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

Maddyn picked him, along with Aethan and six other men, to ride in his point squad. The country here
was mostly flat, and some of the richest earth in all Deverry, thick black loam, well watered by the
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network of streams and small rivers that was currently carrying the royal iron down to Cerrmor. Before
the civil wars, this area, the Yvro basin, as itтАЩs called now, had been covered with small freeholds, all
marked out with hedges for want of stone to build fences; now they rode a long time between living
farmsteads, and here and there they saw the black skeleton of a burnt-out house standing lonely on the
horizon. Once the squad left the main body of the troop and Owaen with it, Branoic became his usual
cheerful self, whistling and chattering as they rode along a shade-dappled lane.

тАЬI hope the prince will be all right without us there, Maddo.тАЭ

тАЬWell, thereтАЩs some seventy other silver daggers around him. I think he can spare the likes of us for a
morning.тАЭ

тАЬI guess so.тАЭ Branoic seemed utterly unaware of the sarcasm. тАЬHow much longer will it take to get into
Cerrmor territory?тАЭ

тАЬTwo days, maybe?тАЭ Aethan joined in. тАЬI heard the captain and old Nevyn talking last night. Actually,
weтАЩre probably on Cerrmor-held land right now, but weтАЩre still too close to the border to take life easy.тАЭ

тАЬOh, we wonтАЩt be taking life easy for years and years,тАЭ Branoic said. тАЬIf ever again. The warтАЩs lasted for
close to a hundred years already, hasnтАЩt it, and for all we know, itтАЩll be another hundred beforeтАФтАЭ

тАЬHold your tongue!тАЭ Maddyn snapped. тАЬSquad, halt! I hear somewhat.тАЭ

Jingling and scuffling, the squad pulled up and eventually fell silent. At that point they stood in a twisty
lane bordered with a hedge, tangled with grass and burdocks, but by rising in the stirrups Maddyn could
see over it. Some hundred yards ahead the lane gave one last twist and debouched onto a wild meadow,
where four dismounted riders were standing and holding their horses while they talked, heads together
and urgent. Maddyn sat back down fast.

тАЬMen ahead,тАЭ he whispered. тАЬCouldnтАЩt see their blazons clearly, but one of their shields had some kind
of green, winged beast on it.тАЭ

тАЬLike a wyvern, maybe?тАЭ Aethan said.

тАЬMaybe. LetтАЩs get back.тАЭ

As the squad turned and retreated, Maddyn was cursing the inevitable noise, but if the men heтАЩd spotted
did indeed hear them, they never followed. It seemed to take longer than it should to reach the main
troop and the barges; when they finally found them, Maddyn realized that the barges had been pulled
nose into shore and tied up to hazels. Caradoc came trotting to meet him.

тАЬScout came in, Maddo. Looks like trouble ahead. Did you see anything?тАЭ