"Sharon Green - The Woman Who Rides Like a Man" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

THE WOMAN WHO RIDES LIKE A MAN - Tamora PierceTHE WOMAN WHO RIDES LIKE A MAN
Tamora Pierce


[15 nov 2002тАФscanned for #bookz]
[24 nov 2002тАФproofread by #bookz, help from newbee]
1тАФThe Woman Who Rides Like a Man
Lanna of Trebond, the sole woman knight in the realm of Tortall, splashed
happily in the waters of an oasis, enjoying her first bath in three days.
Hard
to believe that it's winter in the north, she reflected. In the Southern
Desert
the temperatures were just right, although she objected to so much sand.
"Best hurry up," Coram told her. Her burly man-at-arms stood guard on the
other
side of the bushes that concealed the pool. "If this is a Bazhir waterin'
place,
we don't want to wait and find out if they swear for the King or against him."
Alanna stepped out of the water, grabbing her clothes. She had no urge to
meet
any Bazhir tribesmen, particularly not renegades. She and Coram were bound
for
Tyra in the south, and coming to battle with the warlike desert men would cut
their journey very short.
Drying off, the young knight pulled on a boy's blue shirt and breeches.
Although
her femininity was not the secret it had been when she trained in the royal
palace, Alanna still preferred the freedom of men's clothing. It was odd to
remember that the last time she bathed in an oasis, she had been a page and
Prince Jonathan had just found out she was a girl. Those daysтАФthe days in
which
she bound her chest flat and never went swimmingтАФwere gone. She didn't miss
them.
Faithful, her pet cat, was yowling a warning. "Alanna!" Coram yelled,
seconding
the cat. "We've got trouble!"
Grabbing her sword, Alanna raced for Coram and the horses. An approaching
cloud
of dust indicated tribesmen or robbers, and she grimaced as she threw herself
into Moonlight's saddle. She trotted forward to meet Faithful, a small black
streak racing toward her across the sand. The cat leaped, landing squarely in
front of his mistress, before climbing into the leather cup that was his
position on her saddle. Alanna's gentle mare held steady, used to the cat's
abrupt comings and goings.
"Let's try to reach the road!" Alanna told Coram.
They rode hard, Alanna crouched low over Moonlight's pale mane. She looked
back
to see Co-ram shaking his head. "It's no good," he was bellowing. "They've
spotted us! Ride onтАФI'll hold 'em!"
Alanna wheeled and stopped, Lightning glittering in her hand. "What sort of