"Doranna Durgin - A Bitch in Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Durgin Doranna)

A Bitch in Time
Doranna Durgin
«^»



Shiba sat on the bare wood planks of the cabin porch, wiggling her bottom away from a
persistent splinter. Mail hung heavily on her shoulders and across her back, and the
leather-lined helmet chafed her ears despite its custom contours. Hot in the sun, it was. Acr
the tunic on her broad chest hung a short row of service pins and one smooth, polished med
Shiba would have ripped it off if she'd been given the choice. What good was valor when i
wasn't enough?

Good for a thorough rolling-on, that's what.

Beside her stood the Line Mate, the man in charge of the border cabins that represented
first line of defense against illegal magics. He wore his only everyday work clothes. Well,
wasn't waiting for his new partner.

"Patience," he said, resting his hand on the skirt of mail that hung over her long ears. "H
be here. Naught for you to worry."

Shiba made a grumping noise and lifted her nose to the air, expertly sorting it for any tas
of stranger-odor. There! Was that… ? She whined, licked her lips, and tried again. Definite

"Coming, is he?" the Line Mate asked, expectantly eyeing the path that led from the woo
His other name was Eldon, though Shiba thought he ought to pick one name or the other and
stick with it. "All right. Just you keep in mind that he's only recently lost his own partner. T
does things to a lineman, you know."

Shiba's tail quivered, and her forehead furrowed into furry wrinkles. The scent of her ne
partner was strong in her nose, stronger than any words Eldon might say. People talked all
time anyway, whether they had something to say or not. She strained her eyes-not the strong
of her senses-and yes, there he was! Just visible through the trees at the edge of the cabin's
small clearing, a tall walking stick in one hand and a full satchel slung over the other shoul
Shiba whined as he emerged from the woods, and licked away the drool gathering on her li

"Easy," said Eldon, as Shiba's new partner approached. The man's easy stride seemed a
too casual.

"Tallon," Eldon said. "Welcome. You made good time."

"Good enough," the man said. Shiba liked his voice. It had a roughly furry texture not un
her own. He nodded at her. "See you musta spent some time getting ready for me. Wasn't
necessary."

"I didn't do it for you," Eldon said. "I did it for her. She was strongly attached to the old
man. It's good for her to have a little ceremony, something to mark your arrival as out of the
ordinary. I can't help but worry about the way you two are going to mesh."