"Ed Greenwood - Spellfire" - читать интересную книгу автора (Greenwood Ed)

"It would be more prudent to stop and wait for morning and the lifting of this
mist," the wizard replied calmly. "But I, too, would hate such waiting."
"Shandril?" Burlane asked in the same voice, and Shandril looked up in
surprise, thrilled to be considered an equal.
"I'd rather risk stumbling into danger than waiting the night," she answered
as calmly and steadily as she could. She heard several vigorous murmurs of
agreement.
Burlane said simply, "We go on. Better to be all awake and expecting the worst
than to be all asleep but two."
Suddenly, they heard a soft slithering sound, then a loud "plop," as something
entered the lake nearby. Shandril's skin crawled. But the company could see
nothing. Cautious minutes later they moved on, and soon they came to a place
where the long grass was flattened in a wide swath as if by the passage of
some great bulk, and flecked with trails of green-white slime. The horses
shied from the area and had to be pulled across, snorting and rolling their
eyes and lifting their feet as though surrounded by coiling snakes. The
company hastened on as quickly and quietly as possible. Later they heard
something scuttle away from their path,
ED GREENWOOD
but again met no creature. They went on as night drew
down.
At length, the sounds of wide waters moving before them could be heard, and
Thail, probing with his staff, barred their way. "Open water/' he said in a
low voice.
"Either we have turned about and headed into the lake," said Rymel, "or the
shore has doubled back before us, orтАФ and this seems most likelyтАФwe have
reached the Sem-berflow, where you intended to camp," he said to Burlane. In
the twilit gloom they heard their leader reply, "Aye, it is likely. 1 will
look."
Pale light flared as he unwrapped the Bright Spear and bore it past them. The
bard went with him, passing the reins of his horse wordlessly into ShandriTs
hands. She clung to two sets of reins in anxious silence, pleased to be so
entrusted, and yet apprehensive. If something startled the horses, she knew
she lacked the strength to hold them.
The two were a long time looking, and even Thail had begun to step about
anxiously before the Bright Spear's radiance could be seen again in the thick
violet and gray mist that enshrouded them. Burlane stepped back among them,
looking pleased.
"It is the Semberflow," he announced. "We camp here. We cannot see to cross."
"A fire? Lanterns?" asked Delg. Burlane shook his head. "We dare not. Double
watch the night throughтАФShandril and Delg, then Perostil and Rymel, and I'll
see the dawn. Make no needless noise. Don't let the horses lie downтАФit's too
damp, and they'll take the chill."
The band quickly unburdened and fed the horses, shared cold bread and cheese,
and rolled themselves in cloaks and blankets. Shandril found Delg in the
darkness. "How can I keep watch if I can't see?" she whispered. Delg grunted.
"We sit down in the middle of everything, ladymaid. Back to back, d'you see?
We give each other a pinch or an elbow now and then to keep awake. Three such,
or more, quickly, means: beware, there's danger. You look, yes, but mostly you
keep still and listen. Mist does funny things to soundsтАФyou can never trust