"Beverly Henderson - Stormcrow and The Deer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Henderson Beverly)

Stormcrow and The Deer
by Beverly Henderson
For thousands of years, the Stormcrow had watched over Mankind,
traversing countless planes of existence, manipulating the infinite time
streams, moving from planet to planet in a never-ending struggle against
the darkness that constantly threatened to overwhelm them.
He, alone of all the Ancient Ones, had chosen to live among those he
guarded, keeping the delicate balance between good and evil by example
as well as by action.
As the millenia slowly rolled past, he involved himself in the histories of
hundreds of worlds, living with the people he chose, loving some of them,
taking a few to wife, only to watch them grow old and die. For all his
powers over time and the strength of his magic, for all his wisdom of the
ages and knowledge of the lore of countless worlds, he was helpless against
the never-ceasing march of time. With the passing of each of his
companions, his heart grew a little sadder until the time came when he
said to himself, No more!
So, he set out once more across the planes of existence, slipping into
various time streams searching for a world that needed his care. There, in
the dark nexus if time, he found a new world, its balance of good and evil
in danger of sliding into the darkness he always challenged. He peered into
the hearts of the people and found that good still lived within them but
that they were sorely tempted by the lures of evil.
So he decided to stop on this planet, convinced the king that a castle in
ruins guarding his northern border was of no use to good to him. And so
he came to The Keep on the edge of a forest so ancient and imbued with
magic that it reached out to him with the promise of benevolent support
and aid. Two years later, with the use of his powerful magic, the castle was
repaired.
There he lived for fifty years, tending his people, fighting when evil
threatened and exploring the depths of the magic forest. His people
thrived and stayed with him out of love and respect, their pride in him
boundless, their loyalty unquestioned, their obedience legendary.
But the king was jealous. The Stormcrow had magic. The king didn't.
He sent a message throughout the land summoning magicians, but only
small-powered, petty ones came forth. The king used them to create the
Wizard's Council and, with their help, finally had a daughter. But he grew
old, fighting a few battles with Lord Crow, other times without him.
Calling the Stormcrow to his deathbed, the king tried to get him to swear
total loyalty to his daughter. The king was in great pain and Lord Crow
was close to doing so until the little girl came into the room - rude,
arrogant, demanding her father's time and the beheading of some servant
over a trivial offense. Lord Crow sent her from the room and watched the
king take his last breath! That was 20 years ago.
One spring, a wizard's duel was held. The Stormcrow went to observe,
for the winner of the duel was to become leader of the council and Lord
Crow hoped he could ally with such a man, one geared more towards the
protection of the kingdom than the Queen's desires. Forced to join in the
duel, he proceeded to win, humbling the Queen and all her wizards. That's
why the thousand-man army of the Queen marched against him. The