"Barbara Hambly - Darwath 5 - Icefalcons Quest" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hambly Barbara)

and Rudy, and Lord Ankres said that the language was a useful thing for a King to know.
"And now that we have horses in the camp," said Bektis, drawing close around his face the fur collar of
his quilted brown coat and tucking his beard behind a number of scarves, "I think it best we keep the boy
tied up until his Lordship arrives. See to it."
"Please, Lord Bektis." Tir stepped forward, his heart pounding. "Please don't tie me up. If something else
happens, if the Raiders come again, I don't want to be tied up."
"So you can run away in the confusion?" Bektis had already started to turn away. There was contempt in
his voice, and Tir felt his face flush.
"I know I wouldn't get far," he said with dignity. "Even if I stole a horse, you could just make it turn
around and come back to you, couldn't you? Or scare it, like you scared those people with stuff that
wasn't real, so they couldn't protect themselves."
The wizard's dark eyes flashed with anger at this implication of cowardice and cheat. "And a fine
predicament you'd be in if I hadn't, boy. We're not playing children's games. Do you think the White
Raiders would spare a child of your years? I've seen children younger than you with their guts staked
over five yards of ground. Tie him up," he added to Hethya. "And give him a lick or two, to mend his
manners."
He walked away to the edge of the grove, where he settled himself under a tree. Tir saw him take
something from a velvet purse under his coat, polish it on his chamois cloth, and set it on a little
collapsible silver tripod where the dim sunlight lanced through the thin leaves. Scrying, as old Ingold
scried for things in his fragment of yellow crystal. As he'd seen Rudy scry, hundreds of times.
At the thought of Rudy his throat closed and his eyes grew hot, seeing him fall again through the whirl of
snow and darkness.
Don't make him be dead, he prayed. Please don't make him be dead.
Hethya's hand dropped gently onto his shoulder. "Come on, honey," she said. "We'd better do as he
says. I'll make it as easy on you as I can, and if we're attacked again I'll see to it you can get to safety."
Tir nodded. He wondered sometimes, lying beside her in the warmth of her blankets, feeling safe while
Bektis' wolves and saberteeth snuffled around the verges of the camp, if she had a little boy of her own.
"Who's his Lordship who's coming?" he asked softly, as she led him toward a thin sycamore tree where
there was shade and grass. "And what's he going to do? Why does he want me?"
"Never you mind that, honey," said Hethya. "I'll make sure you're all right."
But her eyes avoided his as she said it. She wasn't lying, he realized. She just knew that she had no
power to do that, if Bektis-and his Lordship, whoever he was, and whyever he wanted him-decided to
kill him.
? Chapter 6

Shadow passed over the grass.
The Icefalcon turned, scalp prickling, then scanned the sky. There was no sign of a bird.
The chill wind of morning rippled miles of grass and brought the smoke of the camp on Bison Hill. They
were waiting for someone, the Icefalcon thought.
Or for some event, as Wise Ones waited for conjunctions of stars and planets that would increase and
focus their power. Above the coulee, black birds now gathered in clouds, but none circled anywhere
near the hill.
A smoke-colored flicker in the corner of his eye, and this time he was sure of it. Ears tilted inquiringly,
Yellow-Eyed Dog raised his nose from his paws and sniffed the air. The sky was empty overhead.
"What is it?" whispered Loses His Way.
The Icefalcon drew breath and relaxed a little, as much as he ever relaxed or could relax.
"Cold Death," he said.

It was after noon, the day following Tit's abduction from the Keep, that a mixed company of Guards and
other Keep soldiery under command of Janus of Weg finally reached the gorge where Rudy lay.