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

toward the river, the only stretch of open ground left to it.

At once, Prince Sanglant galloped after it, leaving his party
behind. He had so much natural grace that Sapientia, racing
after him, had somewhat the appearance of a mongrel
chasing a sleek greyhound. No one rode after them: to the
victor, the spoils.

Sanglant broke wide to drive the boar back from the bluff and
cut in from behind. Then he deliberately reined up to let
Sapientia take the kill, as if it were her prerogative. As if he did
not want what he could easily take.

She saw only his hesitation, his turning aside. The boar
bunched, charged; she thrust at its ribs and lodged the point
of her spear behind its front shoulder, but the beast got under
her horse and the horse went crazy, bucking while she clung
to the saddle.

Huntsmen came running, their brindle boarhounds coursing
ahead. Sanglant vaulted off his horse and sprinted for the
wounded beast. It saw his movement, and in its blind fear and
fury charged him. Distantly, Alain heard King Henry cry out.
But the prince only braced himself, showing no fear. The boar
impaled itself on his spearpoint and drove itself into the lugs.
Sanglant plunged his dagger into its eye to kill it.

Sapientia had calmed her horse and now claimed first blood.
The boarhounds leaped yelping and biting in a mob around
the dead boar, but they slunk back, whimpering, ears pinned
down, as Prince Sanglant laid about him with his fist, battering
them back as if he were the beast being hunted.

Only when the other riders approached did he shake himself,
like a dog newly come from water, and step away to become
a man again, tall and handsome in his fine embroidered tunic
and leggings with a gold brooch clasping a short half-cloak
across his broad shoulders. Yet the iron collar he wore at his
neck instead of a gold torque of royal kinship looked
incongruous; that, and the odd habit he had of scenting like a
hound for smells on the air and of starting 'round like a wild
animal at unexpected movement behind him.

Princess Sapientia cut over to Prince Sanglant, but before she
could swing down beside him, she was distracted by her chief
adviser, Father Hugh. With elegant grace he lured her away to
the heady congratulations of her entourage.

"There is one at least," said Lavastine softly, watching the
scene through narrowed eyes, "who wishes for no