"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 06 - A Time Of Omens" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

torches guttered and sparked.

тАЬElessario!тАЭ The cry drifted up to them. тАЬSheтАЩs been taken!тАЭ

The hawk screamed, a harsh cry, and changed course for the river. Dallandra followed, praying for
moonlight, and as if in answer a moon began to appear on the horizon, vast and bloated, casting a sickly
yellow tight. Far below on the oily river she saw a shape, like a splinter of wood from their height,
pushing itself upstream. Evandar stooped and plunged. More slowly in prudent circles Dallandra followed
him down and saw a black barge, rowed by slaves, churning against the current. In the prow stood
Alshandra, and she seemed that night some ten feet high, a warrior woman dressed in glittering armor,
nocking an arrow in her bow. Screaming, the hawk plunged down and upon her before she could aim
and loose. His massive claws raked her face and his beak tore at her arms as she fell to the deck,
howling in rage, clubbing him with the bow.

Bound round with black chains Elessario crouched, sobbing, some feet away. Dallandra understood
enough about this country by then to keep her wits. She landed on the deck and shed her bird-form like
a cloak.

тАЬBreak the chains!тАЭ she snapped. тАЬJust flex your arms, and theyтАЩll fall right off.тАЭ

Elessario followed orders and laughed aloud when the chains turned to water and puddled at her feet.
With a howl of rage Alshandra threw the hawk to one side and hauled herself to her knees. Boat, slaves,
armor, nightтАФthey all vanished as suddenly as the chains. In the golden sun of a late afternoon they stood
in elven form on the grassy riverbank while the chattering Host swarmed round.

тАЬOh, go away, all of you!тАЭ Alshandra snarled.

Laughing and calling out to one another they fled. Dallandra put an arm round ElessarioтАЩs shoulders and
drew her close while Alshandra and Evandar faced each other, both dressed in court clothes, now,
cloth-of-gold tunics, diadems of gold and jewels, and their cloaks, tipped in fur, seemed made of silver
satin. And yet, across her cheek ran the bleeding rake of a hawkтАЩs talon, and on his face swelled a purple
bruise.

тАЬSheтАЩs my daughter, and I shall take her wherever I want,тАЭ Alshandra said.
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тАЬNot unless she goes willingly, and the chains show she was less than willing. Where were you going to
take her? Farther in?тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs no affair of yours.тАЭ Alshandra turned on Dalla. тАЬYou may have my man, because I tired of him
long before you came to us, but you shall not have my daughter.тАЭ

тАЬI donтАЩt want her for my sake. I only want her to have the life that should be hers, that should be yours,
truly, as well.тАЭ

With a shimmer of tight Alshandra changed her form, becoming old, wrinkled, pathetic in black rags.