"Roger Taylor - Hawklan 5 - Return of the Sword" - читать интересную книгу автора (Taylor Roger)

Too quick, he reproached himself savagely. Too quick to reach for the easy way. Angrily he forced
reason to take control of his fear. The animal had not menaced him, he told himself slowly. Nor was it
likely to. There was plenty of food around here so it could not be hungry, and, besides, wolves were far
from being stupid; they rarely attacked people. It was probably as startled as he was.

Nevertheless, it was still watching him and it had not moved. And its hackles were raised, albeit only
slightly.

Probably in response to his own initial reaction, Andawyr decided uneasily. Either that, or it was sensing
his own anger at himself. He would have to take the initiative.

He made himself relax. Then, briefly, he met the animalтАЩs gaze and turned his head away slowly and
deliberately.

As he did so, he found himself looking into the eyes of another wolf, crouching low on the ground barely
five paces from him. Despite the fact that he was counselling himself to move carefully and slowly,
Andawyr jumped back. The wolf did not move.

тАШVery thoughtful, old man. A nice gesture.тАЩ

The voice filled AndawyrтАЩs head, further unbalancing him and making him stagger backwards. Still the
watching wolf did not move, though it continued to stare at him fixedly.

тАШDonтАЩt be alarmed. We didnтАЩt mean to startle you.тАЩ

There was reassurance in the voice, but it resonated with strange, wild overtones unlike anything
Andawyr had ever heard. It took him a moment to realize that he was not actually hearing it, but that it
was really in his mind. He had no time to ponder this discovery.

тАШBut youтАЩre unusual, arenтАЩt you? We felt you some way away, and there was a control, a refinement, in
your manner thatтАЩs rare in humans. We thought weтАЩd see who it was.тАЩ

Was there a hint of mockery in the words?

AndawyrтАЩs eyes narrowed suspiciously and he cast a quick glance at each of the wolves in turn. What
was happening here? Carefully he tested his responses. It was deep in the nature of his training to see
things as they were, not as others or perhaps his own errant mind might wish them to appear. It occurred
to him that perhaps one of his colleagues was playing a joke on him тАУ they were not above such antics
from time to time when life in the Cadwanen became boring or fraught. But how could they be doing this?
There was no hint of the Power being used and even he had not known where he was going to walk
when he set out. It was not a prank. And he was definitely not hallucinating. The voice in his head was
unequivocally real. It left him with a bizarre conclusion. Somehow these creatures were talking to him!

тАШCreatures, indeed. How churlish.тАЩ

Mockery, without a doubt.

тАШWh тАУ what are you? Who are you?тАЩ Andawyr stammered, his voice sounding harsh and awkward in his
own ears.