"Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon - Mage Wars 01 - The Black Gryphon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

would be a distinct improvement.
During the silence, the camp sounds seemed particularly loud and intrusive; people shouting to one
another, and somewhere nearby, the hammering of metal on metal. Skan continued eating, his hunger
overcoming his manners, as he thought of a way to apologize.
"I am sorry, Urtho," he said finally. "I am hungry, hurt, and a very irritable and stupid bird. Think of
me as being in molt."
"You're right, Skan," Urtho said finally. "You're right. Despite what I just said, I sometimes don't
think of what Ma'ar is capable of. It stretches my imagination and willpower to think like Ma'ar, and it
isn't something I—enjoy."
Skandranon had no reply for that; perhaps there was no possible reply. He simply swallowed
another beakful of meat.
"Well, thanks to you, those new weapons of his will no longer threaten us," the mage continued,
changing the subject. "And what I really came here for, my friend, was to discover what you want as
your reward. You more than deserve one. Offspring, perhaps? You certainly have a high potential, and
any female in the wings would be happy to oblige you. I would like to see the Rashkae line continued."
The offer of the reward did not surprise Skan, but what Urtho had called him—"my
friend"—certainly did. And yet, the simple words should not have been such a revelation. Urtho had
spent many hours talking to him, not as commander to subordinate, nor as master to servant, nor even as
creator to creation—but as equal to equal. Skandranon alone of the gryphons was privileged to come
and go at will from Urtho's Tower, and to interrupt the mage at any time of the day or night.
"I will think about it," Skan replied. "At the moment, I ssshould be verrry glad merrrely to be healed
and flying again."
Urtho nodded. "As you will. I'm sure you'll think of something. Just please be mindful of our limited
resources! And the impossibility of transporting massive libraries wherever you go!"
Skan gryphon-grinned; Urtho had not forgotten his love of books. "I am sssure I ssshall think of
something."
Urtho showed no disposition to rise and go his way, however, so Skan simply continued eating
while the greatest single power in their entire army spoke of camp gossip. And it was in the midst of this
that Commander Loren found them.
No doors to knock on existed in a tent, of course, but the ostentatious clearing of a throat outside
the closed flap told Skan that there was a visitor, and one whose voice he did not recognize. Skan
instinctively bristled, all his reactions trying to force his body into readiness to protect Urtho, even though
he was in no shape to do so.
Urtho did recognize the voice, of course; it was one of those traits of his that Skan could only marvel
at, that he knew every leader in his huge army well enough to recognize their voices. Urtho's memory was
remarkable and reputedly utterly reliable, so much so that forgetting even minor things upset him.
"You might as well come in, Loren," Urtho said immediately. "If it's all that important that you
tracked me down."
When Commander Loren pushed aside the tent flap, Skandranon recognized the bricklike face and
body, although he could not have put the proper name to the man. Loren was neither outstandingly good
in deploying the gryphons assigned to him, nor outstandingly poor at it. Only one or the other would have
made a gryphon take notice of him.
So Loren's first words made Skan raise his head from the remains of his meal in surprise.
"I need you to reward a gryphon, Lord Urtho," Loren said, apologetically. "And I would never have
troubled you when you had so obviously gone to the effort of losing your aides, except that I didn't want
this one to slip through the cracks."
"Obviously, this gryphon has done something exceptional—" Urtho paused significantly.
"Very." Loren's beefy face reddened with pride. "She was on patrol in what was supposed to have
been a safe sector, and discovered and eliminated three makaar."
Three makaar? Skan was impressed. "Who isss flying with herrr?" he asked. "I ssshould like to