"Adams, Robert - Horseclans 01 - The Coming of the Horseclans" - читать интересную книгу автора (Adams Robert)

Beti's delighted laughter trilled again. "Small chance of that, Cat-sister." Then she cantered on around the outskirts of the wide-spreading herd.

At what appeared a likely spot, Beti slid from her mare's back and helped Aldora dismount. Then, after removing saddle-pad and halter, she mindspoke her mount and the mare trotted into the herd.

Bewildered, Aldora regarded the thousands of horsesЧ whites, grays, bays, chestnuts, sorrels, roans, claybanks, and blacks with occasional pintos, piebalds, and that flax-en-maned and tailed variety of golden-chestnut known as palomino.

At last, she burst out, "But Beti, how can I tell which ones are Linsee, which ones belong to us?"

Beti smiled and patted the child who stood nearly as tall as she. "It is simple, Aldora. None of them are ours. No man owns a horse, not in this tribe. The horses are with us because they choose to be. Other races enslave horses. They have to because they're incapable of communicating with them. It has never been thus with us. Since first the Undying-God came to the Sacred Ancestors, the horse has been our partner and equal. It is a partnership older even than that of the Cat.

"Though not as intelligent as our Cat-brothers and sisters, the horses have their own tribes and clans and, over all, a king-stallion. It was him that I sent Morning-Mist to . seek. King Ax-Hoof will mindspeak youЧhe is far more intelligent than the bulk of his kindЧand then conduct you through the herd, introducing you to you to those he feels would best suit your mutual needs and temperaments. I think . . . wait, here they come now."

Aldora looked to see Beti's long-barreled, short-legged little mare trotting back. Beside her was a huge, scarred, red-bay stallion.

Beti was first to mindspeak. "Greet-the-Sun, Horse-King. I am Beti, wife to Chief Hwahlis of Linsee. This other two-leg female is the adopted daughter of the Linsee and she has come to exchange the horse-oath. None of your hellions, mind you, Ax-Hoof, this female is not born of the tribe and knows nothing of horses or riding."

The big, rangy, horse stepped closer. "Do you mind-speak, Chief's daughter?"

"Yes," Aldora answered him. "I ... I am called Aldora, Horse-King."

"And you fear me, little two leg," stated the red-bay.

"Why?"

"You're . . . you're so tall," Aldora replied. "So big and . . . fierce and dangerous-looking."

Morning-Mist snorted and stamped one hoof. Though she did not mindspeak, her amusement was discernible.

"Little black-haired female," said the Horse-King gravely, "I was foaled on the Plains. For twenty years have I carried clansmen into battle. My forehooves are as sharp as a steel ax-head. They gained me my name and have sheared full many a helmet and the skull beneath. My teeth, too, know well the feel of man-flesh. But man-flesh, little one, only maл-flesh. I am neither as bull nor bear nor wolf. I do not war on females and foals. You need fear neither horse nor man, not when Ax-Hoof the Horse-King is near."

With that, the speaker sank onto his haunches that Aldora might more easily mount him, bidding her not fear falling as, if fall she must, the grass was soft and thick and she would come to no harm.

When Ax-Hoof bore her, who was now his oath-sister, back to where he had met her, it was settled. She had oath with a presently-barren brood mare named Soft-Whicker Чa patient, easy gaited, motherly one Ax-Hoof felt would be a perfect learning-mount for the gentle, likable little two-leg. He had had her oath an as-yet-unnamed filly of his own line as well, promising that if the filly had not finished her war-training by the time Aldora had finished hers, he personally would serve as her war horse until the white-stockinged sorrel proved ready.

For Aldora, it had been a long and highly informative ride. She had met, exchanged greetings and compliments and idle chitchat with all of Ax-Hoof's wives and with a number of the King-Horse's progeny as well.

Ax-Hoof and Aldora were within sight of the place they had left Beti when an elderly male cat and two younger ones raced up to them.

Without greeting or preamble, the elder cat addressed the stallion. "Horse-King, keep your kind away from the hidden portions of the east-flowing creek. It is possible that danger lurks there."

"What kind of danger, One-Fang?" queried the horse. "Lop-Ear, here," the cat indicated one of the younger malesЧabout twelve moons and all paws and head, but beginning to fill outЧ"became suspicious of a strange thought-pattern and went to investigate. He found no creature, but he did find a strong bad odor and some odd tracks. He called me and I don't like the looks of it. Both the scent and the tracks are too much like those of a very large Blackfoot to suit me! I am sending Lop-Ear to Green-Walls to fetch the Cat Chief and some two-leg Cat-brothers with bows and spears. So, warn your kind away from anyplace a Blackfoot might hide."

The cat then mindspoke Aldora. "Have you bow or spear or even sword, Cat-sister?"

"No," replied Aldora, "only a small dirk." "Then," the cat went on officiously, "you, too, would be well advised to keep away from streams or low, hidden places; the Blackfoot tribe aren't choosy; meat is meat to them."

As the three cats bounded off, the older and one of the younger in the direction of the cut of the creek; the one called ^op-Ear flat-racing for Green-Walls, Aldora asked Ax-Hoof, "What does he mean, Horse-King? What is a Blackfoot?"

Ax-Hoof, who was now moving as fast as he felt he safely could considering the state of Aldora's horsemanship, did not answer in words, but the picture which reached her mind was of a furryЧalbeit, snaky-lookingЧ body, about the color of dry dead grass, with four black feet and a black mask-like across its eyes. Its face looked like a cross between that of a cat and a fox. When it opened its mouth, she shuddered, for it was supplied with a plenitude of long sharp teeth. It was built low, so its height was unimpressive, but from nose-tip to base of tail, it was a good fifteen feet in length and the tail was close