"Andre Norton - Witch World High Halleck 7 - Gryphon In Glory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

manner,
threaten you."
"But that is not true!" I had cried then. My hold upon the crystal gryphon
became so tight that I might have crushed it.
"To him it is. Unless he can break his inner wallтАФ"
"Or have another break it for him!"
She had nodded then. And again, when I had added, "I am not free, nor shall
he
be! Let him ride south at Lord Imgry's bidding as he has done. They will try
to
use himтАФeven as they make wardsigns for evil behind his back. He shall find
no
friends there. Oh, why did he go?"
"You know why, child."
"Yes! He thought he had nothing else, that he might as well spend his life
thus.
So he tells his wife that she is freeтАФand he goes! Well, I care! I have no
false
pride. If Kerovan rides to the bidding of those who would make him a toolтАФthen
I
shall ride also!"
"You shall. For this is a meant thing, and, perhaps, of greater importance
than
you can guess now. Go with the Will of the Flame. That shall be your cloak
and
shelter, dear child. May It lighten your path and kindle joy in your heart at
last."
So she had not only given me her full blessing, but, by her orders, the
storehouse of the Abbey had been opened to me. There I had chosen weapons and
gear from that brought by refugees, keeping my own council until all was
readied. Then I held my meeting with Nalda and so had come to this lonely
ride
into the unknown.
My mare, an ugly beast if compared to the larger horses of the plain, was
mountain bred. I called her "Bural" which is a landsman's name for a tough
root
it is hard to pull free. She turned now under my urging into the trail
southward
that my lord and his escort had taken earlier.
I had little hope of catching up with him; there were too many days gone.
Also,
though this road must be my guide, I was wary of riding openly.
The land was now a roaming place for more than one kind of enemy. Before the
war
the Waste, which lay not too far distant, had been a haunt for outlaws and
masterless men, raiders. I also had heard that there were small bands of the
enemy quartering the land to the eastwardтАФthough those had grown fewer of
late.
Perhaps their scouts had found this trail, visited it to spy upon any traffic
there.