"Tracy Falbe - The Rys Chronicles 03 - Judgment Rising" - читать интересную книгу автора (Falbe Tracy)

Dreibrand walked along the top of the old wall until he reached a gap in the western side. The
broken stones had been piled into crude steps and he descended to the ground. A broad ledge in
front of Elendra overlooked the valley, and it was here where the men were building the bonfire.
Tytido was planting a few torches in the ground near the edge so they could be lit later and mark
the precipice.

Dreibrand acknowledged the greetings from a few men who were constructing the bonfire while he
walked toward Tytido. His friend was working hard thrusting the torches into the damp rocky soil.
Sweat glistened on his brown skin and the fringe of his short black hair stuck to his neck.

тАЬNot taking any chances I see,тАЭ Dreibrand said.

Tytido smiled sheepishly. Last year, during the dance of arrival, he had actually gone over the edge
when the dance had reached a frenzy. Luckily the men nearest him had noticed his disappearance.
Intoxicated by physical exertion and alcohol, the men had cried out that Tytido had vanished. As
their alarm ground the dance to a halt and the drumming ceased, TytidoтАЩs cries for help were heard
below.

Fortunately, Tytido had not fallen down the entire cliff into the forest but had landed on another
ledge. He had broken his arm though, and some men had to climb down to retrieve him, which had
taken until daybreak. The injury had been a nasty compound fracture and men had gone
immediately to Vetanium to get Jolen.

When the rys physician arrived four days later, he had used his healing magic to speed the
recovery of the flesh and inspect the setting of the bone. Jolen had said the arm would be fine but
the disapproval on the rysтАЩs face had been clear. Dreibrand was convinced that the rys physician
mindread his patients during examinations, but at least Jolen had spared Tytido a lecture about
drinking and stupid accidents.

Tytido placed his last torch and then announced that everyone should be careful to stay away from
the edge. Everybody laughed.

Kashil, a runaway Bosta slave who had joined the settlers the year before, joked, тАЬBut, Tytido, I
bring extra ropes just for you!тАЭ

This brought another laugh from those who had an ear for KashilтАЩs thick accent. Because most of
the settlers were from the west, the western common speech was generally used, and Kashil
struggled for fluency with it. However, he enjoyed being able to speak his native language with
Dreibrand and Miranda and the few other people who had come from the east.

тАЬNobody is going over the edgeтАФthatтАЩs an order,тАЭ Dreibrand added.

After everyone ate and stabled the horses inside the walls, they began their dance of arrival. Three
men had made new drums for this year, so they could make more noise than ever before. It started
out much like a regular party. They drank strong liquor imported from the west and a few pipes
were passed around. Every man in turn toasted the spirits of Old Nufal and asked for the privilege
of bringing civilization back to the land. By the time this was done, the bonfire had grown huge and
the drummers were starting the rhythm that would guide them through the night.

Eventually the dancing began and they pranced in a circle, singing and howling. If a man had