"Mickey Zucker Reichert - Bifrost 03 - Dragonrank Master" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reichert Mickey Zucker)

Gratefully, Taziar raised his torso.
 Immediately, the wolf clamped his paws on Taziar's legs, pinning him into a sitting position. "Speak," it
said, and its voice was like thunder.

Taziar wasted a moment freeing his eyes from spit-plastered hair with his hands and a toss of his head.
He used the short time this maneuver gained him to evaluate his position. He and the wolf occupied an
island surrounded by a narrow ring of crystal waters. The thin coil of string which enwrapped the wolf's
hind leg was attached to a staunch chain which encircled a distant crag. Above Taziar, theBifrostBridge
formed a gentle arch to end in a sun-warmed field of grasses just beyond the unnaturally calm lake.
Taziar tried to shift position, but the wolf's padded feet held him with the strength of a giant's vise.

"Well?" the wolf demanded. Its ears swept flat to its head.

Taziar had made a career out of reading intentions and gestures.It could have eaten me and didn V…
yet. That can only mean I have something it wants which I can use to barter for my life . "If you free me, I
can supply you with a lot more meat than I have on my body.''

The wolf raised its jowls in a snarl. "Don't speak to me as if to some foolish mortal! If I let you go, I'll
never see you again."

"You have my word."

The wolf snorted. "Of what value is 'word' to a man who would climb theBifrostBridge on a whim? Or
was it a dare,Shadow ?No, thanks for the offer." Its voice went louder with each syllable. "But I think I'll
eat you here!"

Taziar's composure broke. "Wait!" he screamed. "There must be something I can do for you. Isn't there
anything you need or want? Anything…"

The wolf shook its head so hard, its jowls slapped against its teeth. "So long as I remain tied here, I have
no needs." It lowered its head. Its feet kneaded deeper into Taziar's legs, and its whiskers brushed his
nose.

Seeking any opening, Taziar asked the logical question. "And if you weren't tied?"

The wolf drew back its head. Its expression went soft, and its red-hued eyes held a faraway look.

For an instant, Taziar felt almost sorry for the monster which threatened his life. He read deep sadness in
the wolf's demeanor and another emotion, indescribable yet familiar.

"Freed," said the wolf, its booming voice softening. "I would slay a light elf named Allerum and his
battle-crazed swordmaster, the ronin, Gaelinar. They killed my father."

Overwhelmed by memories, Taziar closed his eyes. He recalled the restlessness which had driven him
from the day of his own father's death and inspired his insane love for challenges. He recalled how his
quest for vengeance had drawn him from his home, everyone and everything he cared about, and
eventually forced him to take a man's life. "I… understand." Hoping to gainthe wolfs good will, he
explained further. "I, too, had occasion to avenge my father's murder. The success was hollow. My father
is still dead. But now I have to live with his slayer's blood on my conscience. And I realized this long