"Tara K. Harper - Wolfwalker 1 - Wolfwalker" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harper Tara K)

In the shelter of the brush, a hundred meters or more above the lake, four black-clad men astride their
war dnu watched and waited. The dark man in the center had a low gravelly voice, and the others
listened silently as they cataloged his terse instructions. "We'll ride down when they're tired of
swimming and not expecting company," the heavy raider said. "I'll take the eldest; Usami, the middle
girl; Brid, the youngest. Gant, take care of the boys. We need at least three hours head start, and we don't
want the brave young menтАФ" He chuckled hu-morlessly. "тАФto sound the alarm before we're away.
When we have the girls, stay behind at Pass Rock. Gant, you have enough arrows?"

The dusty raider studied the field, then the pass where he would lay his ambush. "I could use a few
more. I lost a dozen in that last skirmish. Who would have thought these mountain folk as stubborn as
bollusk?''

The raider captain twisted and unhooked one of his bristling quivers. "Take my extras. I have more
waiting where we'll change mounts." His attention sharpened as the girls straggled out of the water one
by one. He could almost hear what they were saying as the wind blew their faint voices toward the trees.

On the shore, Shilia dropped to the grass and pulled a small tuber from the ground, sticking it between
her teeth and munching noisily on it like a dnu. ' 'We should come here more often,'' she suggested as
she pulled her sun-warmed tunic on over her wet swimsuit. "It's a beautiful place to swim."

12

Tara K. Harper

"No sewing, no war games, no cooking or dust from the dim." Ainna lay back and closed her eyes.
"Close enough to keep Father happy and far enough away that the children don't bother us. It's a perfect
place to get away."

Namina sighed. ' This is the first day we've been allowed out this spring. Father's always too busy to take

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us, and Tyrel thinks he's too grown up to play guard for his sisters."

The oldest girl laughed. "Just tell them you'll go alone and see how fast you get an escort."

One of the boys who had flopped beside them gave Shilia a bold look. "Namina's not yet old enough to
be Promised," he remarked obliquely.

"That's not fair," Shilia complained, blushing deeply in spite of her already sun-reddened cheeks.

' 'So that's how you do it," the youngest girl crowed, throwing her handful of tubers at her cousin.
"You've got yourself a line of boyfriends two kilometers long just waiting for you to make a Promise
and willing to do anything to get it, while we have to settle for our big-headed brother when and if he's
willing to spend time with us."

"You probably have more escorts than days to be escorted on," the other girl teased. "I wonder if your
brother, Aranur, knows this."