"02 - The Song of Homana (b)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Roberson Jennifer)

wind—were the pawprints of a wolf. Large prints, well-
spaced, little more than holes until the wind and snow
filled them in. But it marked the path of Finn's lir none-
theless; it marked Finn a man apart, for what manner of
man rides with a wolf at his side? Better yet, it marked
me, for what manner of man rides with a shapechanger at
his side?

Finn did not go on at once. He waited, saying nothing
more. His face was still bared to the wind. As I rode up I
saw how he slitted his eyes, the pupils swollen black
against the blinding whiteness. But the irises were a clear,
eerie yellow. Not amber or gold or honey. Yellow.

Beast-eyes, men called them. I had reason to know
why.

I shivered, then cursed, trying to strip my beard of ice.
Of late we had spent our time in the warmth of eastern
lands, it felt odd to be nearly home again, and suffering
because of the winter. I had forgotten what it was to go so
encumbered by furs and wool and leather

And yet I had forgotten nothing. Especially who I was.

Finn, seeing my shiver, grinned, baring his teeth in a
silent laugh. "Weary of it already? And will you spend
your time shivering and bemoaning the storms when you
walk the halls and corridors of Homana-Mujhar again?"

"We are not even to Homana yet," I reminded him,
disliking his easy assurance, "let alone my uncle's palace."

"Your palace." For a moment he studied me solemnly,
reminding me of someone else: his brother. "Do you
doubt yourself? Still? I thought you had resolved all that
when you decided it was time for us to turn our backs on
exile."

"I did." I scraped at my beard with gloved fingers,
stripping it again of the cold crystals. "Five years is long
enough for any man to spend in exile, it is too long for a
prince. It is time we took my throne back from that
Solindish usurper."

Finn shrugged. "You will. The prophecy of the First-
born is quite definite. You will win back the Lion Throne
from Bellam and his Ihlini sorcerer, and take your place as
Mujhar." He put out his gloved right hand and made an