"Jane Lindskold - Firekeeper Saga 1 - Through Wolf's Eyes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lindskold Jane)

cross-legged on the ground, he took a torn shirt into his lap and doggedly began to sew.


From the concealment of thick shrub growth atop a rise overlooking the two-legsтАЩ camp, Firekeeper
studied the occupants. The animals amazed her, but her response to their keepers mingled astonishment
and admiration.

тАЬThey are so noisy,тАЭ she said to Blind Seer, watching one of their number go to a stream for water. тАЬYet
so bold!тАЭ

Blind Seer snorted. тАЬWhat do they know to fear? The red-spotted white animal sees more than any of
them, but they ignore her. Did you see their One kick at her when she tried to tell him we were
watching?тАЭ

тАЬI did,тАЭ Firekeeper agreed. тАЬI am not certain, though, that he is the One. The other one, smaller, with the
hooked nose and silver-shot black hair, they all seem to defer to him.тАЭ

тАЬTrue,тАЭ Blind Seer admitted, тАЬbut how could he defeat even the next smallest in a fight? Certainly he
couldnтАЩt defeat the huge one.тАЭ

тАЬMaybe they are not a full pack,тАЭ Firekeeper speculated. тАЬThey are all males and how could a pack
survive without females?тАЭ

тАЬAll male?тАЭ asked the wolf in astonishment. тАЬHow can you tell? They smell of smoke and sweat to me.тАЭ

тАЬNot by scent,тАЭ the woman admitted. тАЬI could be wrong, but it seems that I remember ways of telling.тАЭ

тАЬShe is right,тАЭ came a shrill voice from above them. тАЬMales all.тАЭ

The speaker was the peregrine falcon, Elation, who had been introduced to Firekeeper soon after
sunrise. Elation was a beautiful example of her kind, compact of body, with plumage of a deep blue-grey.
Her head was capped with feathers the color of slate and her white throat and underbody were marked
with darker bars. Brown eyes ringed with bright yellow missed nothing.

тАЬIf you say so,тАЭ Blind Seer said, immediately deferring to the birdтАЩs greater experience, тАЬthen it must be
so, but IтАЩd prefer to be able to trust my nose.тАЭ

Ignoring the conversation between falcon and wolf, Firekeeper studied the six gathered below, feeling
memories stirring and teasing just beyond what she could grasp.

The men possessed a certain degree of grace, neither toppling over nor lumbering like bears as they
made their way about on two legs. Firekeeper knew this was how she herself moved, had even glimpsed
her reflection and studied the distorted image of her shadow, but seeing others move this way was a
revelation. Before she had always felt vaguely like a freak. Now she felt justified in her choice.

Already Firekeeper had observed many things she planned to adapt to her use. All of the men wore their
hair caught behind their heads with a thongтАФa thing much more convenient than her own short cropping
with its heritage of odd-length ends that dangled in her eyes.

The hides they wore were different, too. She didnтАЩt think that all their clothing was made from leather,