"Kristine Kathryn Rusch - The Fey 02 - The Rival" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

the sea, thousands of years before.

His grin grew. The sheer cliff faces of legend were not smooth as tempered
glass. They had flaws. Imperfections.

Handholds.

Then the Riders pulled him over the top of the mountain, and his breath
caught in his throat. The mountains still rose beside him, but underneath
him was a plateau, and through it, a long narrow crevice.

If he squinted, he could see blue sky through that crevice.

The Gull Riders and Scouts had been right. A concealed
is- landing place
that gave the Fey access to the entire valley.

Gently, the Hawk Riders lowered him onto the plateau until his feet brushed
the rocky surface. He pressed a lever as he landed, and the boards of his
sedan chair flattened. The ropes collapsed around him, and he staggered
forward before he caught his balance. The Hawk Riders landed around him, the
narrow circle first. Rugad was surrounded by ten hawks, tiny Fey riders on
their backs. Hawks were not designed to land on flat surfaces, so they had
to time their change to the moment their talons touched the stone.

m unison, the tiny Riders straightened their arms and loosened the rope loops
around their talons. The ropes slid open as the Riders grew to Fey size. As
they stretched to their full height, the bird bodies slipped inside their own.

Then they stood around him, in fully human form, taller than he was.

They had a not-Fey quality to them. Their hair was feathered as it flowed
down their backs. Their fingernails were long, like claws, and their noses
were long and narrow, hooking over their mouths like beaks.

They watched as the remaining Hawk Riders landed and went through the same
transformation.

Within the space of three heartbeats, Rugad went from being surrounded by
hawks to being surrounded by Fey. They were a small fighting force, standing
on the plateau.

The wind blew through the crevice, ice-cold despite the fact that it was
summer on Blue Isle. The Hawk Riders were naked, but they didn't seem to
feel the chill. Rugad did. He shuddered, and wished that he had brought
gloves.

The other peaks towered around him like tall buildings, blocking the sun. It
was as dark as dusk on the plateau.