"Jeffrey Lord - Blade 25 - Torian Pearls." - читать интересную книгу автора (Lord Jeffery)

"I see," said Paor. "Well, you would do well to draw on it-heavily. We will be staying in this camp for
some days, to prepare for our march along the shore. So your testing will take place tomorrow."

Chapter 7

"That is good," said Blade. "Indeed, the baudzi of the Kargoi are men of honor. They will not make even
a stranger wait for his testing."

Paor nodded, but there was a look of doubt on his face that provoked Blade. "Or do I have too much
faith in the baudzi of the Kargoi? I would not doubt them unless I have to, but-"
 Paor raised a hand to stop Blade. "You must know that two of the baudzi had no wish to see you tested.
One would have had you cast out of our camp, with food and water, while the other would have had you
slain in the night. The decision went against them, so there is nothing they can do against you by law or
custom. Still, there will be danger to you from their anger. Rehod, the one who would have had you slain,
will be standing against you in the testing tomorrow."

"Then I will see to it that Rehod can do nothing against me without danger to himself. If I can do that, I
think it will be enough. I know the ways of men like Rehod. They seldom strike at those who can strike
back."

"I hope you are right, Blade," said Paor. "We can do nothing against Rehod ourselves, not without
risking a blood feud with his kin. That we cannot have, when we need all our warriors standing together.
But I would not rejoice to see you slain by treachery and the honor of the Kargoi stained with your
blood."

"You will not see that," said Blade. "Not while I have eyes in my head, breath in my body, and arms to
strike at my enemies." He made a contemptuous gesture. "Now, enough of this Rehod. What is the
testing?"

It was much as Blade expected. He would be tested as an archer, both mounted and on foot. He would
be tested as a rider of the drend, a runner, and a wrestler. Last of all he would be tested as a
swordsman.

"You shall fight twice with the sword, once mounted and once on foot. There will be no great danger to
either you or your opponents, for the swords will be blunted." Paor drew a longsword from a scabbard
across his back and held it out to Blade.

Blade examined the sword carefully. A long heavy strip of boiled leather reinforced with drend bone was
tied along the edge and around the point. A strong blow with this sword would bruise painfully and
possibly break bones, but it would not leave gaping, deadly wounds.

Blade stepped back and begin swinging the sword. He went through every movement that could be
made with such a sword, then repeated the whole sequence twice more, faster each time. The padding
made the sword considerably heavier and less well balanced, but not unwieldy. Blade was quite sure he
could handle it well enough to prove himself a first-class warrior. For once his life didn't depend on the
outcome of the fight.

At last Blade handed the sword back to Paor and raised a hand in farewell salute. "Until tomorrow,
then?"