"Jane Lindskold - Firekeeper Saga 4 - Wolf Captured" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lindskold Jane)

word. "A cage. Blind Seer in cage, too. Not you, I think. Can you move?"

Derian tried, felt something tug at his ankle, tested and found a length of chain cuffed around it. By now
he was hardly surprised.

"I'm chained," he reported. "What's going on?"

"I tell what I know," Firekeeper promised, her voice soothing. "We were at the night dancing. A man
come to me in the dance. He say 'Derian needs you.' I am not sure, but think maybe it is a king thing so I
follow even when the man takes us from the bright spaces to the fields by the river."

Mentally, Derian fleshed out Firekeeper's words. She and Blind Seer had been participating in one of the
large public dances being held to celebrate the naming of the firstborn son of Crown Princess Sapphire
and Crown Prince Shad. The celebrations had been extensive, for not only was young Sun the first child
born to the royal family of Hawk Haven for many years, but through his parents he was destined to unite
Hawk Haven and Bright Bay, sibling kingdoms that had been rivals for over a century.

Sun of Bright Haven, a name filled with promise and hope.

Normally, Firekeeper would have shied from such loud and noisy gatherings, but among all human
achievements she loved music and dancing bestтАФand at the royal celebrations where she was
welcomed, the finest of both were to be found. So she had joined in the festivities at the castle, and when
these had spilled out into the square in front, doubtless sheтАФlike DerianтАФhad followed.

Blind Seer would have paced her, unseen in the torchlit darkness, never far from his human pack mate.

"I wonder some at the man," Firekeeper went on, "for he is not one I know and he stink of fear, but," she
added a touch complacently, "many is feared of me and Blind Seer."

Derian grunted. Bragging she undoubtedly was, but it was a brag rooted in truth. It was commonly
known that Firekeeper had been raised by the wolves west of the Iron Mountains. In the two years since
she had come east to learn about her human heritage the only thing more incredible than the stories told
about her was, quite possibly, the truth.

"And," Firekeeper added, and Derian heard the sorrow that roughened her voice, "I was happy and
thought good of everyone."

After a long pause during which Derian knew Firekeeper was swallowing her bitterness at this error, the
wolf-woman went on.

"The man take us to place on river where is not so easy to see water, the bank goes down sharply. We
see a boat of the river type, hiding in branches. There is no other boat near and this boat is not such as
king would have, so I am about to run and Blind Seer with me.

"Then the man who leads us raises his arm. He points and I see you. You are on the boat, a big man
holding you against the wall, but you are not standing strong. I think maybe they have tied you there. As I
look, the big man takes a knife and cuts you, long, across the chest. Blood comes, so I know you live,
but I am not happy."

It took a moment for Derian's aching head to follow this last. Then he realized that what Firekeeper