"Boreal Moon - 02 - Ironcrown Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (May Julian)

УThen why not give the two lads a shout?Ф Niavar suggested. УItТd ease my mind, for one, to know that Felmar was in good fettle. We were mates back in the abbey. Runts sticking together.Ф
УWeТll wait,Ф Kilian said, Уuntil this situation is resolved. Here comes the vanguard of the troops, rounding that tall crag.Ф
They exerted their windsight for a closer view. УCodders!Ф Garon said. УItТs Ollie Elktor himself leading the pack. WhoТd have thought it?Ф
The count and his knights spurred their horses to the edge of the rockfall but made no attempt to enter it. УTheyТll send scouts ahead to find the route,Ф Garon murmured, Уjust as I did for us.Ф
But nothing of the sort happened. Lord Elktor and his knights dismounted and so did the warriors. For the next half hour they waited. At last a man-at-arms rode up through the stationary column from the rear, leading a huge bay horse carrying a bulky figure directly to the countТs side. The two men spoke. The fat man pointed to the upper section of the rockslide and made a sweeping gesture.
УRaldo!Ф Cleaton exclaimed.
УHeТs told them of our plan,Ф Kilian said in a voice gone flat. УTheyТre not going to cross en masse. WeТve lost our chance to panic them.Ф
The others groaned. Niavar said, УDamn that Butterball! He must have been gulling us, acting more sick than he really was.Ф
УHe was in very bad shape,Ф Garon protested. УI examined him before we slept. He had bruises and scrapes almost from head to toe. He kept me awake with his groans of pain.Ф
УI think our Brother despaired of being able to make this difficult journey,Ф Kilian murmured, Уand conceived of a plan to ingratiate himself with our pursuers and thus gain lenient treatment when he surrendered.Ф
УLetТs smite him with a bolt!Ф CleatonТs swarthy face was merciless. УThatТll show the lard-arse weasel!Ф
УNo,Ф the alchymist decided. УWe wonТt waste our talent in petty revenge. WeТll need every bit of it in making our escape.Ф
УBut itТs a stalemate, master,Ф Niavar said. УThey wonТt cross while weТre waiting to bring the rocks down. But if we run, theyТll be after us like wolves. You can be sure those local Brothers riding with them are adept at scrying. TheyТve probably got a mindТs eye on us right this minute.Ф
Kilian said, УThey wonТt scry us if weТre under a cover spell.Ф
УYou said you couldnТt cover us all!Ф Garon said.
УI propose weaving a new kind of spell, incorporating all our talents. IТm stronger now, and weТre no longer encumbered with Raldo. IТm afraid we must leave our horses behind, but doing so would strengthen the illusion that we were still lurking here. All we need is an hour or so head start. A man can move nearly as fast as a horse on this wretched track. And even though Lord Elktor has a reputation for rashness, I think we can trust him to wait at least that long before daring the rockslide.Ф
УWill we be safe once weТre inside the cave?Ф Niavar asked.
Kilian glanced at Garon. УYou said its entrance was hard to see from the path. IТll be able to disguise it with my talent as well.Ф
УAnd so we walk to Didion?Ф Garon said.
УWould that be impossible?Ф
УNo, butЧФ
УOther opportunities will present themselves,Ф the alchymist said with serene confidence. УNo doubt weТll have to stay in the cave for a few days until the searchers lose heart and return to Elktor, but that will give Felmar and Scarth time to catch us up.Ф
He retrieved his jerkin and gestured for the others to do the same. УNo time to waste. Come close to me, one behind the other with a hand on the shoulder of the man ahead.Ф He described to them how they should blend their talent with his to reinforce the extended blanket of couverture. УThereТs still a long chance we might be spotted by the naked eye. WeТll duck-walk to the horses to lessen the possibility. Ready?Ф
They murmured assent. He took a few moments weaving the spell, then laid it over the four of them. The bright sunlight turned fractionally dimmer. The others augmented the enchantment as theyТd been told to.
УNow,Ф Kilian said. They crouched and moved off to safety while the Brothers who accompanied Lord Elktor exerted their windsearching faculties in vain.

fourteen
It was not until late morning that Beynor was able to finish dealing with Scarth.
Much earlier, an hour or so after the small troop of knights and warriors from Elktor had abandoned their pursuit of the fleeing thief, Beynor had tracked him into a region of broken cliffs at the southern edge of the mountains. There the density of the rock formations, combined with the cover spell, defeated even his powerful windsight. From ScarthТs ravaged appearance, it seemed likely that he would soon need to rest. Once he was asleep and susceptible to dream-invasion, his fate would be sealed.
With the advent of strong daylight, Beynor had been obliged to hoist the dinghyТs sail and be content with slower progress upriver. The assistance of the submerged Salka Eminence was now all but imperceptible to human observers. Beynor spent the boring hours on the Malle scrying the barge of the royal family, watching Prince SomarusТs party as it emerged from the wilderness and set out along the road to Castlemont, and scrutinizing events taking place at Elktor, where Sir Gavlok, the youthful windvoice called Mattis, who had led the chase after Scarth, three other squires, and presumably the unscriable Deveron Austrey, seemed to be making preparations to leave the castle. The large force that had gone after Kilian was only sporadically viewable as it continued to search high in the mountains near the head of the gorge. Of the alchymist himself there was no sign.
A bell in a village onshore tolled the eleventh hour of morning, and Beynor decided to try Scarth again. His windsearch once more proved fruitless, so he attempted a dream-invasion. He found the thief not only asleep, but also suffering a horrendous nightmareЧthe best possible framework for mental manipulation. Beynor waited while the awful scenario played out in the dreamerТs mind, so that he himself might fully understand its portent and make use of it. Then he artfully banished all remnants of ScarthТs fear, leaving the manТs unconscious open to coercion.
==========
Nothing was moving inside the dark fissure in the cliff-face. It was probably sleeping off its meal, the lucky brute, while he felt his empty belly knocking against his backbone, tormenting him with spasms of hunger.
Scarth was well concealed behind a large rock, not badly wounded after all, carving collops of meat from one of the haunches of the muleТs partially devoured body and stringing them on a stick for roasting over the little fire heТd started with his talent.
A noise! Someone was coming up the slope. The sound of footsteps crunching over broken rock was steady and undoubtedly human, perhaps a local hunter or trapper who could render aid. He decided to risk a cautious hail.
УPsst! Over here! And for GodТs sake, if you value your life, tread softly and keep your voice down.Ф
A familiar small figure came into view. It was Felmar! Scarth almost whooped for joy, but restrained himself as his friend crept to his side and clasped him in an enthusiastic embrace.
Scarth, Scarth, I thought IТd never catch up with you. But look at you, Brother, all banged and bloody! And what in hellТs happened to your poor mule?
УI thought you were dead, Pel. Thought the moonstones had burned you to ashes.Ф
No, but it was a narrow squeak. Did you get away with the book and the sigils?
Scarth slapped the pouch hanging at his belt. УThree of the important stones are safe. The fourth was lost in the confusion of my escape. IТve still got the book stuffed in my shirt. But tell me how you found me here!Ф
No, you go first. My escape was pretty ordinary, but I can see youТve had a rare old time of it.
УWell, yes. I was chased across the moors by troops from Elktor, but I gave Сem the slip under my cover spellЕ But how were you able to find me? IТve still got the spell in place.У
This is a dream, friend. EverythingТs possible in a dream! What happened next, after you evaded pursuit?
УThings went well enough until I reached this place and started looking about for a path into the mountains, or at least a place to rest where scryers wouldnТt spot my mule when I dismounted. ThereТs a deep cleft yonder where the rock-face rises up. It looked ideal, so I lit a fagot and started inside to look it over. Then I caught a whiff of this vile stench, and saw the bones. But by then it was after me, roaring and slavering. Whether it smelled me or just saw through the spell, I donТt know. I thought I was a dead man for sure, but it stopped to savage the mule IТd left hobbled. I got away down the slope, slipping and sliding and blubbering like a baby. I fell and smashed my head and bled from the scalp like a stuck pig, but the wounds arenТt serious. I hid for a while, then came out to take a bit of meat from the muleТs carcass. By then I was starving.Ф
Booger me! What a tale. YouТve had rotten luck, Brother. But thanks be to God and Saint Zeth youТre all rightЕ Which sigils did you take with you from the hut?
УThree of the four important ones we played the game with. They were all I had time to gather up. The doorway sigil must have been buried by the strange ash that lay all over the floor.Ф
Felmar smote his own forehead, and his face was twisted in an expression of frustration. You know, I canТt remember what the other three stones look like! My mindТs gone blank from all the travails IТve suffered. Will you just describe the things?
Scarth fumbled with his belt-wallet. УIТll show youЧФ
No, donТt go to the bother. Just tell me what they look like.