"Furey,.Maggie.-.Artifacts.of.Power.3.-.Sword.of.Flame" - читать интересную книгу автора (Furey Maggie)

while snowdrops dotted the ground between the
outspread roots. The air was moist and fragrant, and
tingling with new life. Spring had come to the mountains
in a single bound, erasing every trace of winter as though
it had never been. Somewhere in the depths of the
thicket, a single birdЧone tiny, valiant survivor of the
iron coldЧbegan to sing.
Parric's joyful shout aroused the sleepers in the tower.
One by one, they stumbled out through the narrow
doorway, rubbing sleepy eyes, then stopping to stare and
gape in astonishment as they registered the changes that
had taken place while they had slumbered. Out came the
swarthy Khazalim soldiers from the far south, leaderless

now that their Prince, the misguided and treacherous
Harihn, had been slain. Out came Parric's own troops, the
little band of Xandim warriors that he had brought with
him to help in the rescue of Aurian. In their midst were
the two Xandim exiles, Schiannath and his sister, Iscalda,
who had befriended Aurian during her imprisonment in
the tower. They had been redeemed now and reunited
with their people, and such joy shone in their faces that
Parric found himself smiling in response to their
happiness.
Following somewhat more hesitantly, as though they
were still in fear of their traditional foes, came the
companions that Aurian had picked up on her southern
travels. What were their names? Parric frowned, trying to
remember. EliizarЧ that was it. The bald, rangy, oneeyed
man was the swordmaster Eliizar, and the small,
plump woman who followed in his wake was his wife,
Nereni, chattering, to Parric's amusement, nonstop as
usual as she voiced her astonishment at the sudden
spring. The cavalrymaster didn't have to understand her
language to know just what she was saying!
Behind Eliizar and Nereni came Bohan, towering above
the others. Cradled tenderly in the eunuch's huge arms
was the tiny form of Wolf, Aurian's son, born amid a
storm of violence and bloodshed only two days before
(could it be only two days? Parric could scarcely believe
it). The child had been well named, he reflected with a

shudder. The poor infant had been cursed before his birth
by the evil Archmage Miathan, so that he would take the
shape of the first beast Aurian saw after bearing him.
When Aurian had called the wild wolves from the
surrounding area to help her escape from the tower, little
Wolfs fate had been sealed. Parric looked down sadly at
the tiny cub in Bohan's arms. It was just as well that the
child had such a staunch protector. The poor mite had not