"Claremont, Chris & Lucas, George - Chronicles of the Shadow War 02 - Shadow Dawn - part02" - читать интересную книгу автора (Claremont Chris)

easily and well. A level gaze, directed now on her, that saw far more
than the man let on. A broad brow, topped by an unruly stirring of
curly brown hair, a pair of piercing holes in the lobe of his left ear, one
in the right.
He was a very nice man, but in many ways wholly unmemo-
rable-which made the announcement of his occupation all the more
remarkable.
"I'm a troubadour," he told her, fishing in his kit bag for clothes
and other adornments, among them a set of plain gold rings for his
ears.
Strangely Elora found it almost impossible to meet his eyes. When
she looked at him, her gaze fixed itself on the tip of his nose, an ear,
the hollow of his throat, whatever stood just beyond his shoulder. By
contrast, his stare was disconcertingly level as he surveyed her from
head to toe, cataloging her in a way that turned her hot and cold all
at the same time and left her skin a mass of shivery goose bumps.
"I am in your debt, Elora," he said. Then he cocked his head a lit-
de sideways, to consider a new thought. "Famous name, that."
"Popular, too, so I'm told. Was a time when every newborn girl
seemed to be gifted with that name."
"And the skin?"
"How about your silence for your life,
that relates to me, and we'll call our debt square?"
"Bargain like a Cascani, you say." Rool sounded disappointed as
he muttered in her ear a small while later, the bulk of his attention fo-
cused warily on their new companion while Elora busied herself with
final preparations for their journey. 'I think not!"
"Forgive me," she pleaded as she finished her packing, "I'm tired."
"That's when traders should be at their most dangerous, my girl!"
"My work here is done, Rool, she said, then brightened as the trill
of a birdsong resounded from the trees across the river. It was the first
she'd heard since their arrival. Off to the east, the velvet sky was tak-
ing on a faint roseate sheen in herald of the coming dawn. Mist had
given way to morning dew, the air brisk enough to make every ex-
halation visible, and even the smell of smoke off the remnants of the
tower didn't seem out of place.
,,I don't want to think for a while, I just want to enjoy the mo-
ment."

Master Duguay, in any way

"Walking alone?" Duguay wondered as they left the village be-