[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

smaller, less ornate corridor, he saw a hirelance in helmet and mail
struggling with a child he held in his arms. Tobeszijian saw only
Thiatereika s tangled curls and kicking legs, but he saw enough.
With a shout of rage, he brandished Mirengard and ran at the abductor, just as
a nearby door opened and a second hirelance emerged with Faldain.
Tobeszijian never slowed his charge. His shout had already warned the man
holding
Thiatereika, but she was kicking and flailing with all her might, screaming at
the top of her lungs, and this hampered her captor. He managed only to turn
partway around by the time Tobeszijian reached him.
Tobeszijian swung his sword. The great length of steel whistled through the
air, and caught the man s upper back. Normally he would have aimed for the
hirelance s head, but it would have been too dangerous a blow with Thiatereika
clutched tight in the man s arms. Instead, Tobeszijian aimed his sword lower,
so that the blade bit deep into the hirelance s back. It cut through his
hauberk as if it were cloth and sent tiny links of chain mail flying. The man
screamed and dropped Thiatereika as he stumbled sideways.
Mirengard had severed his spine, and the man s arms and legs no longer worked.
Shrieking, he flopped to the floor, blood streaming from his wound.
Thiatereika darted away from him. With her hands outstretched and her face
bright red from screaming, she came straight at her father.
Tobeszijian sidestepped her and spun to meet the second hirelance s charge.
The man had already dropped Faldain on the floor out of his way, and the
toddler was wailing lustily.
 My papa! Thiatereika clutched Tobeszijian around the leg, hampering him.
He parried weakly, and Mirengard was nearly driven right into his face by the
other man s blow.
Ducking awkwardly, Tobeszijian scrambled back, disengaging his sword, and
parried again one-handed this time, while with his left he gripped Thiatereika
by the back of her gown and lifted her off the floor.
 Climb on my back, he said through gritted teeth, again managing to parry the
hirelance s charging attack with one hand. Mirengard was heavy and hard to
manage this way. He knew he had only seconds before the hirelance would break
through his weak defense.  Hurry, sweet. Play monkey on my back and hold on
hard.
Thiatereika grinned at him and climbed him like a tree, swarming across his
shoulders and fastening herself to his back. It was a game they often played,
with him rolling on the floor like a child himself. Now, she wrapped her
little arms around his neck from behind, almost choking him, and sang out,
 I m a monkey from Saelutia!
Praying she could hang on, Tobeszijian skidded to his knees to duck another
blow
from the hirelance, and got both of his hands on his hilt. He swung with all
the considerable strength and power at his disposal, his muscles flexing
beneath his mail.
The hirelance swung down his sword to parry the blow aimed at his knees, but
Tobeszijian s strength broke the parry and drew blood from the man s legs.
Page 33
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Yelling and cursing, the hirelance stumbled back, and Tobeszijian gained his
feet to charge, swinging the mighty Mirengard again and again.
In two more blows, the hirelance s sword shattered. He stared at it and threw
it down before he turned to run.
Tobeszijian swung a final time. The hirelance s head went tumbling, slinging
blood and gobbets of flesh across the sunny yellow walls. His body crumbled in
its tracks, with a great spurt of blood gushing forth from the neck.
Breathing hard, Tobeszijian lowered his blood-splattered sword and pulled in
air to the depths of his lungs, then turned around. It had grown deathly
silent in the corridor.
He saw his young son standing frozen in the doorway of the nursery. Faldain s
thumb was in his mouth, and his pale gray eyes stared solemnly at the corpses.
He was too young to understand or to be afraid, but Tobeszijian wiped his
sword on a corner of his cloak, sheathed it, and hurried to scoop Faldain into
his arms. The boy broke into a wide grin and planted a messy smack on
Tobeszijian s cheek.
 Pa! he said proudly.
Tobeszijian touched his son s black curls, and felt himself undone by the
sweet innocence in Faldain s face. He pressed his face against Faldain s
tender one, breathing in softness and the smell of little boy. And he thought
of Nereisse, lying dead in her chamber, never to kiss this child again, never
to soothe him when he cried, or to help him grow up brave and strong in his
father s footsteps. Faldain would never know how wonderful she was, or how
beautiful. He would never witness her courage or her grace.
Tears burned Tobeszijian s eyes, and he sent up a prayer of thanksgiving that
his children had been spared.
 Suchin, he said hoarsely to the servant cowering on the stairs,  get their
outdoor clothes. Dress them for a journey.
Still looking frightened, the old man scuttled into the room and began
searching through the brightly painted chests and cupboards for small cloaks
and smaller boots.
Tobeszijian set both children on the floor. Thiatereika tossed her head,
sending her golden curls bouncing on her shoulders, and ran to help Suchin.  I
know where everything is, she announced.
Faldain wrapped himself around Tobeszijian s leg and would not turn it loose.
When
Suchin knelt beside the little prince and tried to pry his hands away so he
could put gloves on the boy s hands and boots on his small feet, Faldain let
out a mighty screech of rage and clung even harder.
Thiatereika, looking adorable in a cloak of blue velvet trimmed with ermine,
her hair now tied back with a ribbon, and dainty fur-lined boots on her feet,
went running off into the playroom.
 Thia, Tobeszijian called after her.  Stay here.
 I want my Su-Su, she said stubbornly.
He had no idea what she was talking about, and let her go. Suchin was still on
his knees, struggling to exchange Faldain s slippers for boots. The boy was
resisting, kicking his feet and turning red-faced with anger.
 No! he shouted.
Tobeszijian was a man who waged wars, decreed policy, feasted, and hunted. He
played with his children more than did many men or kings, but until now he d
had no idea what was entailed in putting clothing on a squirming, rebellious
child. To his eyes, it looked as difficult as bridling a wild horse.
 In Thod s name, hurry, man, he said impatiently to Suchin.  They ll need a
change of clothing as well.
 Aye, sire, Suchin said breathlessly as he succeeded in getting the second
boot on.
Faldain rolled onto his stomach and began crawling away as fast as he could.
Tobeszijian let Suchin chase the child and instead went to one of the
Page 34
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
cupboards and opened it. He pulled out items of clothing at random, surprised
at how small they were, and how finely made. Frowning, Tobeszijian looked in
vain for sturdy clothing suitable for travel. Had they no hardspun, no
leggings, no 
 Here, sire, Suchin said, reappearing with two cups of eldin silver and
necklaces of ribbon twisted with gold wire from which pendants of bard crystal
hung.
Tobeszijian s frown deepened.  We cannot be hampered by frippery. Sturdy
clothing, man! Quickly! [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]