"Jennifer Roberson - CotC 4 - The House of Homana" - читать интересную книгу автора (Roberson Jennifer)

Because then he would be Cheysuli.

The rain began again, though falling with less force
than before. This was more of a mist, kiting on the wind.
Sheets of it drifted before my horse, shredded by the gusts.
It muffled the sounds of the Keep and drove the Cheysuli
inside their painted pavilions.

Except for Isolde. I should have known; 'Solde adores
the rain, preferring thunder and lightning in abundance.
But this misting shower, I knew, would do; it was better
than boring sunlight.

"lan! Niall! Both my rufholU at once?" She wore
crimson, which was like her; it stood out against the
damp grayness of the day as much as her bright ebul-
lience did. I saw her come dashing through the drifting
wet curtains as if she hardly felt them, damp wool skirts
gathered up to show off furred boots of sleek dark otter
pelt. Silver bells rimmed the cuffs of the boots, chiming
as she ran. Matching bells were braided into thick black
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hair; like lan, she was all Cheysuli. Even to the Old
Blood in her veins.

"What is this?" She stopped as we did, putting out a
hand to push a questing wet muzzle from her face; lan's
gray stallion was a cunous sort, and oddly affectionate
toward our sister. But then, perhaps it was the magic in
her showing. "The king stag!" Yellow eyes widened as
she looked up at lan and me. "How did you come by
this?"

'Solde seemed untroubled by the rain, falling harder
now, that pasted hair against scalp and dulled the shine
of all her bells. One hand still on the stallion's muzzle,
she waited expectantly for an explanation.

I blew a drop of water off the end of my nose. " 'Solde,
you have eyes. The king stag, aye, and brought down by
lan's handтАФ" I paused "тАФin a manner of speaking.*'

lan glared. "What nonsense is this? 7n a manner of
speaking.^ I took him down with a single arrow! You
were there."

"How kind of you to recall it." I smiled down at
'Solde. "He set Tasha on me the moment I prepared to
loose my own arrow, and the cat spoiled my shot."