"Glass,.James.C.-.Shanji" - читать интересную книгу автора (Glass James C)

She began to walk, and her momentary self-control dissolved
again. She was suddenly shaking, her knees giving way so that she
fell twice before reaching the broad ridge trail. Her muffled sobs
were of shame, and grief, the grief of a woman violated and
despoiled by the Hansui seed burning within her. Her people would
grieve with her, but Tumatsin law was clear. She would keep her
status in society, but there would be no marriage to Temujin, no
children of his body for her, a life without family, a maiden aunt to
the children of others. Her hand went to the hilt of her knife, but
again there was hesitation, an instant of anger, and her knees
stiffened.

Now she was running the trail, knife in hand, and it was as if daylight
had come early. She growled low, suddenly hoping a shizi would
come after her, attacking within sight of the signal fire. She thought
of plunging the knife into its open mouth, the claws tearing at her
stomach and groin, the foreign seed spilling out with her blood as
she stabbed again into an eye and through to the brain. Quite
suddenly, Toregene did not want to die. She wanted to kill. And
with that thought came resolution not to so easily give up her
heart's desire, even if it meant giving up a virtue she'd been taught
as a child. The virtue of honesty in all things.

The signal fire was less than a kilometer ahead, and a shadow
moved before it. Temujin? Had he waited up for her? She was
desperate for his embrace, his touch, that sweet breath in her ear
as he held her. She ran harder, dislodging skree that tinkled like
broken porcelain down the steep slopes on either side of the trail.
More shadows around the fire, men standing up, watching her
approach.

Three menЧand Temujin was not one of them. She stumbled into
the glowing circle of firelight, and fell to her knees, gasping for
breath as the men clustered around her.

"ShiziЧchased meЧI fell," she gasped. "On the far ridgeЧtwo of
themЧand troopersЧI don't know how many. They saw
meЧcame afterЧI ranЧthen the shiziЧIЧ" Her breath exploded
in a burst of tears.

A man knelt before her to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. It
was Kuchlug, Temujin's closest friend. He pulled the knife from her
clenched fist, and put it back in her sheath. "You're safe, now. The
cats have given up the chase. We saw the flyer over there a few
moments ago. Temujin has gone down to report it, but he'll be
back soon. Your hands are cut and bleeding! Ogadai, get some
hot water for us! Uzbek, go down and tell Temujin that his bride has
arrived safely!"