"Tara K. Harper - Wolfwalker 2 - Shadow Leader" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harper Tara K)

came again, and she knew it for cloth and leather rubbing
together.
The scouts. They would pass Aranur first. Had he left a track
on the trail? No, he was as careful as she was. Now she could
hear them clearly, and there were at least three. I hear them.
Gray One, she told the wolf.
There are more behind those that you hear now. The image
the wolf sent was of three men, one of them carrying a basket,
and then the sharp sounds of two more. Dion resisted the
temptation to hold her breath. In the first group, one of the men
paused, his soft boots losing their rhythm as he scanned the
brush, but his eyes passed over the flat meadow and went to the
trees and shrubs instead. The wolfwalker did not move. Then
the junko birds, scolding at the man on the path, dropped down
to a lower branch, and she heard his soft snort of humor before
his feet moved on.
Dion remained still. Another four minutes. Ten. The gnats
found her legs and then her face and hovered overhead, but she
did not wave them away. As another pair of junkos joined the
couple on the branch above, Dion watched them as they
watched the trail. A moment later she heard the pair of men
padding after the first three. She wished she dared to raise her
head to see them, but Hishn warned her again.
They run with purpose, the gray wolf sent. They run with the
others, I can hear the steel against the leather from here.
Dion hid her smile. Hishn's voice held as much disdain as
dislike. Are these the last?
I hear no more along the trail.
Dion broke off their silent speech, holding still as the new
scouts' footsteps became audible and padded by the clearing.
She waited until they had faded to silence before querying the
wolf again.
It is safe, Hishn sent back.
They do not scout behind them, sent a second wolf, who
appeared on the trail as Dion sat up quietly.
The woman met the strange wolf's eyes. Gray One, she sent
softly, you honor me.
You run with the pack, the other wolf returned. It trotted
after the scouts and disappeared.
Hishn ghosted down from the hill as Dion carefully replaced
the clump of grass she had pulled out and made her way back
to the path. She glanced around but could only sense Aranur
through the Gray Ones; his hiding place was perfect to her.
Aranur, seeing that she was up, appeared suddenly from beside
the rootball, and she grinned.
"Another game you learned from your Uncle Gamon?" she
asked softly as she returned the healer's band to her forehead
and settled her warcap firmly on top of the rest of her loose
hair.
The lean man looked after the scouts. "My uncle has taught