"Dennis L. McKiernan - Mithgar - Eye of the Hunter" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKiernan Dennis L)

Cold-drakes, for Adon reft them of their fire as punishment.
But of the Men who had aided Gyphon, none suffered the Ban, for
they had been misled by the Great Deceiver and Adon spared them in
the end.
And this was what Aravan referred to when he spoke of the Great
War changing all: for now the Ban drives the Foul Folk into hiding, into
places of concealment in the Grimwall Mountains when day is upon the
land. Hence even at night Foul Folk would not range this far, would not
come unto these ruins, unless driven by great need or by great fear, for
the Sun would find them and slay them should they be caught out upon
these plains after dawn, should they not discover a crevice or cranny to
hide in during the day, a place free of Adon's light.
And so Gwylly peered at the ruins, while thoughts of Wars and Bans
and ancient days skittered through his mind.
As the wind moaned and snow blew over the rock wall and swirled
in through the tumbled doorway, the buccan looked up at Aravan. "How
would this place be defended? I mean, it's not more than ten of my
strides acrossтАФsix of yoursтАФcertainly not large enough to house any
great force. I would think that it would easily fall."
"Aye," responded Aravan. "But a place such as this is not meant to
be defended. Should foe be sighted, then the sentries would ride from
here and give warning, or perhaps light a beacon fire and then ride."
"Like Beacontor?" asked Faeril.
 Gwylly shook his head, No. "Beacontor, love, was meant to be
defended. The towers of the Signal Mountains were ringed 'round by
walls. This place, though, has no fortress walls. Just a tower . . . and a
small one at that."
Riatha turned her silver gaze away from the stone and toward
Gwylly. "Should we look, I deem we would find the remains of a stable,
or mayhap a kennelтАФa place used long ago for housing a steed or a
team for quick flight across the land when the need arose. They would
light the signal fire, then run."
Faeril brushed a stray lock of coal black hair from her eyes and
looked through the door gap and out at the spinning snow. "Who would
they have warned? I mean, who lived in here and out there when the
tower was built?"
"Aleutani, I think," answered Aravan. "For even then they brought
their herds of ren here in the long summer days when the grass is lush
and green, even as they do unto this day."
Faeril nodded, for she had seen some of the antlered ren in their
winter pastures in the deep, sheltered vales along the rim of the Boreal
Sea.
Again the land trembled, and Faeril stepped to the tumbled-down
entrance. "Will it be safe to sleep here tonight? I wonder, with the
quakes . . ."
Riatha smiled at the wee damman. "Safe enough, little one. The land
out here on the edge of the foothills is yet a distance from the Grimwall,
and farther still from; Dragonslair."
Glancing up at the Elfess, Faeril nodded again, then turned and
stepped out into the storm, leading the others back to the sleds.