"Ann Durand - Flight of the Gryphon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Durand Ann)

tumbling back into the trees.

Mike wanted to rush to her, but in an instant, she was up and racing toward Adrella, still lying
unconscious over Mike's hoshdel. Relieved to see her unhurt, Mike ran to the cave entrance and thrust
the brush aside. As he flipped the last branch away, Katera darted through the opening with Adrella and
the animals. As soon as she cleared it, he backed inside, dragging several large branches with him to
conceal the opening again. At that moment, several takataks arrived in the clearing. The gusts created
from their beating wings rattled the brush over their hideaway, lifting the branches a few inches off the
ground, but they settled back after the birds landed.

Mike knew the other takataks would shove and roll the trunk off their broken comrade. A host of them
would then grip its body in their sharp beaks and take off, ferrying it to the summit. Letting out a long
breath, Mike led the women and hoshdels deeper into the cave toward the dark security within, as the
high-pitched shrieks of the Tatatakats faded behind them. They were safe for a while.

Chapter Twelve
For a moment, Adrella could not remember what had happened. She opened her eyes and stared into a
dimly lit room. Or was it a room? The walls looked bumpy. Strange. Two figures stood nearby chatting
softly. She focused. It was Katera. With a man. Who was he?

In a flash, her memory flooded back. Katera's voice…she'd heard it in Tikesh Fields. Someone, perhaps
the man with Katera, had thrown a blanket over her and knocked her off her hoshdel. Why had Katera
allowed him to do that?

Perhaps Katera's Lan Ma Ke warned her. Her entire chest had probably chilled after sensing Adrella's
ugly objective. A freeze like that would have been a first between them, she realized with a pang of guilt.
A small ache throbbed between her eyes and her hand flew up. What had happened? She fingered it.
"Adrella?"

It was Katera's voice. Adrella dropped her hand and gaped at her sister, not knowing what to say. Both
Katera and the man stared back at her. Adrella drew in a deep breath.

"Katera," she said, weakly.

Their eyes locked. The air between them crackled, and Adrella's Lan Ma Ke burst in a flush of radiance.
Merciful Lupana, had it really been two years? Katera rushed to her, her face contorted with a sob.

"Sister!" Katera cried. Adrella sat up and Katera threw her arms around her neck. "Oh, I've missed you
so much." She leaned back to gaze at Adrella. "Dear sister, you're alive. Mama and Papa thought…I
thought you'd been killed…you know, the sacrifice."

Adrella wrapped her arms around Katera with a sinking heart. "I am alive, Katera."

Katera pulled away and cocked her head to one side as doubt crept into her eyes.

"Adrella? Is everything alright? My Lan Ma Ke…it's…"

"I know; it's cold," Adrella interrupted, in a whisper. "Be careful. We will be heard."

"No," Katera laughed. "We will not be heard." Katera touched Adrella's forehead. "The Voice in your