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.Most swordsmen andlancers were already mounting.As Rogan appeared, he passed an oilskin-wrapped parcel into his hands.The roast vegetables were still hot, peppered and buttered, and he hadbrought a tankard of mulled wine.Rogan would not have believed hecould eat, but the offer of food, any food, made him aware of the chasminside.He swallowed the meal barely half chewed, took the wine in one long draught, and gave Tristan a look of gratitude.Before he could speak, Shevan s sergeant bellowed down the length ofthe column, and the bells chimed out the orders to move.Rogan set boot tostirrup, hauled himself into the saddle of a big dun warhorse, and turnedhis face to the south.The sky cleared to the south, but the wind from Norhdeim was so cold,Rogan would not have been surprised to see snow in the hills of Neathland.South Harbendane was muddy, the roads were deeply rutted after days ofrain, and the going was heavy.With exhausted horses, the column made slower time than he hadhoped.Sunset had burned out, the stars were bright over the eastern hillsbefore they saw the walls of Althea.He called for the outriders, put themon the freshest horses and sent them on ahead.The landscape was dark.The lights of crofts and villages winked outof the distance, and Harbendane seemed to wear its usual placid face, butRogan s gut was twisted.Appearances were too often deceiving, especiallywhen a man was mortally tired and numb with grief.The loss of Rigel and Julian pained them all, but it would be Damiel sburden to bear, and he had prayed in vain for some way to lighten it.Hehad no words, even when the company clattered in under the raisedportcullis at New Gate and made its way up to Ulrich s Court.Stewards and stablemen waited there, in the light of a swarm oflanterns which gave the place a carnival look.Rogan saw Medrael andMatthias but could not speak.He took a cup of hot, spiced wine, drank itto the dregs and still the words eluded him.The old steward looked at Tristan with dark eyes full of dread, and itwas left for Tris to say quietly, It s the worst news, and grief is a woundin m lord s side. Who? Medrael had served the warriorkind too long to mistakeTristan s meaning. I see Colonel Armes, and Colonel Halloran, and hisgrace Talesyn. You won t see Julian, Tristan whispered, and you won t see Rigel.We left them in the north, safe, until they can lie with their forefathers. Hisvoice was thick, and he cleared his throat. Where can I find the ricon? In the hall. Color had drained out of Medrael s face, leaving him very old, very frail.Matthias looked simply blank, as if he could not believewhat Tristan had said. Will I send a messenger, Master Carlin? No.I ll go, Tristan began. We, Rogan corrected. Medrael, get inside out of this cold.Can youfind a room? There s another Brandel warrior with us.Owen Brandel, afriend and ally. And Captain Brandel? Medrael wondered. Gone, Rogan told him. More than likely run home to Bardolf full oftales of Althea.where to hit us, how to hurt us. My gods. Medrael made the old banishing sign before his breast andstepped aside to clear the doorway. I ll see to your hearth, Colonel, foodand fresh clothes. He hesitated, clearly hunting for polite words. Will Iopen a room for Master Carlin, since Captain Brandel has left us? Rogan was not too tired to feel a sweet, heavy ache in his belly. Tristan is with me now. He laid a hand on Medrael s shoulder in passing. Look after Morgan.She s seen much better days. I ll summon her own stewards at once, your grace, Medrael prom-ised. Matthias, run for them, fast as you can, while I get Colonel Hallorana hot cup and a dry robe. His feet took him down familiar passages and into the hall, with its bighearths and the gaudy banners of so many clans and tribes stirring in thebeams high overhead.Even then, Rogan could not imagine how he wouldtell Damiel.His brain was a turmoil of images, while words might havebeen drops of water slithering through his fingers.The hall was half-lit, and only a few bondsmen and stewards movedin the shadowed corners.Hissing brass lamps cast a broad circle of yellow-white light around the ricon s place.Rogan was still hunting for some wayto say what he must as he stepped into the lamplight.And in the end, she knew without him speaking.She was sitting in thebig carved chair by the Thered in battle standards.To one side were thethree wolfhounds, to the other side, two jessed, hooded falcons on a highperch.She was dressed in somber gray and black, tunic and leathers thegarb of a cavalry commander in the field, not the finery one might haveexpected of a high chief holding court.Behind her stood Amadeus.With a glance at his face, and Damiel s,Rogan knew he had no news that would surprise them.A curious, red-hotblend of grief, guilt and rage blinded him as he came to the chair.He setboth knees on the marble at her feet and his head bowed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Most swordsmen andlancers were already mounting.As Rogan appeared, he passed an oilskin-wrapped parcel into his hands.The roast vegetables were still hot, peppered and buttered, and he hadbrought a tankard of mulled wine.Rogan would not have believed hecould eat, but the offer of food, any food, made him aware of the chasminside.He swallowed the meal barely half chewed, took the wine in one long draught, and gave Tristan a look of gratitude.Before he could speak, Shevan s sergeant bellowed down the length ofthe column, and the bells chimed out the orders to move.Rogan set boot tostirrup, hauled himself into the saddle of a big dun warhorse, and turnedhis face to the south.The sky cleared to the south, but the wind from Norhdeim was so cold,Rogan would not have been surprised to see snow in the hills of Neathland.South Harbendane was muddy, the roads were deeply rutted after days ofrain, and the going was heavy.With exhausted horses, the column made slower time than he hadhoped.Sunset had burned out, the stars were bright over the eastern hillsbefore they saw the walls of Althea.He called for the outriders, put themon the freshest horses and sent them on ahead.The landscape was dark.The lights of crofts and villages winked outof the distance, and Harbendane seemed to wear its usual placid face, butRogan s gut was twisted.Appearances were too often deceiving, especiallywhen a man was mortally tired and numb with grief.The loss of Rigel and Julian pained them all, but it would be Damiel sburden to bear, and he had prayed in vain for some way to lighten it.Hehad no words, even when the company clattered in under the raisedportcullis at New Gate and made its way up to Ulrich s Court.Stewards and stablemen waited there, in the light of a swarm oflanterns which gave the place a carnival look.Rogan saw Medrael andMatthias but could not speak.He took a cup of hot, spiced wine, drank itto the dregs and still the words eluded him.The old steward looked at Tristan with dark eyes full of dread, and itwas left for Tris to say quietly, It s the worst news, and grief is a woundin m lord s side. Who? Medrael had served the warriorkind too long to mistakeTristan s meaning. I see Colonel Armes, and Colonel Halloran, and hisgrace Talesyn. You won t see Julian, Tristan whispered, and you won t see Rigel.We left them in the north, safe, until they can lie with their forefathers. Hisvoice was thick, and he cleared his throat. Where can I find the ricon? In the hall. Color had drained out of Medrael s face, leaving him very old, very frail.Matthias looked simply blank, as if he could not believewhat Tristan had said. Will I send a messenger, Master Carlin? No.I ll go, Tristan began. We, Rogan corrected. Medrael, get inside out of this cold.Can youfind a room? There s another Brandel warrior with us.Owen Brandel, afriend and ally. And Captain Brandel? Medrael wondered. Gone, Rogan told him. More than likely run home to Bardolf full oftales of Althea.where to hit us, how to hurt us. My gods. Medrael made the old banishing sign before his breast andstepped aside to clear the doorway. I ll see to your hearth, Colonel, foodand fresh clothes. He hesitated, clearly hunting for polite words. Will Iopen a room for Master Carlin, since Captain Brandel has left us? Rogan was not too tired to feel a sweet, heavy ache in his belly. Tristan is with me now. He laid a hand on Medrael s shoulder in passing. Look after Morgan.She s seen much better days. I ll summon her own stewards at once, your grace, Medrael prom-ised. Matthias, run for them, fast as you can, while I get Colonel Hallorana hot cup and a dry robe. His feet took him down familiar passages and into the hall, with its bighearths and the gaudy banners of so many clans and tribes stirring in thebeams high overhead.Even then, Rogan could not imagine how he wouldtell Damiel.His brain was a turmoil of images, while words might havebeen drops of water slithering through his fingers.The hall was half-lit, and only a few bondsmen and stewards movedin the shadowed corners.Hissing brass lamps cast a broad circle of yellow-white light around the ricon s place.Rogan was still hunting for some wayto say what he must as he stepped into the lamplight.And in the end, she knew without him speaking.She was sitting in thebig carved chair by the Thered in battle standards.To one side were thethree wolfhounds, to the other side, two jessed, hooded falcons on a highperch.She was dressed in somber gray and black, tunic and leathers thegarb of a cavalry commander in the field, not the finery one might haveexpected of a high chief holding court.Behind her stood Amadeus.With a glance at his face, and Damiel s,Rogan knew he had no news that would surprise them.A curious, red-hotblend of grief, guilt and rage blinded him as he came to the chair.He setboth knees on the marble at her feet and his head bowed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]