"Jean Lorrah - Empire 01 - Savage Empire" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lorrah Jean)

Scanned by Highroller.

Proofed more or less by Highroller.

Made prettier by MollyKates/Cinnamons style sheet.

Chapter One
Exile
Sword clashed on sword.

Lenardo parried and stepped back, deliberately open as he feinted,
came in under his opponent's guard, and pulled his stroke before the blade
touched the boy's throat.

"Decius, you were not Reading!" he scolded.

The boy flushed. He would have lost the fight and probably his life. "I
didn't want you Reading me, Magister."

Lenardo shook his head. "I am not your teacher today. I am your enemy,
non-Reader, open for you to Read and combat."

"Yes, Magister," Decius said contritelyтАФfor the dozenth time.

"Let me try him," said a voice from the sidelines.

"That's not fair!" protested Decius, and Lenardo smiled. Where else
would a student of swordsmanship consider his opponent to have an
unfair advantage because he was blind from birth?

Torio, who was lounging gracefully on the bench where Lenardo and
Decius had laid their cloaks, now rose, doffing his own cloak and striding
easily forward, Reading his way.

Lenardo had taught Torio swordsmanshipтАФbut the student was now
more skilled than the teacher. At seventeen, Torio was tall, with a long
reach, but his real advantage was his disconcerting eyes. Years ago, he had
not been able to concentrate on swordplay and the social amenity of
making his eyes appear to focus at the same time. Then he discovered that
others were put off stride by a swordsman who was obviously blind.
 By now, Torio needed no advantage but the skill he had developed with
long practice. He had long since stopped showing off; Lenardo Read
clearly Torio's eagerness to teach DeciusтАФthe sincere desire of a true
teacher to share the process of discovery.

Decius was only thirteen, his body just beginning its adolescent growth
spurt. Torio adjusted his own skill to the younger boy's as Lenardo
watched approvingly.

Decius, however, was watching Torio, becoming fascinated by the milky