[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
might make some types start crowding vou. Bread and cheese and some
dried fruit in the saddlebass. Keen to yourselves. Don't chat with
everyone comes along " He chuckled at Tuli's in-dignant glare. "Tain't a game,
moth."
"I know that."
He looked suddenly bleak. "You think so but you won't know that till you
have to kill a man." He straightened, raised a hand. "Be seeing you,
twins. One of these days."
Page 47
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Tuli dropped everything and ran to him, feeling suddenly bereft. She put her
hand on his knee. "Maiden bless you, Hars friend."
He touched her head, smiled down at her. With no more words, not even a wave,
he rode into the shadows under the trees, the three reined macain following in
unprotesting silence.
"What are you going to do with these?" Teras held up the skirt and blouse.
Tuli turned slowly, frowned at them, then grinned. "Dump them in the river.
Let the Yastria make what she wants of that."
Teras walked to the edge of the water, wadded the clothing into a tight ball
and tossed it out as far as he could. The ball unfolded as it flew, fluttering
like dark wings over the river. It landed with a very small splat and went
sweeping off, rid-ing the water like discarded leaves from a shedding tree. He
stood gazing at the black bulk of the watchtower for some minutes then came
back to her. "No alarm yet."
"Still, we better get going."
"Yah. You need help?"
Tuli nodded. "A boost. My arms don't work so good right now."
By dawn Tuli was clinging to the saddle ledge, staying in the saddle by will
alone. She followed Teras along the
Highroad, drifting in a painworld, the skin inside her thighs rubbed raw in
spite of the protection of the trousers. She'd never ridden so long before. In
most of their night rambles, she and Teras had kept inside Gradintar
hedges. She'd gone with the other Gradins to Oras when they made the
pilgrim-age to the Temple to celebrate the Moongather, but they'd all walked
and taken the miles slow and easy.
A hand closed about her arm, supporting her. Gradually she understood
that her mount was standing still. She forced her eyes open. Teras was
leaning anxiously toward her.
He doesn't look tired at all, she thoueht resentfully.
"Tuli?" she watched his mouth open and close. The word seemed to come from a
great distance throueh waves and waves of water. She blinked. "Tuli, you all
right?"
She thought over the words, then nodded carefully. The world swayed around
her. The hand closed around her arm was all that kept her from sinking in slow
circles to the ground somewhere beneath her. "Tired," she croaked. "S all."
"We're gonna stop awhile. Hang on." Teras eased the reins from under her stiff
fingers and led her down a slope.
Slope?
she thought. The Highroad was flat, no up no down. Flat. Flat. Flat. The shift
of her weight broke open some of the scabs on her sores. The pain shocked
her out of her haze of exhaustion. She shifted her hands on the
ledge and straightened her back. A dark line of trees loomed ahead of her,
blocking all but the tip of the dawning sun.
We rode all night, she thought and felt a vague wonder.
When Teras slid off his mount she looked down at the dew-beaded grass
and knew she couldn't dismount, not without help. She eased her grip on
the ledge and shifted about in the saddle, every muscle protesting. The macai
dropped his head and began tearing avidly at clumps of grass by his feet. She
watched Teras. He was bending his knees, kicking his feet out, stretching and
twisting his upper body.
He's stronger than me now, she thought.
A lot.
She turned away, not wanting to admit to herself that she could no longer keep
up with him, let alone dominate him as she had when they were younger. He came
briskly over to her. "Stiff?"
"Help me down." The edge of annoyance in her voice brought a flush of shame to
her face after the words were said. She wanted to apologize to him, was
angry at him, was angry at herself for being such a weakly creature; she
Page 48
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
refused to be weak and helpless and submissive, and it wasn't Teras's fault
she was so torn up why was she blaming him. "Please, Teras?"
If he took any notice of her snappishness, he laid it to her weariness and
ignored it. He took her hands and helped her ease off the macai. When her feet
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]