"Raymond E. Feist - Conclave of Shadows 1 - Talon of the Silver Hawk" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

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Raymond E. Feist




Talon of the Silver Hawk


PART ONE

ORPHAN


'Death stands above me, whispering low I know not what in my ear . . .'

Walter Savage Landor


CHAPTER ONE

PASSAGE

He waited.

Shivering, the boy huddled close to the dying embers of his meagre fire, his pale blue eyes sunken and
dark from lack of sleep. His mouth moved slowly as he repeated the chant he had learned from his father,
his dry lips cracking painfully and his throat sore from intoning the holy words. His nearly black hair was
matted with dust from sleeping in the dirt; despite his resolve to remain alert while awaiting his vision,
exhaustion had overcome him on three occasions. His normally slender frame and high cheekbones were
accentuated by his rapid weight loss, rendering him gaunt and pale. He wore only a vision seeker's
loincloth. After the first night he had sorely missed his leather tunic and trousers, his sturdy boots and his
dark green cloak.

Above, the night sky surrendered to a pre-dawn grey and the stars began to fade from view. The very
air seemed to pause, as if waiting for a first intake of breath, the first stirring of a new day. The stillness
was uncommon, both unnerving and fascinating, and the boy held his breath for a moment in concert with
the world around him. Then a tiny gust, the softest breath of night sighing, touched him, and he let his own
breathing resume.

As the sky to the east lightened, he reached over and picked up a gourd. He sipped at the water within,
savouring it as much as possible, for it was all he was permitted until he experienced his vision and
reached the creek which intersected with the trail a mile below as he made his way home.

For two days he had sat below the peak of Shatana Higo, in the place of manhood, waiting for his