"George R. R. Martin - Ice Dragon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

cavalry, men as gaunt as skeletons riding horses with skin pulled tight around
their ribs. They thundered past in the night, their mounts heaving and
foaming, and the only one to pause was a pale young officer, who reined his
mount up briefly and shouted, "Go, go. They are burning everything!" Then he
was off after his men.
The few soldiers who came after were alone or in small groups. They did
not always use the road, and they did not pay for the things they took. One
swordsman killed a farmer on the other side of town, raped his wife, stole his
money, and ran. His rags were green-and-gold.
Then no one came at all. The road was deserted.
 The innkeeper claimed he could smell ashes when the wind blew from the
north. He packed up his family and went south. Teri was distraught. Geoff was
wide-eyed and anxious and only a bit frightened. He asked a thousand questions
about the enemy, and practiced at being a warrior. Their father went about his
labors, busy as ever. War or no war, he had crops in the field. He smiled less
than usual, however, and he began to drink, and Adara often saw him glancing
up at the sky while he worked.
Adara wandered the fields alone, played by herself in the damp summer
heat, and tried to think of where she would hide if her father tried to take
them away.
Last of all, the king's dragonriders came, and with them Hal.
There were only four of them. Adara saw the first one, and went and
told her father, and he put his hand on her shoulder and together they watched
it pass, a solitary green dragon with a vaguely tattered look. It did not
pause for them.
Two days later, three dragons flying together came into view, and one
of them detached itself from the others and circled down to their farm while
the other two headed south.
Uncle Hal was thin and grim and sallow-looking. His dragon looked sick.
Its eyes ran, and one of its wings had been partially burned, so it flew in an
awkward, heavy manner, with much difficulty. "Now will you go?" Hal said to
his brother, in front of all the children.
"No. Nothing has changed."
Hal swore. "They will be here within three days," he said. "Their
dragonriders may be here even sooner."
"Father, I'm scared," Teri said.
He looked at her, saw her fear, hesitated, and finally turned back to
his brother. "I am staying. But if you would, I would have you take the
children."
Now it was Hal's turn to pause. He thought for a moment, and finally
shook his head. "I can't, John. I would, willingly, joyfully, if it were
possible. But it isn't. Brimstone is wounded. He can barely carry me. If I
took on any extra weight, we might never make it."
Teri began to weep.
"I'm sorry, love," Hal said to her. "Truly I am." His fists clenched
helplessly.
"Teri is almost full-grown," their father said. "If her weight is too
much, then take one of the others."
Brother looked at brother, with despair in their eyes. Hal trembled.
"Adara," he said finally. "She's small and light." He forced a laugh. "She