"Andre Norton - WW - Horn Crown" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

people, though those of the four clans Garn had men-
tioned were fisherfolk -- or had been.

The morning drizzle was lifting. Before nooning a
watery, pallid sun shone. Under it the land shook off
some of the brooding shadow which had made it so alien
to our eyes. We camped where we were on the road, not
pulling the wains away, the households strung out along
its length like loosened beads on a too-long string.

Those small braziers of coals which had been so care-
fully tended in the foremost wain were brought out and
charcoal sparingly fed into them -- enough to warm pots

of the herb drink which strengthened the traveler, washed
down bites of journey cake. I hurried over my share that I
might not keep Garn waiting.

He sat a little apart on a stool which had also been
taken from the gear and waved us to less lofty seating on
a strip of thick woven matting which had been unrolled at
his feet. I noted that beside Everad and Stig, was Hewlin,
who was the eldest of his guard, his face near as grim as
his lord's.

"There is the choice," Garn began as soon as we were
seated. "I have had word with Quaine who rode the shore
way the farthest." He took from his belt pouch a strip of
skin which had been rolled into a thin tube, spread this
out so that, leaning forward, our heads close together, we
could see running on it a number of dark lines.

There was one heavy black line which curved in and
out, and feeding into that from one side, three thinner
ways, also uneven. Two indentations of the larger line
were already marked with a thick black cross, and to
these Garn pointed first.

"This is the shore as Quaine has seen it. Here and
there are bays which are open and this land will be taken
by two of those who have already said they want only the
sea." His fingertip now moved on, still along the pictured
coastland, until it tapped against a much smaller indenta-
tion.

"Here is a river, not as great a stream as the others,
but of good water and it leads inland to a wide dale. A
river is an easy road for traveling, for the carrying of
wool to market -- "