"Jordan, Robert - Wheel of Time 09 - Winter's Heart" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jordan Robert)

no part of their attentions. At least she would be putting
them to good use, to stop trouble instead of beginning it.
She wished she did not think she was still trying to convince
herself of that. УExpensive, but the coffers will cover it.Ф
For the time, they would. She had better start receiving
revenues from her estates soon.
Wonder of wonders, the two women standing before her reacted
in much the same fashion.
Dyelin gave an irritated grunt. A large, round silver pin
worked with TaravinТs Owl and Oak was fastened at the high
neck of her dark green dress, her only jewelry. A show of
pride in her House, perhaps too much pride; the High Seat of
House Taravin was a proud woman altogether. Gray streaked her
golden hair and fine lines webbed the corners of her eyes, yet
her face was strong, her faze level and sharp. Her mind was a
razor. Or maybe a sword. A plain spoken woman, or so it
seemed, who did not hide her opinions.
УMercenaries know the work,Ф she said dismissively, Уbut
they are hard to control, Elayne. When you need a feather
touch, theyТre liable to be a hammer, and when you need a
hammer, theyТre liable to be elsewhere, and stealing to boot.
They are loyal to gold, and only as long as the gold lasts.
If they donТt betray for more gold first. IТm sure this once
Lady Birgitte will agree with me.Ф
Arms folded tightly beneath her breasts and heeled boots
planted wide, Birgitte grimaced, as always when anyone used
her new title. Elayne had granted her an estate as soon as
they reached Caemlyn, where it could be registered. In
private, Birgitte grumbled incessantly over that, and the
other change in her life. Her sky-blue trousers were cut the
same as those she usually wore, billowing and gathered at the
ankles, but her short red coat had a high white collar, and
wide white cuffs banded with gold. She was the Lady Birgitte
Trahelion and the Captain General of the QueenТs Guard, and
she could mutter and whine all she wanted, so long as she kept
it private.
УI do,Ф she growled unwillingly, and gave Dyelin a not-quite-
sidelong glare. The Warder bond carried what Elayne had been
sensing all morning. Frustration, irritation, determination.
Some of that might have been a reflection of herself, though.
They mirrored one another in surprising ways since the
bonding, emotionally and otherwise. Why, her courses had
shifted by more than a week to match the other womanТs!
BirgitteТs reluctance to take the second-best argument was
clearly almost as great as her reluctance to agree. УHunters
arenТt much bloody better, Elayne,Ф she muttered. Уthey took
the HunterТs Oath to find adventure, and a place in the
histories if they can. Not to settle down keeping the law.
Half are supercilious prigs, looking down their flaming noses
at everyone else; the rest donТt just take necessary chances,