"David Gemmell - Hawk Queen 1 - Ironhand' s Daughter" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gemmel David)

Ballistar stroked Lady's flanks and gazed down into her eyes. One eye was doe-brown, the other
opal-grey. 'She has healed well,' he said, running his finger down the scar on the hound's cheek.

Sigarni nodded, and Ballistar saw the fresh flaring of anger in her eyes. 'Bernt is a fool. I
should never have allowed him to come. Stupid man.'

'That stupid man loves you,' chided Ballistar. 'As do we all, princess.'

'Idiot!' she snapped, but the anger faded from her eyes. 'You know I have no right to such a
title.'

'Not so, Sigarni. You have the blood of Gandarin in your veins.'

'Pah! Half the population have his blood. The man was a rutting ram. Gwalchmai told me about him;
he said Gandarin could have raised an army of his bastard offspring. Even Bernt probably has a


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drop or two of Gandarin's blood.'

'You should forgive him,' advised Ballistar. 'He didn't mean it.' At that moment a red hawk
swooped low over the clearing, coming to rest on a nearby bow perch. For a moment or two it
pranced from foot to foot, then cocked its head and stared at the silver-haired woman. The hound
gave a low growl, but slunk back close to Ballistar. Sigarni pulled on a long black gauntlet of
polished leather and stood, arm outstretched. The hawk launched itself from the fence and flew to
her.

'Ah, my beauty,' said Sigarni, reaching up and ruffling the russet-coloured feathers of the bird's
breast. Taking a strip of rabbit meat

from the pouch at her side, she fed it to the hawk. Swiftly and skilfully she attached two soft
collars to the hawk's legs, then threaded short hunting jesses through brass-rimmed holes in the
collars. Lastly she pulled a soft leather hood from the pouch at her side and smoothly stroked it
into place over the bird's beak and eyes. The hawk sat motionless as the hood settled, and even
turned her neck to allow Sigarni to lean forward and tighten the braces at the rear. The woman
turned her gaze back to the dwarf and smiled. 'I know that Bernt acted from stupidity. And I am
more angry with myself than with him. I told him to loose Lady only if there was a second hare. It
was a simple instruction. But he was incapable even of that. And I will not have fools around me.'

Ballistar said nothing more. There were, he knew, only two creatures in all the world that Sigarni
cared for - the hound, Lady, and the hawk, Abby. Sigarni had been training them both, determined
that they would work together as a team. The training had gone well. Lady would seek out the hares
and scatter them, while Abby swooped down from the trees in a kill that seemed swifter than an
arrow. The danger area came when only a single quarry was sighted. Hawk and bird had raced each
other to make the strike. Abby won both times. On the second occasion when Lady darted in to try
to steal the kill, Abby had lashed out, her beak grazing the hound's flank. Sigarni had grabbed
Lady's collar, dragging her back. In an effort to re-train Lady, Sigarni had allowed the cattle