"Raymond E. Feist - Conclave of Shadows 3 - Exile's Return" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

Rodoski's life on Hawkins.
Kaspar shook his head. Since leaving Olasko, he had several times felt that
something had changed within him, something more than just dealing with his dire
circumstances. After a while it occurred to him that it had been his friend Leso Varen
who had suggested that Tal Hawkins could pose a threat.
Kaspar blinked and realized his mind was drifting. He turned his mind to finding
the boy before an alarm could be raised. There were no signs of any habitation
nearby, so Kaspar decided the boy might yet be some distance from his home. He
focused on the boy's tracks and followed them, picking up the pace as his sense of
urgency rose.
Time passed and the sun moved across the sky, and after what Kaspar judged
nearly half an hour, he smelled the smoke. The path had led him down into a defile,
but now as it rose up and he followed it around a tall rock formation, he saw a farm.
Two goats were confined in a pen and in the distance were a few cattle, an odd breed
with long sweeping horns and brown-speckled white hides. They cropped grass in a
green meadow. Behind a low mud-and-thatch building a full two or more acres of
crops swayed in the breeze: corn, Kaspar thought, though he couldn't be certain. And
in front of the building stood a well!
He hurried to it and pulled up a bucket on a long rope. The water was clear and
cool and he drank his fill.
When he finally dropped the bucket down into the water, he saw a woman
standing in the doorway of the building, the boy peering out from behind her. She
leveled a crossbow at him. Her face was set in a determined expression, brow knit and
eyes narrow, her jaw clenched. She said something in the same language used by the
nomads and it was obviously a warning.
Kaspar spoke Quegan, hoping she might recognize a few words, or at least infer
from his tone his intent. 'I will not harm you,' he said slowly as he sheathed his sword.
'But I have to see what you have to eat.' He pantomimed eating and then indicated the
house.
She barked a reply and motioned with the crossbow for him to be off. Kaspar
was enough of a hunter to know that a female protecting her young was worthy of the
greatest caution.
He slowly approached and again spoke slowly. 'I mean you no harm. I just need
to eat.' He held his hands palms outward.
Then the aroma hit him. Something was cooking inside and it almost made
Kaspar ache to smell it; hot bread! And a stew or soup!
Calmly he said, 'If I don't eat soon, I'm as good as dead, woman. So if you mean
to kill me, do it now and be done with it!'
His reflexes saved him, for she hesitated an instant before tightening her fingers
on the release of the crossbow. Kaspar threw himself to the left and the bolt split the
air where he had stood a moment earlier. Kaspar rolled, came to his feet and charged.
As soon as the woman saw that her bolt had missed, she raised her crossbow to
use it as a club. She brought it crashing down on Kaspar's shoulder as he forced his
way through the doorway. 'Damn!' he shouted as he wrapped his arms around her
waist, bearing her to the floor.
The boy shouted angrily and started striking Kaspar. He was small but strong and
Kaspar could feel the blows. He lay on top of the struggling woman and held tightly
to the hand that still held the crossbow. He squeezed until she cried out and released
it, then stood up just in time to avoid being brained by the metal skillet the boy swung
at his head.