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.Whatever it was, she felt uncomfortable and kept her eyes moving from onerocky scree to the next shadowy gully in case more ruffians were lying in wait.They stopped at midday on a high, wind-scoured cliff, wedging themselves into arocky crevice while overhead a short, fierce storm thundered by.Rain slashed at the mountainside, obscuring the far slopes and making little brownstreams tumble down the rocks on either side of their shallow shelter.Purplelightning intermittently flashed from peak to peak.Moving farther into the crevice,Wren discovered a large, musty-smelling nest.When the rain slackened, they continued on, but before long saw more uglygray-green clouds tower threateningly high beyond the mountaintops. The horses seem nervous, my friend, Connor finally said after Tyron gazed upand winced for the third time. Then we d best let them go.They ll find shelter before we will, Tyron said withsudden decision, throwing his leg over and jumping down.Hastily they unpacked the saddle pads and Connor s more elaborate equipage.Connor divided his gear, saving out only food, the water bag, and his cloak.The restof the tack was dragged into a shrub-shaded crevice a little ways from the trail.Tyron and Wren did this work while Connor knelt on the trail, fashioning hissaddlebag into a knapsack. What a waste of good tack, Tyron said with regret as they piled branches anddirt over the gear. Can t be helped, Wren answered practically. What ruffles me is that from hereon up it s going to be harder to find things to eat. I ve got about eight days worth of cakes here.A trifle dry, but I ve heardthey re good for a month. Connor patted his bag.They began moving up the muddy trail in silence.Wren rubbed her arms, thenswung them; she did not want to put on her cape until night.It was only going to getcolder, and she had no more clothes.After a time they stopped so that Connor could refill the water bag from a large,rushing stream.Wren waited nearby, hopping in place to stay warm as she darteddistrustful looks at the deepening shadows that were starting to close in on them.But then as they started up the trail again, mud clinging to their feet and to Wren sskirts, Connor said in a low and dramatic voice:  Here I lie, wounded, cold and alone,In this damp fortress of solid stone Wren gave a gasp of pleasure. That s from our Tess s and my favorite play,The Quest of Eren Beyond-Stars.Connor grinned.  Beset not by monsters, brigands or beasts   But by darkness and silence and memories of feasts, Wren finished with low-voiced enthusiasm.Behind her, Tyron snorted. If she talked to herself like that, no wonder sheescaped they wanted to be rid of her.Connor laughed. Quiet, O enemy of poets.You know that play, eh? Tess and I acted it often, under our secret tree. Two of my cousins and I used to do it as well.How about this one& Connor went on to try some more quotations.Some of the plays Wren knew, butmost she did not; her sole source of plays had been Jess s one book.But shelistened with enthusiasm and pleasure as he repeated the most extravagantlybombastic lines, lowering his voice sinisterly for villains, sniveling whinily fortraitors, or squeaking in an impossibly high voice for certain of the femalecharacters.From time to time Tyron added a caustic comment about what had reallyhappened, according to the historical records.Wren enjoyed these interruptions.Sheloved history as well as stories, and she could appreciate that Tyron had no use forthe exaggeration of plays.He didn t say anything belittling about people who likedthem, just made comments about the exact facts of a well-known situation.Or abouthow the facts were not really known and the playwright had surmised how it hadgone.It was so much fun, she scarcely noticed how the trail narrowed steadily and alsogot steeper.Their pace slowed, but they kept winding their way upward.Twice Tyron, who walked in front, called a halt so they could search eachbranching of the trail.Some of the paths they chose were narrower than goat tracks,only as wide as a human foot [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]