"Paul B.Thompson, Tonya R.Carter. Darkness and Light ("DragonLance Preludes I" #1) (angl)" - читать интересную книгу автора

Underneath, Kitiara still wore the clothes she'd had on the
previous night. She stretched her arms and braced the knots
out of her stiff back.
"Why in the gods' names did you sleep here?" asked
Sturm. "Did you think I'd forget and leave without you?"
"Oh, not you, noble friend. It seemed like a good place to
sleep, that's all. Besides, Pira needed a shoe repaired."
Sturm led Tallfox down to the ground. He swung into
Tallfox's saddle and waited for his companion. Kitiara came
loping down the ramp, leading a rather nondescript brown
and white spotted mare.
"Something wrong?" she asked, mounting beside Sturm.
"I just imagined that you would prefer a fiery stallion for
your mount," he replied. "This, ah, quaint animal doesn't
suit you at all."
"This 'quaint animal' will still be walking a steady pace
long after that beast of yours is no more than bones and
hide," Kitiara said. Her fitful sleep had not improved her

temperament since her parting with Tanis. "I've been on six
campaigns with Pira, and she's always carried me home."
"My apologies."
They rode out of Solace, north by east. The new sun
pierced the hills around Solace and warmed the air. Sturm
and Kitiara breakfasted simply, on jerky and water. The fine
dawn became an even finer morning, and Kitiara's spirits
rose.
"I can't be unhappy on the road," she said. "There's too
much to see and do."
"We should be on guard as well," Sturm said. "I heard
travelers in the inn say there were brigands about."
"Tshaw. Peasants on foot may have reason to fear brig-
ands, but two warriors, armed and mounted - it's the rob-
bers who'd best be afraid!" Sturm made polite assent, but
still kept his eyes on the horizon and his sword hilt handy.
Their route was simple enough. Once clear of Solace's
hills, the two would turn northwest and make for the coast.
On the shore of the Straits of Schallsea was a small fishing
port called Zaradene. From there Kitiara and Sturm could
easily take passage to Caergoth in southern Thelgaard.
North of Caergoth lay Solamnia proper, their ultimate des-
tination.
Such was their plan. But plans, as said the sage wizard
Arcanist, are like figures drawn in sand: easily made and
just as easily disturbed.
The forests and hills of Abanasinia thinned with the
miles. Kitiara filled the hours with tales of her past adven-
tures.
"My first hire was with Mikkian's Marauders. They were
a bad lot. Mikkian was a low-born lout from Lemish. He