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.Chickens, geese, goats and pigsroamed freely, as Lyn Gustav had said, but Rogan saw only a town full ofpale, worried faces, veterans of too many battles who had mourned toomany of their children.The tavern was warm, dim, beery, welcoming.The landlord hadbroached a cask and was mulling ale while Rogan settled Morgan in the bigwing chair by the hearth.Tristan was talking in undertones with the stoutold landlady, and for the moment Rogan left him to take care of thecolumn s most urgent business.Morgan worried him.He had never beforeseen her lose her grip, even when her partner was killed. Have you talked to a physician? he asked as he set her down.She seemed to shake herself awake and dragged both hands across herface. There s nothing wrong with me.I just have to go back to Althea andtell Damia.tell her, her son and heir is dead.Rogan choked off the groan rising in his throat. Morgan, there s more.She was looking around at the faces gathering by the tavern hearth. Isee Shevan and Tal, and your Tristan, and faces I don t know.where sRigel? She seemed to brace herself, and her hands were claws on the armsof the chair. Rogue, where is he? He s being embalmed, Rogan said gently. He ll be going home toAlthea to be buried with his forefathers.I saw him fight, and fall.He waslike a mountain lion, Morgan.I was never so proud to be his brother, anda Halloran.He took several of them, and he went down quick and clean.Itwas.a good death. Good? Talesyn echoed as he fetched a mug of mulled ale for Mor-gan.Tears streamed across his face but he was unaware of them.Tal semotions were always quick, close to the surface.Like any bard  whichwas his true calling, and what he should have been all along  he feltkeenly and was not afraid of grief or pain. There s nothing  good aboutdying, hunting and being hunted.It s just the way life is, and you can tescape it. All true. Rogan knuckled his eyes and was suddenly so tired, hecould have sunk down on the floor and slept for a year. Tal, you knewRigel was injured before you brought the column down to Corry.Thewound in his side was rotten beyond anything the magicks can cure.IfAmadeus had been in Huyuk. He shook his head. Rigel chose to makean end there, in battle, and he was right. He clasped Talesyn s shoulder. He died well, like the finest of the Hallorans, and the Thered in should beproud.Don t spoil his gesture.Resolved, Talesyn drew himself up and cuffed his eyes. There was noother way? Then.I ll make a song.Tristan will tell me it all, and I ll makean epic song, such as bards used to make long ago. He caught himselfbefore the tears could begin again. You won Huyuk s battle? That s.nota very large column you re taking back to Althea.The wounded? Are numerous, like are the dead, Rogan said bleakly,  but I leftHuyuk fully manned, and our walking-wounded will be more than amatch for any Eisweg in rabble that care to come straggling out of thepasses.Hrald Barbansen, he said with rich satisfaction,  lies dead tonight. Hrald himself? Morgan looked up at him with eyes like the raven. You re quite certain of this? No mistake? No mistake. Even as she asked, Rogan was watching Tristan fetch inBarbansen s colors.Just inside the tavern s door he set them up and un-furled them to dry. See? The Eisweg in are broken, they ll scatter on thefour winds.It ll be years before they find another leader with the stupidityto be lured into ruin by some madman like Bardolf. He wished he knewwhat to say, to ease the pain of grief, but he had never known the words. Where is he? Where have they put Julian?She gestured into Corry. In the cellars under the wreckage of thechieftain s lodge, where it s cold as ice.The embalmers are already work-ing on him.Did you want to see him? The arrow took him where the neckjoins the shoulder.He didn t suffer, Rogue.He looks merely surprised.Tradition said he should go there, pay his respects, but at that momentRogan could not do it. Tomorrow, he promised. Morgan?She seemed almost tranced.She and Talesyn were intent on the land-pirates banner.Tristan had propped it between a stool and a chair, andcame quietly to Rogan s side. The landlord says he has space for ourofficers, so long as we don t mind doubling up.The riggers are working.The column will be under cover in an hour.The horses are fed and shel-tered already, and stablemen from Corry are rubbing them down.There sa room for us at the top of the stairs.It s the size of a cupboard, but we llhave it to ourselves. Fine. Rogan leaned down toward him. Find one of the Gustavs anyone from the chieftain s house  and make sure they know they canexpect the first wagonload of wounded from Huyuk tomorrow.Ask if theyneed supplies, and if they do, find out from Shevan where the goods aremost likely to come from, and make up orders to send a dispatch riderthere at first light [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]