"Angus Wells - Exiles 01 - Exile's Children" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wells Angus)

тАЬ No?тАЭ answered Racharran.
Morrhyn said, still soft, тАЬ To argue this is to go against the Council. He would be cast out; no less Vachyr.тАЭ
Racharran grunted, then looked to his son, who came past the fire with his bride-to-be. RannachтАЩ s smile
was wide and proud; Arrhyna stood modestly beside him.
Racharran climbed to his feet and took the girlтАЩ s hands. тАЬ I welcome you to the Commacht, daughter.тАЭ He
glanced at Rannach. тАЬ Perhaps youтАЩ ll tame this stallion.тАЭ
Arrhyna smiled shyly. тАЬ Thank you, my akaman. I am honored to live amongst your lodges.тАЭ
Rannach said, тАЬ Thank you, father. For a while there I feared you might take VachyrтАЩ s side.тАЭ
тАЬ For a while,тАЭ Racharran said quietly, тАЬ I thought I might. For the good of the clan.тАЭ
The shock he saw on RannachтАЩ s face was gratifying, but then he shrugged and smiled more warmly. тАЬ
But how could I, after ChakthiтАЩ s insult? Vachyr the better man? Ach, no! OnlyтАЭ тАФ he placed a hand on
both their shouldersтАФ тАЬ tread wary about those two, as you would about a wounded buffalo.тАЭ
Rannach nodded gravely. тАЬ IтАЩ d see Arrhyna in our lodges this night,тАЭ he said. тАЬ And ask you offer her
parents our hospitality.тАЭ
Perhaps, Racharran thought, thereтАЩ s yet hope for him. Perhaps marriage will gentle him. Aloud, he said, тАЬ
ThatтАЩ s wise. Yes: IтАЩ ll speak with them now.тАЭ
тАЬ Thank you,тАЭ Arrhyna said. тАЬ The akaman of the Tachyn bears them little love for this, I think.тАЭ
тАЬ Chakthi,тАЭ Rannach declared, grinning, тАЬ bears little love for anyone. Save Vachyr.тАЭ
тАЬ Go.тАЭ Racharran dismissed them with a wave. тАЬ Take your cohorts with you. And remember your
promise!тАЭ
тАЬ As my akaman commands.тАЭ
Rannach spread his blanket to encompass Arrhyna and jerked his head. On the instant, Bakaan and the
others came hurrying up to form an honor guard. Racharran went to where Nemeth and Zeil stood. They
looked to him like buffalo separated from their herd, and frightened.
тАЬ Your daughter sleeps under my protection this night,тАЭ he said, тАЬ and soon shall wed my son. Would you
name yourselves Commacht, then you are welcome in my clan.тАЭ
Nemeth looked at Zeil, who nodded and smiled nervously. тАЬ My thanks,тАЭ he said. тАЬ WeтАЩ ve angered
Chakthi with this, andтАж тАЭ He shrugged helplessly.
тАЬ Chakthi is not a man to forgive a perceived slight,тАЭ Racharran finished. тАЬ Do you bring your tent across
the water now, and tomorrow weтАЩ ll cut your horses from the Tachyn herd.тАЭ
тАЬ And does Chakthi object, my Lakanti shall be there.тАЭ Yazte came up to join them, clapping Racharran
cheerfully on the shoulder. тАЬ In the name of the Maker, my friend, that was a thing worth the seeing.
Chakthi had the look of an old bear driven from his wintering cave. His discomfort was a thing to relish.тАЭ
тАЬ Old bears are grumpy,тАЭ Racharran said. тАЬ And often dangerous.тАЭ
тАЬ True.тАЭ YazteтАЩ s smile faded. тАЬ But should this particular bear show his claws, youтАЩ ve but to ask my help.тАЭ
Racharran nodded. тАЬ IтАЩ ll see them wed soon as possible,тАЭ he murmured. тАЬ Perhaps the ceremony will cool
VachyrтАЩ s ardor and he look elsewhere for a bride.тАЭ
тАЬ Perhaps.тАЭ Yazte snorted. тАЬ But ChakthiтАЩ s pride? That shall not be cooled, I think.тАЭ
тАЬ Ach, pride!тАЭ Racharran chopped a dismissive hand. тАЬ Such pride is a curse.тАЭ
тАЬ But what should we be without our pride?тАЭ Yazte asked. тАЬ YouтАЩ d not take the TachynтАЩ s insult. Was that
not pride?тАЭ
тАЬ It was.тАЭ Racharran smiled, somewhat ashamed. тАЬ I rose to that.тАЭ
тАЬ As would any warrior,тАЭ Yazte said. тАЬ Chakthi stepped beyond the pale with that. IтАЩ ve not your calm. Had
he said that to meтАж тАЭ
Racharran nodded, wearying of the conversation. He felt a need to forget the bellicose Tachyn for a while.
тАЬ IтАЩ ve tiswin in my lodge,тАЭ he said, тАЬ do you care to celebrate this decision.тАЭ
тАЬ I do,тАЭ Yazte declared eagerly. тАЬ Lead on, my friend.тАЭ
тАЬ A moment.тАЭ Racharran motioned that Yazte wait, and went to where Juh sat, deep in conversation with
the Aparhaso wakanisha, Hazhe. He waited politely until they looked up, then extended his invitation.
тАЬ Thank you,тАЭ murmured Juh, тАЬ but these old bones of mine crave rest, and the days when I could sit with