[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
* * * *
Gunther lay on his back staring at a patch of endless blue sky through a break
in the heavy cluster of evergreens walled around by a high build up of rose
briars. Everyone had a favorite section in the thickets, hideaways where they
liked to pretend that no one could ever find them. This was Gunther's.
Now and again, his hand would caress the pommel of his golden dagger as if it
were a beloved good luck charm. His cronies squatted, sat, or sprawled around
him in whatever positions they found most comfortable. Adolf had managed to
procure several large skins of wine and they had been passing
Page 35
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
76
them around for an hour. The boys had begun to feel pleasantly buzzed.
"How long do you think it will be before the hunt?" asked
Emil, roving the tiny glade restlessly. He was one of those boys who had to be
constantly in motion, and fidgeted when told to stay in one place. It
sometimes annoyed Gunther, but right then Gunther was feeling too distanced
and introspective to care.
"If he waits too long," said Jarogniew, "the creature will move on."
Adolf chuckled darkly. "Brainerd is probably leaving goats staked out for the
manticore to keep it nearby."
"I would assume so," agreed Gunther. He wiggled his toes inside his boots and
considered pulling them off to air his sweating feet out.
"He should invite Lukasz this time," said Gerik. "Then we could have a fine
little accident."
Gunther rolled onto his side and regarded Gerik. "Brainerd never invites
Lukasz on our hunts."
Gerik smirked at Gunther in an irritating fashion. "Have you ever wondered why
not? After all, Lukasz is the heir."
Gunther licked his lips and grabbed the wineskin from
Flawiusz. He had never wondered about it, just made what he thought were
obvious assumptions, but now that Gerik pointed it out, Gunther did wonder.
"Because he's a mongrel dog?"
The older boy grinned. "Heir or not, Lukasz has bad blood in his veins. His
mother was a pagan whore and a schvartzer.
He has no place among pure bloods like ourselves. There's a
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
77
lot that you don't notice, Gunther. Things you'll be taught when you're
initiated into the mysteries."
That perked Gunther's interest. "Like what?"
Everyone was now staring at Gerik. "For one thing, Lukasz doesn't get the
private tutoring sessions the rest of us do."
"Why?"
Gerik drew his finger across his throat with an ominous sound. "So the
schvartzer will be easier to kill when the time comes. You don't teach
schvartzers and pagans how to fight well. If Brainerd had refused to teach the
mongrel, then
Stefan would have replaced him. So instead he teaches
Lukasz poorly."
Adolf moved close to Gerik. "It isn't your place to be telling them these
things. It's Brainerd's."
"Oh, come now, Adolf, don't be a prick." Gerik snorted.
"There's always a hunt like this one just before initiations begin.
Furthermore, I'm not betraying any secrets. And I'm not going to."
Gunther looked from Gerik to Adolf and back again. "So you've both been
initiated into the mysteries?"
Adolf sniggered. "Yes. And Gerik is going to get a fat lip if he doesn't shut
up."
Gerik shrugged. "You can try and make me."
"Shut up!" Gunther frowned. Because of his connection to the ruling family,
Gunther outranked Adolf and Gerik; and rank counted far more than age among
the Beltrian nobility.
At least when the age difference was as slight as theirs.
Page 36
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Adolf and Gerik fell silent and faced Gunther expectantly.
"Now what is the point of all of this?" Gunther asked.
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
78
"The point," Gerik said, "is that Brainerd clearly intends to initiate you
into the rites of manhood. You'll have to put all of your little boy nonsense
behind you."
"And just what does that mean?"
Adolf shook his head. "You'll know when the time comes."
"Like I was saying, it would be a shame if Brainerd took
Lukasz along on this manticore hunt and the beast just happened to get him.
Everyone knows how dangerous they are. No one could fault us." Gerik kept a
diffident air to his voice. "In fact, I'd be happy to shove the little
half-breed in front of the creature."
Everyone went still, staring at the audacity of Gerik's coldly phrased
statement.
"Would you really?" Gunther asked.
"Wouldn't you? That would make you heir, you know.
Wouldn't you like to be the duke? You deserve it more than
Lukasz does."
Gunther's thoughts swirled and he took another long pull from the wineskin.
"Yes. Yes, I would."
Gerik grinned broadly, stuck his thumbs in his belt, and declared, "Then I'll
suggest to Brainerd that we bring Lukasz along. One dead schvartzer coming
up."
* * * *
The myn in the camp regarded Talons with a mixture of wary gratitude and
curiosity, uncertain of what to make of her. She moved among them with the
cool grace of a stalking leopard and the emotionless eyes of a stone-cold
killer, dressed all in black wool and leather, pants, tunic and jerkin
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
79
with an odd cloak that spoke of shadows. Bandoleers of blades crossed her
body, two huge knives rode at her hips, and a longsword at her shoulder.
"You have six dead and four wounded besides Berran,"
said Talons. "You'll need to cut the hearts out of your dead;
otherwise any necromancers that may be trailing you will raise them to find
out where you've gone from here."
Magnilda shivered when Talons came close to her. "Can't we burn them instead?"
"And tell the rest of them where you are? Don't be suicidal." Talons ducked
into Berran's tent and knelt beside him. She pressed her hand to his forehead.
He opened his eyes at her touch, and Talons could see the glaze of fever in
their depths.
"Will he live?" Magnilda asked anxiously, pulling at her cornsilk braid. "He's
all I have."
"He should. I gave him the same antidote that saved my ba'halaef." Talons saw
that she did not understand the
Sharani word. "My husband. Besides, I got the impression they wanted him
alive."
"Why do you say that?"
Talons pulled a glass vial from her pocket and held it up to the light
streaming through the flap. She had milked the fingers of each of the dead [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
* * * *
Gunther lay on his back staring at a patch of endless blue sky through a break
in the heavy cluster of evergreens walled around by a high build up of rose
briars. Everyone had a favorite section in the thickets, hideaways where they
liked to pretend that no one could ever find them. This was Gunther's.
Now and again, his hand would caress the pommel of his golden dagger as if it
were a beloved good luck charm. His cronies squatted, sat, or sprawled around
him in whatever positions they found most comfortable. Adolf had managed to
procure several large skins of wine and they had been passing
Page 35
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
76
them around for an hour. The boys had begun to feel pleasantly buzzed.
"How long do you think it will be before the hunt?" asked
Emil, roving the tiny glade restlessly. He was one of those boys who had to be
constantly in motion, and fidgeted when told to stay in one place. It
sometimes annoyed Gunther, but right then Gunther was feeling too distanced
and introspective to care.
"If he waits too long," said Jarogniew, "the creature will move on."
Adolf chuckled darkly. "Brainerd is probably leaving goats staked out for the
manticore to keep it nearby."
"I would assume so," agreed Gunther. He wiggled his toes inside his boots and
considered pulling them off to air his sweating feet out.
"He should invite Lukasz this time," said Gerik. "Then we could have a fine
little accident."
Gunther rolled onto his side and regarded Gerik. "Brainerd never invites
Lukasz on our hunts."
Gerik smirked at Gunther in an irritating fashion. "Have you ever wondered why
not? After all, Lukasz is the heir."
Gunther licked his lips and grabbed the wineskin from
Flawiusz. He had never wondered about it, just made what he thought were
obvious assumptions, but now that Gerik pointed it out, Gunther did wonder.
"Because he's a mongrel dog?"
The older boy grinned. "Heir or not, Lukasz has bad blood in his veins. His
mother was a pagan whore and a schvartzer.
He has no place among pure bloods like ourselves. There's a
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
77
lot that you don't notice, Gunther. Things you'll be taught when you're
initiated into the mysteries."
That perked Gunther's interest. "Like what?"
Everyone was now staring at Gerik. "For one thing, Lukasz doesn't get the
private tutoring sessions the rest of us do."
"Why?"
Gerik drew his finger across his throat with an ominous sound. "So the
schvartzer will be easier to kill when the time comes. You don't teach
schvartzers and pagans how to fight well. If Brainerd had refused to teach the
mongrel, then
Stefan would have replaced him. So instead he teaches
Lukasz poorly."
Adolf moved close to Gerik. "It isn't your place to be telling them these
things. It's Brainerd's."
"Oh, come now, Adolf, don't be a prick." Gerik snorted.
"There's always a hunt like this one just before initiations begin.
Furthermore, I'm not betraying any secrets. And I'm not going to."
Gunther looked from Gerik to Adolf and back again. "So you've both been
initiated into the mysteries?"
Adolf sniggered. "Yes. And Gerik is going to get a fat lip if he doesn't shut
up."
Gerik shrugged. "You can try and make me."
"Shut up!" Gunther frowned. Because of his connection to the ruling family,
Gunther outranked Adolf and Gerik; and rank counted far more than age among
the Beltrian nobility.
At least when the age difference was as slight as theirs.
Page 36
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Adolf and Gerik fell silent and faced Gunther expectantly.
"Now what is the point of all of this?" Gunther asked.
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
78
"The point," Gerik said, "is that Brainerd clearly intends to initiate you
into the rites of manhood. You'll have to put all of your little boy nonsense
behind you."
"And just what does that mean?"
Adolf shook his head. "You'll know when the time comes."
"Like I was saying, it would be a shame if Brainerd took
Lukasz along on this manticore hunt and the beast just happened to get him.
Everyone knows how dangerous they are. No one could fault us." Gerik kept a
diffident air to his voice. "In fact, I'd be happy to shove the little
half-breed in front of the creature."
Everyone went still, staring at the audacity of Gerik's coldly phrased
statement.
"Would you really?" Gunther asked.
"Wouldn't you? That would make you heir, you know.
Wouldn't you like to be the duke? You deserve it more than
Lukasz does."
Gunther's thoughts swirled and he took another long pull from the wineskin.
"Yes. Yes, I would."
Gerik grinned broadly, stuck his thumbs in his belt, and declared, "Then I'll
suggest to Brainerd that we bring Lukasz along. One dead schvartzer coming
up."
* * * *
The myn in the camp regarded Talons with a mixture of wary gratitude and
curiosity, uncertain of what to make of her. She moved among them with the
cool grace of a stalking leopard and the emotionless eyes of a stone-cold
killer, dressed all in black wool and leather, pants, tunic and jerkin
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
79
with an odd cloak that spoke of shadows. Bandoleers of blades crossed her
body, two huge knives rode at her hips, and a longsword at her shoulder.
"You have six dead and four wounded besides Berran,"
said Talons. "You'll need to cut the hearts out of your dead;
otherwise any necromancers that may be trailing you will raise them to find
out where you've gone from here."
Magnilda shivered when Talons came close to her. "Can't we burn them instead?"
"And tell the rest of them where you are? Don't be suicidal." Talons ducked
into Berran's tent and knelt beside him. She pressed her hand to his forehead.
He opened his eyes at her touch, and Talons could see the glaze of fever in
their depths.
"Will he live?" Magnilda asked anxiously, pulling at her cornsilk braid. "He's
all I have."
"He should. I gave him the same antidote that saved my ba'halaef." Talons saw
that she did not understand the
Sharani word. "My husband. Besides, I got the impression they wanted him
alive."
"Why do you say that?"
Talons pulled a glass vial from her pocket and held it up to the light
streaming through the flap. She had milked the fingers of each of the dead [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]