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

more cause to laugh. But he did not, aloud; he merely
grinned his white-toothed grin and waited in amused
tolerance for me to finish my royal tirade.

And so I did not, having no wish to band him further
reason to laugh at me, orтАФworseтАФto dispense yet an-
other of his ready homilies concerning a prince's proper
behavior.

I glared at him a moment, unable to keep myself from
that much. I saw the bow in his hands and the red-
fletched arrows poking up from the quiver behind his
shoulder. And looked again at the matching arrow in the
ribs of the red king stag.

Conversationally, I pointed out, "Using your lir to
knock me half-silly was not within the rules of the
competition."

"There were no rules," he countered immediately.
"And what Tasha did was her own doing, no suggestion
of mineтАФthough, admittedly, she was looking after my
interests." I saw the maddening grin again; winged black
brows rose up to disappear into equally raven hair.
"And her own, naturally, as she shares in the kill."

"Of course," I agreed wryly. "You would never set
her on me purposelyтАФ"

"Not for a liege man to do," he agreed blandly, with
an equally bland smile. Infuriating, is my older brother.

"You ought to teach her some manners." I looked at
the mountain cat, not at my brother. "But then, she has
arrogance enough to match yours just as she is, so I am
sure you prefer her this way."

lan, laughingтАФaloud this timeтАФdid not answer. Instead
he knelt down by the stag to inspect his kill. In fawn-
colored leathers he blended easily into the foliage and
fallen leaves. Another man, lacking the skills I have
learned, would not have seen lan at all, until he moved.
Even then, I thought only the glint of gold on his bare
arms would give him away.

I should have known. I should have expected it. All a
3

man has to do is look at him to know he is the better
hunter. Because a man, looking at my brother, wul see