"Russell, Sean - Initiate Brother 2 - Gatherer Of Clouds" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Sean)

Horses moving, the scrape of loose rock shifting, the creaking of
leather. Komawara drew the arrow back by

half. A horse stumbled and a manТs voice could be heard making
comforting sounds, but the words were not clear.

Where? Komawara turned his head from side to side, certain at
first that the sound came from uphill, then equally sure its source
was to his right.

He listened for a voice he might know. Be still, he told himself, let
them pass, they would be easy to track in this snow. TheyТll make
camp at dusk and it will be easy to find out who they are. But even
as he gave himself this advice, he saw a movement in the mist not
twenty paces away. A dark form in the blinding white. Moving
toward him? Away? He tried to catch any hint of color, a familiar
silhouette. A man on foot, walking slowly. Komawara almost stood
for a better view, so surprised was he by the sight: dark beard on a
face tanned to leather by relentless wind and sun, a vest of
doeskin over light mail. A barbarian! A barbarian warrior leading a
horse through the Jai Lung Hills.

Komawara sank lower as the man picked his way up the slope
toward him. Behind the walker came others, their size amplified by
the fog. Knowing that a man could look directly at him in this fog
and see nothing, Komawara held himself utterly still. His mare
shifted, he could almost feel her quiver. Do not move, he willed
her, make no sound. Concentrating on stillness, he found himself
controlling his breathing, forcing his muscles to relax.

The barbarians turned to KomawaraТs right and made their way
across the slope, led by the man on foot who searched out the
path between the trees and rock. Sixteen armed men and they did
not have the look of the hunted.

Is it possible they do not know we pursue them? And then he felt
reality waver for an instant. Cold awareness. No, there were no
wounded, no riderless mounts. It was impossible that they could
have escaped a meeting with KomawaraТs guard unscathed, of that
he was certain.

The last man of the party disappeared into the fog less than a
stoneТs throw away and Komawara let out a long held breath.
Barbarians in the Jai Lung Hills! Bandits suddenly seemed an
insignificant threatЧa mere annoyance. Barbarians in the Jai Lung
Hills!

The lord waited, listening as the creak of leather and the clatter of
hooves faded. Looking around at the sha-dowless light he
wondered how long it would be until