"Joel Rosenberg - Omnibus 03 - To Home and Ehvenor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rosenberg Joel C)

Where the road swung north to give a wide berth to Benai Hill, a path into the forest broke through the
plowed ground and met the road.

The path was well-maintained, even after it entered the forestтАФoverhead branches were hacked off,
some brush cleared by the side. I wouldn't have wanted to gallop down it in the dark, or even canter in
the light, but it was perfectly fine for a nice, quick walk.

Kind of pleasant, really: stately oaks and elms arching high above, keeping things all cool and green and
musty, even though the day was already heating up. My hearing's awfully good, for a human, but I
couldn't hear any animal sounds over the clopping of the horses' hooves.

A nice quiet day.

Something rustled in the bush toward the side of the road.

I had a throwing knife in my left hand and a cocked pistol in my right as a rabbit scampered across the
path, losing itself in the woods.

Tennetty was only a little slower with a flintlock; Jason was third, his revolver, one of the only two that
existed, carefully pointed toward the sky.

"WhatтАФ?"

"Ta havath," Tennetty said.Take it easy. "Just a rabbit." Tennetty glared at me as she carefully holstered
her pistol and slipped her rapier back into its sheath. "What wasthat about?"

I shrugged an apology as I reholstered my own pistol and slipped my throwing knife back into its sheath.
"Sorry."

The two of them were kind enough to let the matter drop.
 It was a nice day, so why was I coming close to jumping out of my skin at every sound? Yes, there were
those rumors of things coming out of Faerie, but we were solidly in the Middle Lands, far from Faerie.

Not good enough. I mean, it was true, but it wasn't an excuse.

I could have argued that Tennetty and Jason were just as jumpy as I was, but that would have been just
for the sake of arguingтАФthe two of them were operating under the sound principle that when somebody
quickly draws a weapon, he's got a good reason. Which I hadn't. A rabbit within shooting range is a
good reason to draw a hunting weapon slowly, carefully, without alarming the rest of your party. It isnot
a reason to suggest by word or action that the shit's about to hit the fan.

We rode in silence and I kept my jumpiness under control as we followed the path in for maybe half an
hourтАФremember, every step you take in has to be taken outтАФuntil we came to a small clearing, where I
called for a break.

I dismounted, more stiffly than I liked, and rubbed at the base of my spine.

Getting a bit older every year, Walter.

Tennetty either didn't hurt or didn't want to show it. I wouldn't have bet either way.