"Rawn, Melanie - Dragon Star 03 - Skybowl" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dragon Stories)

"Hollis!" Andry exclaimed, crimson-faced.
"I brought you something to eat. Dinner's long since over," Hollis went on, placing a pile of shirt, tunic, and trousers on a shelf. "In fact, the moons have almost set. Sioned wants to talk to you before she starts work for the night. If she does. The sky's clear over the Desert, but there may be clouds blowing over the hills."
"Work?" Andry echoed. He stood, draping the towel modestly around his hips.
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"The rest of us take turns searching on other light," Maarken explained.
They were all silent while Andry used a second towel to dry off. Maarken started to help him with his tunic, then looked sourly at his left arm and gave the garment to Hollis.
"I can do it myself," Andry protested.
"Yes, he's quite grown up now, isn't he?" Maarken said with an attempt at a grin. "Feeds himself, talks in whole sentencesЧ"
Distracting humor; Andry recognized it with an unexpected pang. Rohan. I almost expect him to be waiting downstairs....
He made an effort. "And I even remembered to wash behind my ears."
"Clever child!" Hollis' smile was a very bad fit on her worry-drawn face. "Come along and show me how well you can use a spoon, little brother."
Andry tugged the tunic into place. "Whatever happened to the dignity of my ancestry and position?" He kept on with the game as he followed them into the bedchamber. "I'm thirty-eight, not five!"
Hollis produced a comb from the dressing table. "It's the hair. Grow some gray like the rest of us."
"Oh, but I have." Glancing to the door as light shifted there, he saw Tobren's small face peeking in. "And here's one of the reasons. Come in, heartling. Papa's clean and proper now, he won't ruin your pretty dress with the dirt of four princedomsЧor is it five? I've lost track!"
He held her on his knee while he and Maarken devoured soup, bread, cheese, and wine. Tobren nestled against his shoulder, touching his cheek every so often as if to reassure herself that he was real.
"She's been taking good care of her grandmother, haven't you, love?" Hollis said. "And her grandsir, too, even though he thinks he doesn't need it."
"Now, there's a task," Andry smiled at his daughter.
Tobren eyed him narrowly. "Are you going to frown like he does when I let him and Granda Tobin sleep late in the morning?"
"Probably."
She gave a sigh, and he laughed.
"Papa? I know you're busy, butЧ" She squirmed a little on his knee. "I have to talk to you, please," she blurted out.
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"Right now, if you like." When blue eyes the same color and cant as his own flickered to Maarken and then Hollis, he added, "But tomorrow morning might be better. We'll have breakfast together, just you and I. Will that suit?"
She nodded and jumped off his lap. "I have to say good night to Granda. You won't go away before tomorrow morning, will you Papa?"
"Of course I won't, sweetheart," he replied, hiding dismay as he realized how distant a father he'd been. He loved all his children, and they knew it. Tobren's assumption that she must make an appointment to see him, and her worry that he would leave without telling her, stung him.
When she had kissed him and departed, Hollis said quietly, "I can tell you what she wants to talk about. Sioned and Meath began giving the children lessons today. Faradhi lessons."
"So?" Andry poured taze. "It's for the best, you know. And they're both entirely competent as teachers. Excellent, in fact, if Pol is any indication."
"Don't start, please," she begged. "I can't bear it."
"I'm sorry."
She bit her lip, then burst out, "It's justЧit almost kills me to hear you talk about each other. You both have the same note in your voiceЧ"
"Out of tune?" he suggested. "Hollis, I promise you I'll make the effort. I'm not a churl. Neither am I Pol's enemy. Whatever conflicts he and I might have are meaningless compared to this war."
"But don't you see, that's what I'm afraid of! You're going to have to work together and we all knowЧ"
"We may surprise you," he replied. Bringing her hand to his lips, he placed a gentle kiss on her palm. "For you, dearest lady, I will try."
His brother growled, "Stop trying to seduce my wife," and again they were all glad of the chance to smile.
But when Maarken went to tell Sioned that Andry would soon join her, Hollis stared Andry straight in the eye and said, "It's not for my sake. It's for his. He loves you both. He's loyal to you both. As your brother and a Sunrunner, as Pol's cousin and Battle Commander. Please don't make him choose between you."
Andry searched her eyes. At last he said, "I wish that just
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once, just for one day, someone would love me the way you love my brother."
When Andry entered Sioned's rooms, she gave him a quick embrace, then stepped back and said, "Out, the rest of you. Go on."
Hollis, Maarken, Riyan, and Chay all opened their mouths to protest at the same time. Ruala, wiser than they, simply turned for the door, tugging her husband along with her. The others shrugged and followed.
Andry's brows arched. "You must tell me sometime how you do that."
Sioned grinned wearily. "I'm still a High Princess. Besides, I'm old."
"You? Never."
"For the rest of my life, my dear. Come sit down. I've wine and tazeЧ"
"Thanks, but either would put me right to sleep." He took the chair opposite hers at the hearth. "Sioned, before anything elseЧ"
"Please don't," she murmured, fingers wrapped around a cup of hot taze.
"I want you to know how we honored him at Goddess Keep that night."