"Jordan, Robert - Wheel of Time 10 - crossroads of twilight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jordan Robert)

touched his forehead, and turned his horse west. He had carried its
like for Ituralde before, usually on the eve of battle. The Light send
this was not the time Tamsin would have to open that packet. She
would come after him--she had told him so--the first incident
ever of the living haunting the dead.
"Jaalam," Ituralde said, "let us see what waits at Lady Osana's

2O C R O S S R O A D S OF T W I L I G H T


h u n t i n g l o d g e . " A s h e h e e l e d D a r t f o r w a r d , t h e o t h e r s f e l l i n
b e h i n d h i m .
T h e s u n r o s e to its h e ig h t a n d b e g a n ag a in to d e s c en d a s th e y
rode. The dark clouds in the north moved closer, and the chill bit
d e e p e r. T h e re w as n o s o un d b u t th e c ru n c h o f h oo ve s br e a k in g
through the sno w crust. Th e forest seemed e mpty save for the m-
selves. He did not see any of the sentries Donjel had spoken of. The
man's opinion of what could be seen from a mile differed from that
of most. They would be expecting him, of course. And watching to
make sure he w as not follo w ed by an ar my, White Ribbon or no
W hite Ribbon. A good man y of the m lik ely had reasons they felt
s u f f i c i e n t t o f e a t h e r R o d e l I t u r a l d e w i t h a r r o w s . A l o r d m i g h t
pledge the W h ite Ribbon for his men, but would all of those feel
bound? So meti mes, there w er e chan ces you just had to take.
A b o u t mid a f te r n o o n, O sa n a 's s o - ca ll e d hu n tin g lo dg e lo o me d
s u d d e n l y o u t o f t h e t r e e s , a m a s s o f p a l e t o w e r s a n d s l e n d e r ,
pointed do mes th at wou ld have fitted w ell a mo ng the palaces of
B a n d a r E b a n i t s e l f . H e r h u n t i n g h a d a l w a y s b e e n f o r m e n o r
power, her troph ies nu merous and notew orth y despite her relative
youth, and the "hunts" that had taken place here would have raised
eyebrows even in the capital. The lodge lay desolate, now. Broken
w in d o w s g a p e d lik e mo u th s w ith jag g e d te e th . N o n e s h o w e d a
g li m m e r o f li g h t o r m o v e m e n t . T h e s n o w c o v er i n g th e c l e ar e d
ground aroun d the lodge h ad been well tra mpled b y horses, how-
e v er . T h e o r n a t e b r a s s- b o u n d g a t e s o f t h e m a i n c o u r t y a r d s to o d
open, and he rode through w ithout slow ing, followed b y his men.
The horses' hooves clattered on the paving stones, where the snow
had been beaten to slush.
N o s e r v a n t s c a m e o u t t o g r e e t h i m, n o t t h a t h e h ad e x p e c t e d
any. Osana had vanished early in the troubles that now shook Arad
D o m a n l i k e a d o g s h a k i n g a r a t , a n d h e r s e r v a n t s h a d d r i f t e d
quickly to oth ers of her house, taking w hatever places they cou ld
find. These days, the masterless starved, or turned ban dit. Or
D r a g o n s w o r n . D i s mo u n t i n g i n f r o n t o f th e b r o a d ma r b l e s t a i r w a y
at the end of the courtyard, he handed Dart's reins to one of his
ar ms men, and J aala m ordered the men to take shelter where they
c o u l d f i n d i t f o r t h e m s e l v e s a n d t h e a n i m a l s . E y e i n g t h e m a r b l e

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