"Elliott,.Kate.-.Crown.Of.Stars.3.-.Burning.Stone" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elliott Kate)

cried in the tongue of the Quman people. "What matter that
she is a mere woman and you are a strong warrior? What
matter that the tribes sing your praises because you slew a
griffin, the first warrior in a generation to do so? You may be
adept at war, mighty one, but she is armed with something
more dangerous than brute strength. Her sorcery binds you.
You can only kill her, never compel her to your will as she
does to you now. And the truth is, you can't kill her either."

"Dogs can bark, but it is all noise," snapped Bulkezu without
looking at him. He did not look away from his opponent. "As
for you, you who are only a woman, you have made an enemy
this day."

But the woman only smiled, as if she found his threats so
insignificant as to be laughable. At that moment Zacharias fell
in love with herЧor with what she was, and what she had: She
was no coward, and her gods walked with her. What matter
that he no longer possessed that portion of a man that some
considered to be all the measure of manhood? Hadn't the
blessed Daisan himself said that the peace of true love lasts
until the end of days, and has nothing to do with carnal desire?
She was everything he was not.

"I beg you," he called hoarsely in the Wendish tongue, "let me
serve you so that I may teach myself strength."

She looked at him, then turned away to catch the horse and
hobble it. To one side of the fire lay a basket and a quiver.
She unearthed bow and arrows, and with some care she
approached the furious warrior and plucked a griffin's feather
from the wooden frame which, like two shepherd's crooks,
arched over' his head. Her fingers bled at once, and
profusely, but she only licked her fingers and murmured
words, like a prayer, under her breath.

"Nay, I beg you, let me do it." Zacharias stumbled forward as
Bulkezu cursed out loud. "Let me do it. For he has shamed
me, and in this way I may return shame upon him threefold."

She stepped back to regard him with narrowed eyes. He had
never seen eyes of such green before, fathomless, as
luminous as polished jade. Measuring him, she came to a
decision. Before he could flinch back, she nicked his left ear
with her obsidian knife, and when he yelped in surprise, she
licked welling blood from his skinЧand then handed him the
knife and turned her back on him as she would on a trusted
servant.

"Strike now!" cried Bulkezu, "and I will give you an honorable