"Maggie Furey - Shadowleague 1 - The Heart of Myrial" - читать интересную книгу автора (Furey Maggie)

CHAPTER 1


Without a MiracleтАж


Leather was dreadful stuff to wear in the rain. It stiffened, it smelled, it
mildewed. It took forever to dry outтАФand worst of all, it clung to the body
in a clammy, chill embrace like the clasp of a long-drowned corpse. Veldan
shuddered at the thought. An overactive imagination had always been her
curse. With a shake of her head, the Loremaster thrust the disgusting notion
from her mind. IтАЩm letting these bleak and somber mountains get to me, she
thoughtтАФnot to mention the bedamned weather. Rain, rain, and still more
rainтАФit had never let up once during this clandestine crossing of the land of
Callisiora.
Well, although she could do nothing about her leather clothingтАФall the
garments in her pack were equally soaked by nowтАФVeldan could at least
take off the mask. There was no one to see her in this forsaken spot. She
reached behind her head, pushing her short black hair aside, and fumbled for
the silver clasps securing the black silk that concealed her face. It peeled
away like a second skin, and she sighed with relief as the fresh air cooled
her brow and cheeks.
тАЬAbout time, too,тАЭ her partner grumbled. тАЬJust waitтАФ one day youтАЩll leave
that cursed contraption where I can get at it, and IтАЩll eat the wretched thing.тАЭ
Kazairl turned his head all the way round on his long sinuous neck and
looked back at his rider. Veldan could see a sharp red gleam of irritation
within the fire-opal depths of his eyes.
тАЬLeave me alone, Kaz.тАЭ Veldan sighed. тАЬYou donтАЩt understandтАФitтАЩs a
human thing. People donтАЩt want to look at my disfigured face, and I donтАЩt
want them to see it. I donтАЩt want their disgustтАФor their pity.тАЭ
тАЬTchaaaa!тАЭ the firedrake snorted. тАЬAnybody dares pity you, and IтАЩll eat
them. You donтАЩt need that ridiculous thing on your face, Boss. Your scar is
healing all the timeтАФor it would if youтАЩd let the air get to it. You donтАЩt look
near as bad as you think. Besides, every time I see that damnable mask it
makes me feel guiltyтАФand it takes a lot to make a firedrake guilty. If I had

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THE HEART OF MYRIAL - SHADOWLEAGUE 1 - MAGGIE FUREY

only been there, youтАЩd have been all right.тАЭ
тАЬKazтАФdonтАЩt,тАЭ Veldan told him hastily. They had shared this old pain too
many times. тАЬWe Loremasters understand the risks of our work, and I have
only myself to blame. If I had moved faster that day, it never would have
happened. Anyway, itтАЩs over now. We should be concentrating on this
journey, not the last one that ended so badly.тАЭ
Kazairl did not reply, but Veldan knew his thoughts were similar to her own.