"Phyllis Ann Welsh - Sylvan Wars 2 - The Choosing" - читать интересную книгу автора (Welsh Phyllis Ann)

struggled awkwardly to her feet and waded ashore. The water-worn rocks bit her bare feet and
provided no purchase for her unsteady gait.
Dawn washed the coast in golden-red hues as it broke over the towering cliffs. The world was
on fire with the sunтАЩs glory. Gulls wheeled overhead, screaming their hunger for the new day.
FeenixтАЩs belly rumbled in agreement.
Brushing the dripping hair from her eyes, she scanned the boulder-strewn beach anxiously.
Time was of the essence, and she had none to waste. Many lives depended on her returning to
Shalridoor before the noon meal.
тАЬWhere did that elf put my clothes?тАЭ
The sunтАЩs rays promised to blister her tender flesh if she didnтАЩt cover her exposed skin soon.
The sea breeze was chilly, but it was no match for the power of the Tylana sun.
Searching the shoreline for a flutter of material, she couldnтАЩt find her belongings. She looked
west and then east, noting the position of the sun and the cliffs. Rarely was her sense of direction
wrong. Her irritation increased as she realized she was wasting valuable time.
тАЬBy the godтАЩs right toe, IтАЩll fillet that priest and his brother as soon as I find my clothes, if I
have to hunt them down forever!тАЭ She threw a fist-sized rock and it exploded against a boulder.
тАЬI have a war to lead, and I canтАЩt do it without my gear!тАЭ
The ocean breeze dried the sea from her naked body, setting goose bumps to chasing each
other as she scanned the shadows. Her teeth chattered a counterpoint to the wash of the waves
against the rocks.
The feeling of being totally vulnerable and assailable should an enemy happen along made
Feenix jittery. Not that she couldnтАЩt protect herself, even in her state of undress. She was Feenix
of Port Marcus, Captain of the High PriestтАЩs Guard of Sasheena, after all.
But by the godтАЩs left eye, she hated feeling so exposed.


2
 THE CHOOSING



She lifted her eyes to the cliffs then scanned the shoreline beneath, and could see nothing
more dangerous than two gulls fighting over a bit of fish. Again her stomach rumbled.
тАЬWhy didnтАЩt I eat that ocean carp when I had the chance?тАЭ
It was going to be a glorious day, but the sun hadnтАЩt yet touched the boulders tossed across the
beach. As she searched amongst the rocks for her missing gear, the shadows thrown by the cliffs
made the area seem like twilight rather than day. She didnтАЩt know which was worse, the chill of
the shadows or the expected heat of the sun. Either way, she would combat the elements better if
she had her blasted clothes on.
тАЬMac Lir, you son of a sea whore,тАЭ she screamed at the sea. тАЬThe very least you can do, since
I had no choice in your cursed Change, is show me where those damned elves left my clothes!тАЭ
She thought she heard the god laugh at her, but it was merely the distant cry of the gulls. She
picked up another rock and threw it at one of the birds dancing in the waves. The gull easily
avoided the missile and flew away, screaming a protest.
Feenix hated every aspect of the Change, but especially this part when she was naked and
exposed to the world while she hunted for clothing and weapons. The feeling of being out of
control was intolerable. The fact that Mac LirтАЩs high priest, Rendolin, knew about the Change
was almost more than she could endure. It seemed as if Mac Lir couldnтАЩt wait to pass this little
tidbit of FeenixтАЩs weakness on to the elf.
RendolinтАЩs brother, Thelorin, also needed to know about her disability because he was the