"Dan Parkinson - Dwarven Nations 02 - Hammer and Axe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Parkinson Dan)

hurts worse is to see you with clear eyes:"

"I never claimed to be perfect, Laurana;' Tanis said quietly.

The silver moon and the red had risen, neither of them full yet, but shining
brightly enough for Tanis to see tears in Laurana's luminous eyes. He reached
out his hands to take her in his arms, but she took a step backwards.

"You may never claim it;" she said scornfully, "but you certainly enjoy allowing
us to think it!"

Ignoring his outstretched hands, she grabbed a torch from the wall and walked
into the darkness beyond the gate of Thorbardin. Tanis watched her leave,
watched the light shine on her honey-colored hair, watched her walk, as graceful
as the slender aspens of their elven homeland of Qualinesti.
Tanis stood for a moment, staring after her, scratching the thick, reddish beard
that no elf on Krynn could grow. Pondering Laurana's last statement, he thought,
incongruously, of Kitiara. He conjured up pictures in his mind of Kit's cropped,
curly black hair, her crooked smile, her fiery, impetuous temper, and her
strong, sensual body-the body of a trained swordswoman, but he discovered to his
amazement that now the picture dissolved, pierced 6y the calm, clear gaze of two
slightly slanted, luminous, elven eyes.

Thunder rolled out from the mountain. The shaft that moved the huge stone gate
began to turn, grinding the door shut. Tanis, watching it shut, decided he would
not go in. "Sealed in a tomb:' He smiled, recalling Sturm's words, but there was
a shiver in his soul as well. He stood for long moments, staring at the door,
feeling its weight settle between him and Laurana. The door sealed shut with a
dull boom. The face of the mountain was blank, cold, forbidding.

With a sigh, Tanis pulled his cloak about him and started toward the woods. Even
sleeping in the snow was better than sleeping underground. He had better get
used to it anyway. The Plains of Dust they would be traveling through to reach
Tarsis would probably be choked with snow', even this early in the winter.

Thinking of the journey as he walked, Tanis looked up into the night sky. It was
beautiful, glittering with stars. But two gaping black holes marred the beauty.
Raistlin's missing constellations.

Holes in the sky. Holes in himself.

After his fight with Laurana, Tanis was almost glad to start on the journey. All
the companions had agreed tar go. Tanis knew that none of them felt truly at
home among the refugees.

Preparations for the journey gave him plenty to think about. He was able to tell
himself he didn't care that Laurana avoided him. .end, at the beginnings the
journey itself ways enjoyable. It seemed as if they were back in the early days
of fall instead ofthe beginning of winter. The sun shone, warming the air. Only
Raistlin wore his heaviest cloak.