"Eric van Lustbader - Sunset Warrior 1 - The Sunset Warrior" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lustbader Eric van)

occupied roughly the centre of a square, cold chamber. Despite this, tiny
beads of sweat glinted
in the bristles of his short, black hair. His fine features held no expression
whatsoever.
Standing over him, bent, eyes intent, was Stahlig, the Medicine Man. Ronin
tried to relax,
thinking, This is all a waste of time, as Stahlig's fingers probed and pushed
at his chest, moving
slowly down towards his ribs on the left side. He tried not to think of it but
his muscles had a
will of their own and they betrayed him, jumping in pain under the thick
fingers.
'Uhm,' Stahlig grunted. 'Very recent'.
Ronin stared at the ceiling; at nothing. What was bothering him? It was merely
a fight.
Merely? His lips curled in distaste. A brawl; rolling in the Corridor like a
common - abruptly
remembrance blossomed . . .
His bare arms slick with sweat, his thick sword just sheathed, heavy at his
side, his hands
light after almost a full Spell of Combat practice. Walking alone and
distracted out of the Hall of
Combat into a knot of people, all at once surrounded by loud voices
disclaiming hotly, stupidly,
and he paid no attention. Something pushed against him and a voice cut through
the din.
'And where are you going?' It was cold and affected and belonged to a tall,
thin, blond man
who wore the obliquely striped chest bands of the Chondrin. Black and gold:
Ronin did not
recognize the colours. Behind the blond man on either side stood five or six
Bladesmen wearing
the same colours. Apparently they had stopped a cluster of Students on their
way from practice.
He could not think why.
'Answer, Student!' the Chondrin commanded. His thin face was very white,
dominated by a
waxy nose. His high cheeks were pocked and a scar ran down like a tear from
the corner of one
eye so that it appeared lower than the other one.
Ronin was momentarily amused. He was a Bladesman and therefore practised with
other
Bladesmen. But these days he did not have much to do and boredom had led him
to practice
with the Students also. When he did that, as now, he wore plain clothes and
those who did not
know him took him for a Student.
'Where I go and what I do is my own affair' Ronin said blandly.'What is your
business with
these Students?'