"Sharon Green - Jalav 2 - An Oath To Mida" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

the gods. That the use had not brought the males the results they had desired made little
difference, for the gift had not been disclaimed by Galiose. The High Seat Galiose was at
times capable of a certain honor, and Fayan had retained her gift.
I shifted in the grass and raised my eyes to the blue of the skies with a sigh. Such great
difficulty had the Crystals of Mida caused, pain and death the like of which only full battle
might produce yet had it all gone seemingly for naught. The males had not spoken with the
gods as they had hoped, and were greatly distressed. We had been told that we were lost kin
to those who spoke from the depth of the golden air about the device, and that soon would
come others to take from us our ignorance and lack of knowledge, to be replaced with the
great benefits of those who are truly civilized. Deep shock had been felt by the males, caused
in great part by the knowledge that those who came to teach the ignorant were female, and
the past two feyd had been spent by them in almost constant discussion, seeking a means by
which those who were to come might be returned from whence they came. Fayan and I, who
had been present when the threatened invasion had been spoken to us, had yet,
nonetheless, been barred from the discussions of the males, first having been cautioned to
speak no word to others of what had occurred. Most annoyed had Fayan and I been;
however, we had other matters of import to discuss between ourselves. We had withdrawn to
the dwelling which had once been Nidisar's, and there had we drunk renth and spent many
hind in an attempt to make sense of what had occurred.
We, who were Hosta of the Midanna, followed the teachings of Mida, and Mida, too, had
been spoken of by her whose voice came from the golden air. The female had denied the
divinity of Mida, saying Mida was naught save a joining of theirs, yet was such not to be
believed. I, myself, had been spoken to by Mida in dreams, and had often seen things that
only occurred by the will of Mida. Fayan and I agreed that the female who had spoken did not
know the true nature of Mida, and then we discussed how to halt the strangers when they
came. The Midanna would require little urging to ride forth upon their gandod, bravely draped
in their clan colors, each warrior eager for battle, yet would it be necessary for word to reach
them of our need. Although the males would surely lose if they engaged the Strangers in
battle, the Hosta were kept close behind the walls of Ranistard, not being allowed to return to
our lands beyond the Dennin river. Once we had escaped the walls to ride in search of the
third Crystal, but our escape had been known to and approved of by the males, who had
wished that we fetch the Crystal for their use. Not again would escape prove as effortless as
it had been then, and the Hosta would need a greater effort to ride free once more.
The cramps came again to my middle as they had done so often in the past two feyd,
therefore I lay back in the grass, one hand upon the pain, till the aching would cease. The
pain brought Ceralt to mind, and deep anger filled me at thought of the male. Much pain had
Ceralt brought unknowingly to me, yet this pain that now was mine came from his desire to
see me with child. That a war leader of the Midanna, such as I, was forbidden to have life
within her meant naught to the male, for he had claimed me as his own, to do with me as he
pleased. Many strange feelings had I had for the light-eyed, dark-skinned hunter, and by
cause of these feelings had he been able to send me seeking the third Crystal, thinking I rode
to aid him in dire need, when in truth he and the other males had merely followed the track
my warriors and I left, and then took the Crystal from us when we had secured it. Many times
had I been betrayed by the hunter Ceralt, yet now he would see me further betrayed by
placing his seed within me. The leaves of the dabla bush, which had kept me childless, were
then in battle with a potion given me by Phanisar, a thing done by the aged male at the urging
of Ceralt, and Phanisar had said that the potion would have bested the dabla leaves in a
matter of feyd. Quite pleased had Ceralt been with his actions, yet had I been able to locate
dabla bushes within Ranistard, and had, each fey since the potion was given me, chewed the
leaves to increase its strength against the potion. The taste of the leaves was not unpleasant,