"Recluce - 07 - The Chaos Balance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

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аа "From the skies of long-lost Heaven
аа to the heights of Westwind keep
аа we will hold our blades in order
аа and never let our honor sleep.
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аа "From the skies of light-iced towers
аа to the demons' place on earth,
аа we will holdfast lightning's powers
аа and never count gold's worth.
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аа "As the guards of Westwind keep
аа our souls hold winter's sweep;
аа we will hold our blades in order,
аа and never let our honor sleep...."
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аа Nylan still wasn't sure about honor, since it seemed to him that
people who talked a lot about it killed a lot of people and then paid a
far higher price than anyone ever intended.
аа He managed to stifle a yawn as he rose from the bench and rubbed his
stiff backside. The benches were wood, and hard, after sitting for a long
time, songs or no songs.
аа He glanced around, but Ayrlyn was gone, and so were Istril, Siret,
Huldran, and Ryba.
аа He shrugged and headed for the jakes before bed. Tomorrow, there would
be more smithing-more blades-and he still wasn't quite sure they were a
good idea, but he had none better.
аа The rough form for Daryn's foot was taking longer, far longer, than he
had thought, since he had to squeeze it injust as Relyn's handbook had
taken longer and had had to be worked in between the endless weapons
creation.
аа He stifled another yawn as he turned toward the lower-level jakes,
stifled a yawn and tried not to think about children and Ryba and the
darkness that was Candar.
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VIII
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THE STOCKY GRAY-HAIRED man waited as Zeldyan knelt, patting Nesslek's
back until the boy's breathing was regular. Then she eased him from his
side to his back and covered him with the blanket.
аа After a last look at her son, she rose, crossed the room, and sat
opposite Gethen across the low table, where she filled both goblets that
rested there. She took a small sip from her own, followed by a nibble
from the pastry she had started earlier.
аа "You were saying?" he asked quietly.
аа "Father," said Zeldyan slowly. "You remember Hissl, the wizard who
tried to claim the Ironwoods by leading an expedition to defeat the dark
angels?"
аа "I heard about it. I was in Rulyarth at the time, you recall." Gethen