"Karen Wehrstein - Chevenga 01 - Lion's Heart" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wehrstein Karen)

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Lion's Heart by Karen
Wehrstein

Book I
PROLOGUE
The story with which every Yeoli's story begins:

Once upon a time in the great Empire of Iyesi, there was a sect called
the Athyel, who believed in no god but the God-In-Ourselves, and that
humanity by nature is free. When the King 14th Jopal had risen to power,
he sent his warriors to kill all who would not abandon their creed and
pledge themselves to his. The Athyel refused. Nine days the streets ran
with blood and the sky shone with flame, and all who were not killed fled
into exile or into hiding.

Now it happened that a teacher in an Athyi school gathered together
her students and fled away with them into the mountains. Although they
soon were tired and hungry, and some of the children were lost or eaten by
wild beasts, she barely let them rest as much as they needed, and at each
choice of ways chose one without pausing, though she didn't know which
way to go.

One day, near the end of their strength, they came to a deep wide
valley. On the shore of a lake they found a woman fishing. The teacher fell
on her knees and begged her aid.

"Many years ago," the woman said, embracing the teacher, "the
knowledge came to me that Athyel children would flee to this place, driven
from Iyesi. So I prepared for you as best I could: the house is large, you
see, the garden wide and the goats many. My name is Yeola. Come in! All
this is yours."

So they went in and ate from the great pot of stew which hung waiting,
then lay down upon the many mats and blankets, while she tended their
hurts with medicines she had in plenty.

"Yeola, our benefactress," the teacher said, "we could never thank you
enough. But every time our way forked, I chose without pausing, so it is
entirely by chance we came here. How could you have known many years
ago that we would?"

"Foreknowledge works outside of time," Yeola answered. "Had chance