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

see how they shook, but she was standing alone.
Tereza held the heavy coat at armтАЩs length, arm steady as if the coat weighed nothing.

Elaine took a step forward on her shaking legs. She didnтАЩt fall down. She took one step, then another,
then another. Her hand gripped the fur. Tereza laid the coat gently across ElaineтАЩs arms. She smiled at
the girl, a smile that made her dark eyes shine.

тАЬIf you want to go that badly, we can throw you over a horse. No need to wait.тАЭ

Elaine smiled. тАЬThank you.тАЭ

тАЬBravery should always be rewarded.тАЭ

Jonathan smiled broadly. тАЬVirtue is its own reward.тАЭ

Tereza slapped him on the shoulder. тАЬDonтАЩt you believe that.тАЭ Konrad came into the kitchen, bundled to
the eyes against the winter cold. тАЬAre we ready to go?тАЭ

Tereza helped Elaine on with the heavy cloak. She tucked ElaineтАЩs pale yellow hair into the hood. тАЬLetтАЩs
go find Blaine and Thordin.тАЭ Elaine felt the smile fade from her face.

тАЬYou did your best, Elaine. You warned them.тАЭ

тАЬI went to the fire as soon as I felt the call.тАЭ

тАЬI know you did.тАЭ

Konrad shrugged a small pack over his cloak. It held the healing herbs and bandages.

Tereza wound a multicolored scarf around her black hair. It was very similar to the one Thordin wore.
Elaine and Blaine had learned how to knit last year. They had made gifts for everyone.

She had made TerezaтАЩs scarf of red and black stripes. Blaine had made ThordinтАЩs of every color yarn he
could find, perhaps thinking the warrior wouldnтАЩt wear it, but he wore it proudly. The joke had ended up
on Blaine. He had made matching mittens as a sort of apology, though the mittens were the same awful
colors as the scarf.

тАЬLet us be on our way,тАЭ Jonathan said. His plain knit cap, in his preferred shade of brown, had been
ElaineтАЩs handiwork. The scarlet cap Blaine had fashioned for Konrad had been eaten by a monster, or so
Konrad claimed. He wore a fur hat with a thick, striped tail that curved over his collar. Mala held out a
small pack to Tereza. тАЬSomething warm for them. Good foodтАЩs better than medicine sometimes.тАЭ

She took the pack with a smile. тАЬYour food, anyway.тАЭ Mala blushed at the compliment, and turned back
to her stove. The smell of vegetable stew filled the kitchen as she raised the lid and stirred the pot. The
back of her neck was still red with the compliment. The kitchen door opened; snow swirled inward. A
gust of icy wind sent the herbs in the rafters swinging. The fire flared, sparks dashing up the chimney. The
stableman stumbled in and shook snow from his boots. тАЬHere, now, youтАЩre getting snow all over my
clean floor.тАЭ Mala stalked forward, shaking a spoon that dripped stew on the clean floor. The stableman
gave a loud, braying laugh. тАЬNow, Mala, you know I canтАЩt come in through the front door. Where else
am I suppose to shake the snow off me boots?тАЭ She pointed the spoon at him, stopping the