"Tracy Falbe - The Rys Chronicles 1 - Union of Renegades" - читать интересную книгу автора (Falbe Tracy)

experienced a foreign invasion. Occasionally bandits plagued the villages
around Droxy or clans skirmished over land disputes, but otherwise life
was peaceful around Droxy, except of course for her life.
тАЬMiranda!тАЭ
She turned toward the man who bellowed her name. Coming up the
road from Droxy, he struggled against the crowd of refugees. He was
barrel-chested and thick limbed with a disheveled shock of black hair
drooping close to his eyes.
The sight of her master brought Miranda no relief. She considered the
arrival of Barlow an enhancement of the crisis. He had been in Droxy for
three days, and Miranda had assumed he would stay there. Mostly she
hoped he would never come back.
Puffing from his brisk hike back to Wa Gira, Barlow stomped up to her.
тАЬGet inside,тАЭ he ordered and pushed her at the door.
She stumbled a bit and her shoulder hit the door. The baby began to cry
from the jostling, and Miranda tried to quiet her son as she entered.
тАЬI am sorry, Esseldan,тАЭ she murmured.
тАЬWhere is Elendra?тАЭ Barlow demanded.
тАЬIn the back,тАЭ Miranda replied, referring to the lean-to portion of the
shack where she slept with her children. Barlow stayed in the sturdier
front room, but Miranda shunned his bed except when forced.
тАЬGet out here,тАЭ Barlow snarled and a six-year-old girl shyly peeked
around the doorway. The dazzling dark eyes of the little girl carefully
watched her father, but she did not come out.
тАЬShe will learn to do as I say no matter how much you let her run wild,тАЭ
Barlow warned Miranda, who made no comment.
Looking around the sparsely furnished shack, Barlow cried, тАЬAnd why is
nothing packed? I came all the way back here to get you.тАЭ
Unimpressed by his concern, Miranda said, тАЬWhere are we going?тАЭ
 His eyes flashed with anger. He despised her questions, but no amount
of intimidation ever slowed her sharp tongue for long.
тАЬDroxy, you stupid bitch,тАЭ he snapped.
She stowed the pain of his cruel words deep in her heart, and the hurt
did not show on her face.
тАЬWhy go there? Everyone has said the Atrophane broke through their
fortresses, and their walls were larger than Droxy,тАЭ Miranda said.
тАЬDo not try and be clever, Miranda, because you are not. Now shut up
and pack!тАЭ Barlow yelled.
At that moment, the thought of going to Droxy disturbed Miranda as
much as the abstract threat of the Atrophane Horde.
тАЬI was not trying anything,тАЭ she defended. тАЬDroxy will not save us.тАЭ
Barlow seized her arm. Miranda shifted Esseldan into her other arm
and held him away from his father.
тАЬWe both know why we are going to town,тАЭ Barlow hissed.
Miranda glanced at her daughter, who monitored the exchange from a
safe distance. Lowering her eyes, Miranda stopped arguing.
When they arrived in Droxy shortly after nightfall, the fortress town was
thronged with refugees and local Droxy peasants. Added to the press were
the mustering soldiers and the landowning vassals of Lord Doamir.
тАЬBarlow, are you going to join the defense?тАЭ Miranda asked