"Maggie Furey - Artifacts of Power 1 - Aurian" - читать интересную книгу автора (Furey Maggie)

"Who looks after you, then?" he asked at last.

Aurian shrugged. "Nobody."

The big man frowned. "Then it's high time somebody did. Speaking
of which, are you supposed to be doing that?" He pointed at the
forgotten fireball that still danced over the palm of her hand.
Aurian snuffed it hastily and hid her hands behind her back,
wishing that she could hide her guilty expression so easily.

AURIAN -3

"Well . . . not exactly," she confessed. "But it was an
emergency." She bit her lip. "You won't tell on me, will you?"

Forral seemed to be thinking it over. "All right. I won't tell on
youтАФthis time," he added sternly. "But don't do it again, do you
hear me? It's very dangerous. And don't think I didn't notice what
you were up to when I came into this glade. It wasn't an emergency
then, was it?" Aurian felt her face turn crimson, and Forral
grinned. "Come on, youngster, let's go and see your mother."

"She won't be very pleased," Aurian warned him, but she could tell
he didn't believe her.

They set off up the tree-covered slope; Forral led his tired horse
and the skinny, gangling child mounted bareback on her shaggy
brown pony. Cool autumn sunlight filtered through the naked
branches, gilding the deeply drifted leaves that crackled
underfoot. At the top of the long rise, the woods came to an
abrupt end. The child halted, her expression closed and grim.



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"Gods preserve us!" Forral gazed at the devastation below him,
hardly able to believe his eyes. The news of Geraint's accident
had come as a dreadful shock, but he had never expected anything
on this appalling scale! The vast, barren crater stretched beyond
the ridge, as far as the eye could see. It was almost more than
the swordsman could bear, to witness such proof of his friend's
violent end. Geraint had been the most brilliant and impetuous of
the Magefolk, favorite candidate to be the next Archmage. Arrogant
and stubborn, as were all his kind. Tall, redheaded Geraint of the
explosive temper, the expansive laugh, the endless joy in life,
and the kindness of heart to befriend a ragged young boy who dared
to dream, had killed himself down there.