"Laurell K. Hamilton - Ravenloft - Death of a Darklord" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Laurell K)

reins over the horseтАЩs neck and mounted her own horse, reins trailing between. тАЬIs she well enough to
go?тАЭ Jonathan asked.
тАЬNo,тАЭ Tereza said, тАЬbut sheтАЩs going.тАЭ

Konrad made some negative sound, but not too loud. Arguing with Tereza was a time-wasting thing.
The outer doors opened, and the horses moved forward. Elaine felt the horse move under her, but the
cloak had fallen forward, forming a dim cave round her face. She saw nothing but a small sliver of
ground. She closed her eyes, and even that vanished.

The wind slapped against the heavy cloak. Tiny tendrils of frigid air snaked under the fur, icy fingers
searching her clothing, seeking her skin. Elaine knew it wasnтАЩt that cold. Winter, yes, but not a blizzard,
not a killing cold. Even so the cold touched her everywhere and her skin seemed to freeze. Tears froze
on her cheeks. It was as if the vision had leeched away all warmth, all protection from the chill. The cold
seemed to know and to be hungry for the touch of her skin. Each breath was a painful pull of air.

The horseтАЩs hooves shushed through the powdery snow, its swinging gait rolling underneath her. She
clung to the warmth and movement as the cold sapped her with invisible mouths. There was nothing left in
the world but the cold and the rhythm of the horse. In a small distant part of her mind Elaine wondered if
she were freezing to death. No, she was so cold. DidnтАЩt you grow warm before you froze to death? The
bones of her face and hands were more open to the air; they ached with cold.

She must have fallen asleep because the next she knew, they were struggling up a hillside. If they were in
the hills, they had to be close. Elaine raised her head. She felt the wind smack her face, but it wasnтАЩt
colder. She was already as cold as she could get. She couldnтАЩt open her eyes. She tried to raise a hand
to touch them, but her hands seemed frozen to the mane. She settled for rubbing her eyelids against the
back of her hands. Ice crystals had formed from the tears, gluing her eyelids together.

She blinked painfully into the winter dusk. They were in the forest. Bare, black-limbed trees surrounded
them. The horses struggled through the blowing snow on what used to be a wagon track.

Elaine worked to sit up and found she could. The cloak blew backward, exposing one side of her body.
It didnтАЩt seem to matter. She could see the great tree looming over the lesser trees. They were almost
there. A full, shimmering moon rode above the naked trees. The wind blew the snow in swirls and eddies
across the road, and dry snow hissed against the boughs. The snow had stopped falling; only the wind
kept it moving, hurrying it along on dry hissing bellies, to crawl through the trees.

KonradтАЩs horse pushed forward, raising plumes of snow. He rode out of sight. If anyone had asked him
to scout ahead, Elaine had not heard it. The only sounds were wind, snow, the creak of frozen limbs, the
creak of the saddle under her. Blaine was just ahead, close, so close. Elaine tried to form a prayer, but
the cold had frozen her lips, slowed her mind. She couldnтАЩt think of a prayer. She couldnтАЩt think of
anything. There was nothing but the cold. All the fear, the panic, had squeezed down inside her into a
small, cold center. Elaine knew she was terrified of what they would find, but she couldnтАЩt feel it. There
was nothing but the cold buried down inside her, shutting everything away. A shout came over the snow,
ringing, echoing. The horses began to jog as fast as they could in the dry, spilling whiteness. Elaine clung
to the saddle horn with both hands. The mare was sluggish, not used to anything faster than a canter. The
great tree stood alone in a clearing it had made for itself. Its roots had choked the smaller trees, cleaning
away the brush. Five grown men could link hands around the trunk. The branches that reached outward
and moon ward were as big around as small trees.

Clouds closed over the moon, leaving the clearing in gloom. Only reflected light from the snow filled the