disappear! – Evans covered my head with his hood, put his own over his dark-haired head, grabbed my hand, and we slipped out into the street and disappeared into the crowd, remembering to lock up Alviss's shop.

– This concludes our visit to this city," my friend whispered to me as we once again made our way among the thousands of people crowded into the marketplace.

– It's beautiful! I think it's time to get out of here," I agreed, but I couldn't help but ask the question that had been bugging me: "But doesn't that sword affect you?

– Later. We need to find Astrid," Evans said instead.

But we didn't have to find Astrid; she came running up to us, asking quietly if we'd gotten what we wanted.

– We did. It took a little sweat," Evans said. – And before our seller wakes up and calls the guards, we'd better get out of this town.

– Well, then, go on without me. I have a couple of other things to do that are important, and I can't and won't cancel them," Astrid said.

– Are you sure? You'll be all alone in this snake's den. I don't want you to get into trouble," Evans said warmly, and I wondered for the umpteenth time what had happened between them.

– Don't worry, I can take care of myself… But don't just stand there, take Sylvia and run to the valley! – Astrid said with pressure. – I'll be back as soon as I've finished my business! I'll try to do it before sunset. – The girl hurried away from us, as if she didn't want to waste any more time with us.

– Well, let's go without her. – Evans held out his palm to me. – Give me your hand. I don't want to lose you, too.

I silently complied, and we walked through the stream of people, holding hands and gripping the reins of our horses with our free hands, and soon reached the main gate of the city and left.

Fortunately, our way back to the valley seemed to me much easier than the way to the city: the sun was still high, but it was not so hot, so it was much freer to breathe. When we reached the ravine, I had to wrap myself more warmly in my cloak.

Evans was silent the whole way, and I was curious, but I didn't want to disturb him, because I could see that he was thinking hard, his forehead creased, his lips tightly pressed together, his eyes staring off into the distance. But when we stopped to give the horses a rest and let them chew grass and drink water from the stream that ran along the road, I walked over to my friend and looked into his brown eyes.