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them in early winter, he explained, they are conserving energy, and you cannot feel any warmth on their surface. The two children with her, one girl and one boy, just looked at him, and, uncomfortable under their solemn eyes, he finally nodded curtly, then moved away. Moira pulled the two children close. The girl put her arms around the boy, but flinched away from Moira s icy skin until the woman tucked the oversized tunic the girl wore more fully between them. She had just finished doing the same with the little boy when the soft, whuffing breath of a wolf made her freeze. She caught her breath as the creature wormed up between the leaves to lie down beside her. Its fur touched her bare skin. She flinched. Moons above them& Trembling, she curled around the small file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Tara%20K.%20Harper%20-%...er%20-%20Wolfwalker%203%20-%20Storm%20Runner.html (192 of 421)22-12-2006 1:37:04 Storm Runner-Wolfwalker 03-Harper, Tara K chilled bodies in her arms, praying that the wolf would not bite, that the rasp of its tongue as it tasted her would not be lethal. Ignoring her response, the wolf snugged up against her back, and she held herself rigid, tense. There was no growl. No attack. Warily, she leaned back, pulling the broadleaves over her legs. The warmth that radiated from the lupine fur was almost hot against her skin. The warmth that seeped from the winter fuzz of the broadleaves was tiny in comparison. Moons, but she had almost forgotten what warmth was. She had to force herself to give up that lick of lupine heat to the children, twisting so that their bodies were between hers and the wolf s and her back was pressed against the cooler broadleaves instead. But another Gray One slunk in, pushing itself against her back. She stiffened for a moment and then she was cocooned. She caught her breath in a sob. That the Gray Ones the hunters of the raiders gave them warmth& Dion dragged in with the last of the elders. For once, she was grateful that Aranur was taking charge. She nodded to him when he looked around, and, when all the others but Tomi were bedded down like rabbits in a warren, she stumbled over to him. Tomi, still dogging her heels, followed her toward Aranur. The tall man scowled at the youth. When Dion gestured for the boy to curl up in the leaves, he hesitated, then obeyed. A moment later, Aranur and Dion dropped to their knees and crawled into the last shelter. Aranur held the leaves aside for Gray Hishn and Yoshi, so that the two wolves could worm their way on either side of them. With Yoshi s heat seeping through his jerkin, he put his arms around Dion, shivered from the touch of her skin, and held her close. It was the rustling in the leaves that warned him they were not alone. He file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Tara%20K.%20Harper%20-%...er%20-%20Wolfwalker%203%20-%20Storm%20Runner.html (193 of 421)22-12-2006 1:37:04 Storm Runner-Wolfwalker 03-Harper, Tara K stiffened, but the wolves did not react except to flick their ears, so, when Tomi cautiously eased one of the giant leaves aside, he was not surprised. The boy met his eyes and crouched for a moment without moving. Dion barely stirred. Aranur sighed. When he said nothing, the boy moved into the opening of their shelter, then shifted so that the enticing warmth of the wolves was next to his thighs. Finally, hesitantly, he eased between Dion and Hishn, curling his small body up behind the wolfwalker s legs. Aranur tried not to grit his teeth. One hour, he said silently. Just one hour alone with Dion was that too much to ask? He looked at the dark form of the child. Then he shifted once more so that the leafy shelter closed around them, cocooning the boy as it did themselves. Dion barely noticed. Aranur s and Tomi s scents were in the noses of the wolves. The boy s body was neither cold nor warm next to hers. She identified him absently, too tired to lift her head to protest. With two children curled up to each adult, Tomi was the only one without someone to warm him. It was probably just the loneliness& It did not matter. Dion was too tired to care. The back of her head pounded steadily, and her stomach cramped, but those were distant discomforts. When the gray images filtered in with tiny patches of daylight, she drifted off, knowing she was safe with Aranur, safe among the wolves. Did the boy know that? Did any of them understand? They were safe now. They were in Ariye. But in Bilocctar, late last winter, when the snows of the heights pulled back from the fields& Conin stared at the villager. I am your Lloroi, he repeated. Have you file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Tara%20K.%20Harper%20-%...er%20-%20Wolfwalker%203%20-%20Storm%20Runner.html (194 of 421)22-12-2006 1:37:04 Storm Runner-Wolfwalker 03-Harper, Tara K nothing to say to me? No opinions? No questions? No complaints? The middle-aged man continued to stare at his feet, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, and Conin swore in disgust. Longear glanced sideways at him. He is an old soldier who fought in the resistance what pitiful little there was, she said, bored with Conin s attempted inquisition. There were faster ways to get information than to ask as he did. She glanced at her nails, grimacing at the dirt that clung to their undersides. Another day, and she would be back in town, playing the spy for the raiders while she sought out the man who had been making her plans a mess. Soon, she thought, smiling to herself, the resistance fighters would be identified, caught, and burned a long and slow death, with perhaps a few nightspider bites thrown in for amusement. The lesson would be a good one for the rest of these rabbits on the border. She glanced at Conin. He tried so hard, he did. She almost laughed. He was such a fool. She tired of the game. Don t waste any more of my time, she said sharply to the Lloroi. The man won t answer. He is hardly more fond of your Bilocctar breeding than you are yourself. Conin gave her a wary look. Was she mocking him publicly now? He met Namina s eyes and saw the frightened warning there. He held onto his temper with difficulty. Whether I am fond of my breeding is moot, he said quietly. I had little say in the matter. He stared down at the villager. The man was still watching his feet, gazing in apparent raptness at their clumsy shapes, and after a moment, Conin wheeled his riding beast away in frustration. The six-legged dnu broke into a slow trot, and he rode out on [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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