"Roger Taylor - Hawklan 4 - Into Narsindal" - читать интересную книгу автора (Taylor Roger)

unspoken concerns greatly. The people apparently held no ill-will towards the Fyordyn who had
inadvertently brought such trouble to their land. Even the chill wind seemed to lose some of its edge.

After they had passed through Perato, Berryn remarked on the absence of young people from the
villages.

тАШThey must all be with this army of theirs in the mountains. It must be a civilian militia,тАЩ he said. No one
disputed this conclusion and the Rede nodded to himself. тАШI know there arenтАЩt many Orthlundyn,тАЩ he
went on, тАШbut if those villages are typical, then theyтАЩve got a big army, and if theyтАЩre all in the mountains,
then theyтАЩre having to deal with a big problem.тАЩ

Arinndier looked at him. It was a valid deduction, but still it made no sense. Who could threaten the
Orthlundyn from the east? The chilling thought occurred to him that while Fyordyn had been looking
towards Vakloss, some army had swept down the Pass of Elewart to overwhelm Riddin and was now
moving against Orthlund prior to attacking FyorlundтАЩs southern border.

And we sent Sylvriss there!

The panic-stricken thought nearly made him voice his fear, but it was followed immediately by the
memory of the faces of the villagers they had met. These were not the faces of a people facing imminent
destruction at the hands of an army powerful enough to have overcome the Riddin Muster.

Nonetheless, the RedeтАЩs comments had given him a problem that would not be set lightly aside, and at
the next village he asked directly what the army was doing.

The villagers made reassuring noises. тАШDonтАЩt you worry yourself about that, young man,тАЩ came the reply
from a man whom Arinndier judged to be somewhat younger than himself. тАШItтАЩs just a little trouble with
the Alphraan. IтАЩm sure Loman and Memsa Gulda will sort it out soon. Not many things argue with
Memsa Gulda for long.тАЩ

This last remark brought some general laughter from the group that had gathered around the new
arrivals, but Arinndier sensed an undertow of concern that was more serious than the levity indicated.

тАШWho in the world are the Alphraan?тАЩ he asked his companions as they continued on their way. The
name was vaguely familiar but he had been loath to show his ignorance to the villagers.

Jaldaric was frowning. тАШThe only Alphraan IтАЩve ever heard of are in . . . childrenтАЩs tales,тАЩ he said
awkwardly. тАШLittle people . . . who live underground and . . . sing.тАЩ Rede Berryn and Tel-Mindor both
nodded.

Arinndier looked at them sternly, then his own memory produced the same image from somewhere in his
childhood. He cleared his throat. тАШPerhaps the word means something different down here,тАЩ he said.

Tel-Mindor laughed softly. тАШPerhaps FyndalтАЩs sent more than one message to the villagers,тАЩ he said
significantly.

The following day the wind had eased, but it was still cold, and the winter chill in the air was
unequivocal. And as if to emphasize this, many of the already snow-capped mountains to the east were
whiter than they had been on the previous day.