"Roger Taylor - Nightfall 1 - Farnor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Taylor Roger)

of the same.тАЩ

Farnor, familiar with this oft-repeated parental wish, gave the ring a casual glance for politenessтАЩ sake.
Gryss had many relics of his wandering days and, over the years, Farnor had been made tediously
familiar with all of them.
 Then, on an impulse, he took the ring from his father and looked at it more closely. As if for the first
time, he saw the finely etched rows of tiny figures that decorated it. They were warriors, some on
horseback with lances and some on foot carrying long spears. They were amazingly detailed and lifelike
and, as Farnor moved the ring to examine it further, it seemed to him that they were alive with movement.
For a moment he felt he was inside the scene. It was a lull in a terrible battle. A waiting for a final, brutal
onslaught from an enemy who . . .

тАШItтАЩs a lucky charm.тАЩ

GryssтАЩs familiar, authoritative voice made Farnor jump. The old man had opened the door silently and
was standing watching FarnorтАЩs scrutiny of the ring. Startled, Farnor let it fall. The chain rattled as the ring
bounced then swung to and fro, and the bell rang slightly. Thus summoned, an old, sleepy-eyed dog
emerged from behind GryssтАЩs legs, gave a desultory bark into the evening and then turned back into the
cottage.

Garren laughed at his sonтАЩs discomfiture.

тАШYouтАЩd think heтАЩd never seen it before,тАЩ he said.

тАШWhere did you get it from?тАЩ Farnor asked, almost rudely. His father raised his eyebrows and was about
to intervene when Gryss answered the question.

тАШFrom over the hill, young Farnor,тАЩ he said. тАШOff a trader from a land far, far away. Could hardly
understand a word he said, though he managed to wring a rare price from me for it. Said it would protect
me . . . I think.тАЩ He chuckled at his youthful folly, then lifted up the ring and gazed at it. тАШWorth it, though.
It took my fancy and itтАЩs a fine piece of work.тАЩ

тАШAnd a fine piece of iron,тАЩ Garren added, reverting to practicalities. тАШThose lines are as sharp as they
ever were.тАЩ

Gryss nodded. тАШIndeed they are,тАЩ he said, his voice suddenly distant.

A brief awkward silence hung over the group, then Gryss said, тАШAnyway, what brings you to my humble
cottage, with the prospect of a dark journey home ahead of you? No broken limbs by the look of you.
And youтАЩre not a man for picking quarrels with your neighbours.тАЩ He hunched forward and stared at
Farnor. тАШToothache, perhaps?тАЩ he said.

Farnor edged behind his father a little.

Before Garren could reply, however, Gryss stepped back and beckoned them inside. As they followed
him through a small hallway and into a room at the back of the cottage, the old dog trundled forward
again, sniffed at each of them and gave another dutiful bark before retiring, apparently for the evening by
its demeanour, to a basket in the corner.

Gryss waved his visitors towards a bench by a long, well-scrubbed table. He sat down opposite them