"R. Garcia y Robertson - Firebird" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robertson R Garcia Y)

to do the cookingтАФbut by then chores and boredom made her treasure the hutтАЩs distractions. Now it
chilled her to see her home so neat. All the animals were gone, except for her knightтАЩs horse in the
paddock out back. She hoped this latest mad impulse did not last.

Finally the Witch agreed to let her go. тАЬThere is nothing else for you to do here. Now go and make your
way in the world. Be smart. Be brave. Think of me now and again. And if you ever need help, call on
me. No matter how far you go, or what you become, I will be with you.тАЭ

Katya told her she was only going to take breakfast to her knight. And her slave collar kept her from
going much fartherтАФbut the Witch had a way of seeing grand drama in the most mundane things, like the
song of a lark, or the first buds of spring. тАЬDo not worry, I will be back in the afternoon.тАЭ

тАЬNo, you wonтАЩt,тАЭ the Bone Witch replied. тАЬAlways remember, I tried to care for you and teach you
trollcraft. Now recite your spell.тАЭ

She recited her invisibility spell, grabbed up her basket and headed for the Iron Wood, happy to be free
of the WitchтАФif only for a while.

She did not get far. There were no warning cries in the Iron Wood. No birds or squirrels to keep watch
for her. She was concentrating on the winding trail through the metal trunks, when she caught a whiff of
horses on the wind. Horses meant men. She froze, whispered her spell, and waitedтАФhoping her heart
was not banging too loud.

Hearing the clip-clop of iron-shod hooves, she realized they were riding down the crooked trail toward
the Bone WitchтАЩs hutтАФcoming in twos, to save getting slashed by spiked branches. In a moment they
would be riding right over her, invisible or not. She turned and dashed back the way she had come. Byeli
Zamak had been gone for only a day, and already men were coming farther than she ever thought
possible. At the clearing in the metal wood, the Bone Witch stood waiting by her skin door, a grim smile
on her wrinkled face. Katya told the sorceress she had heard horsemen coming, but the Witch merely
nodded. Had the Witch known about these horsemen? Probably. The Bone Witch had sent her off with
her basket and spell, knowing full well that she would not get far.

Hoofbeats grew louder as the column of riders neared the clearing. She waited alongside the Witch,
curious to see what sort of horsemen dared come into the Iron Wood. But the first figure to appear was
not on horsebackтАФand only half a man. Man-shaped and naked, he strolled lithely into the clearing,
covered head to foot with soft brown hair. His eyes were wolfтАЩs eyes. Canine fangs protruded from thin
smiling lips.

Lycanthrope. She had never seen one like this beforeтАФ few had and lived. He was not the harmless sort
who totally shed human form to run with the wolves and mate with the bitches. He was a soulless demon
from deep in the Iron WoodтАФthe absolute worst of wolf and man. Or so the Witch always told her.

Behind him rode an incongruous pair. The taller of the two was a steel-helmeted horse archer wearing a
blue Horse GuardтАЩs brigandine studded with silver nail heads. He had a huge dead swan hanging from his
high saddle. Riding at his side was a dwarf mounted on a pony, wearing a particolored tunic and a foolтАЩs
cap. More horsemen filed into the clearing behind them, spreading out from their column of twoтАЩsтАФhorse
archers, knights, and men-at-arms, followed by squires and valets, even a steward and a butler in their
uniforms of office. And an Ensign, holding up a grand dukeтАЩs banner, with a black crescent and the
lightning stroke sign of Ikstra. Beneath the banner rode Prince Sergey Himself. Katya had never seen a
prince of the blood before, but there was no mistaking this one. Grand Duke Sergey was a prince from