"Sara Douglass - The Axis Trilogy 2 - Enchanter" - читать интересную книгу автора (Douglass Sara)

the sweat out of her eyes. She had turned twenty-five on the day after Yuletide,
and had immediately joined the Strike Force for her five years of compulsory
military service.
She grunted as she parried a blow from her sparring partner. She did not
like to sweat and thought longingly of the relaxing hot waters of the Chamber of
Steaming Water. Once she had looked forward to her years in the Strike Force,
but that was only because she had believed she would spend those years with
her cousin FreeFall. Born only two monthsapart, she and FreeFall had grown up
together, planned their lives together, and mused over what it would be like
when he became Talon. It was not unusual for Icarii to marry or form sexual
relationships with close relatives, and FreeFall and EvenSong had become lovers
at thirteen.
Of course, neither EvenSong nor FreeFall had considered the possibility that
he would be so cruelly murdered at such a young age. EvenSong daily bewailed
not only the loss of her friend and lover, but also the prospect of spending the
rest of her long life alone.
Her sparring partner and Wing-Leader, SpikeFeather TrueSong, slipped his
stave under EvenSong's guard and dealt her a heavy blow to the ribs. She
dropped her staff and fell to her knees, badly winded.
"Pay attention," SpikeFeather hissed viciously. "In battle -even in a tavern
brawl — you would be dead now! We cannot afford to lose any more SunSoars."
EvenSong glared at him, her hand clutched to her ribs. "Like you lost
FreeFall?" SpikeFeather had flown with Free-Fail and HoverEye BlackWing to
meet Axis atop Gorken-fort's roof. But their mission had ended in tragedy when
Borneheld murdered FreeFall.
SpikeFeather swore and seized EvenSong by her short curls, hauling her to
her feet. She winced and tried to twist free, but SpikeFeather's grip was too
strong.
"FreeFall had the courage to face life, EvenSong, even when it led him to
death. Think how he would frown to see you use his death to give up on life
itself!"
The ten other members of the Wing had stopped sparring and watched
SpikeFeather and EvenSong soberly. Ever since the disaster of Yuletide, training
had taken on a much more serious aspect. Where once good humour and
enjoyment had pervaded weapons practice, now the expectation of an eventual
conflict with Gorgrael's forces dominated everyone's thoughts.
SpikeFeather let EvenSong's hair go, then stepped back and glared at the
rest of his command. He was an experienced Wing-Leader, but in these difficult
times his responsibilities weighed heavily on him. And despite what EvenSong
apparently thought, SpikeFeather agonised daily over his inability to act quickly
enough to save FreeFall. EvenSong seemed to have no heart since FreeFall's
murder, and SpikeFeather knew that the inattention of a single member could
bring ruin to his entire. Wing in battle.
To add to SpikeFeather's woes, all of the Strike Force were on edge, and not
simply because of the battle at Earth Tree Grove or the inevitable battle to come
with Gorgrael's forces. From the most senior Crest-Leader, FarSight CutSpur, to
the lowliest recruit, the Strike Force was keenly aware of the presence of Axis
SunSoar in Talon Spike. The Icarii Assembly had agreed to StarDrifter's request
to help his son in Gorken-fbrt partly because after a thousand years of relative
peace they needed a true war leader. Someone who actually had experience of