"Raymond E. Feist - Riftwar Legends - Honoured Enemy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

A flicker of a shadow moved in the darkness of the forest on the trail ahead and Dennis relaxed,
too.
The shadow stepped out from behind a tree, raised a hand and Dennis motioned for him to come in.
The scout sprinted forward. He was clad in a white tunic streaked with cross-hatching lines of
grey and black, the uniform designed by Dennis for the Marauders to wear during winter campaigning
in the deep forest. He ran lightly, in the way only an elf could run, so softly that even in snow
it was said they at times they would leave no prints.
As he approached Dennis, he nodded, and with a hand signal motioned for him to follow.
It was a bit of protocol that at times bothered Dennis. The scout was Gregory's companion, not
officially part of Dennis's command, and as such he would report first to his friend. This, as
much as anything else, was the reason Dennis preferred having Gregory lead any scouting mission;
when the Natalese Ranger returned from a mission, he reported to Dennis. Dennis, for not the first
time, considered it a petty irritation, yet he couldn't rid himself of it.
'Tinuva,' several of the men sighed, as the elf came into the clearing. They were obviously
relieved. Weapons were resheathed.
The elf nodded a greeting. He looked over at the burial detail, busy filling in the grave and
paused for a moment, head lowered, offering his thoughts for the fallen. At last, he looked back
at Gregory. 'You were right, two of them did escape.' he announced.
'And?' Gregory asked.
'Good fighters, tough, a long chase,' Tinuva said, matter-of-factly.
'So you got all them?' Dennis asked.
The elf shook his head. He was obviously winded after the long chase.
Dennis pulled a flask out from under his tunic and handed it over. After nodding his thanks, the
elf drank then handed the flask back.
'Not sure,' Tinuva replied. 'Their commander might have sent a runner back before the fight even
started. There were too many tracks on the trail to tell. If I had more time to follow the way
they came, I would know for certain, but you stressed getting back here quickly.'
Dennis cursed silently.
'Then we must assume someone did get out,' Gregory announced.
'I always assume that,' Dennis said coolly.
Gregory did not reply.
'I sense something else here as well,' the elf said.
'The Dark Brothers?' Gregory asked and the elf nodded.
'Did you see signs?' Dennis interjected.
The elf reached into a pouch dangling from his belt and drew out the broken shaft of an arrow.
'It's their make - Clan Raven. Not more than a league from here. I came across tracks as I was
returning here after finding the two Tsurani. There was blood on the snow. Someone killed a stag,
quartered it and then headed back north. Four of them, early this morning, an hour after the snow
started to fall today.'
'Only four?' Dennis asked.
The elf shook his head. 'No, there are more. What I found was just a hunting party foraging for
food. The forest whispers of them.
They're out here: something is stirring.' The elf nodded towards the mountains to the north,


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barely visible in a gathering darkness, to the north.
'How many?'