"Elenium 02 - The Ruby Knight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eddings David)

to talk with Sephrenia. Let's go back to the others. We'll
sit tight for an hour or so, until we're sure the soldiers are
out of the area, and then move on.'
'Good idea. I'm about ready for some breakfast
anyway.'
They led their horses back through the damp woods to
a small basin surrounding a trickling spring that emerged
from a fern-covered bank.
'Did they go by?' Tyrian asked.
'At a gallop,' Kalten grinned, 'and they didn't look
around very much. Does anybody have anything to eat?
I'm starving.'
"I've got a slab of cold bacon,' Kurik offered.
'Cold?'
'Fire makes smoke, Kalten. Do you really want these
woods full of soldiers?'
Kalten sighed.
Sparhawk looked at Sephrenia. 'There's somebody or
something - riding with those soldiers,' he said. "It
gave me a very uneasy feeling, and I think it was the
same thing I caught a glimpse of last night.'
'Can you describe it?'
"It's quite tall and very very thin. Its back seems to be
deformed, and it's wearing a black hooded robe, so I
couldn't see any details.' He frowned. 'Those church
soldiers in the column seemed as if they were half-asleep
They usually pay closer attention to what they're doing. '
'This thing you saw,' she said seriously. 'Was there
anything else unusual about it?'
"I can't say for sure, but it seemed to have a sort of
greenish light coming from its face. I noticed the same
thing last night.'
Her face grew bleak. "I think we'd better leave
immediately, Sparhawk.'
The soldiers don't know we're here,' he objected.
They will before long. You've just described a Seeker.
In Zemoch they're used to hunt down runaway slaves.
The lump on its back is caused by its wings.'
'Wings?' Kalten said sceptically. 'Sephrenia, no animal
has wings - except maybe a bat.'
'This isn't an animal, Kalten,' she replied. "It more
closely resembles an insect - although neither term is
very exact when you're talking about the creatures Azash
summons.'
"I hardly think we need to worry about a bug,' he said.
'We do with this particular creature. It has very little in
the way of a brain, but that doesn't matter because the
spirit of Azash infuses it and provides its thoughts for it.
It can see a long way in the dark or fog. Its ears are very
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