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."For this, We ask yourforgiveness.Do you think it was worth more of a hearing than We gave it?"Decius's laughter was a harsh bark."Count Syzambry is trying to enlist your aid to save a lostcause.""Or the tales may be true, that he has Pougoi allies as well and fears them as much as he does Us,"Chienna pointed out.Decius's dignity would not allow him to gape, but his face revealed enough to make the queen laugh."Decius, I should be angry at your thinking I am not old enough to hear such things.Remember, I amQueen of the Border, a poor queen, perhaps, but all the realm has unless you think that CountSyzambry really should rule?"Try as he would, Decius could not laugh at that jest."Captain Conan would be ten times fitter forthe crown than Syzambry.""At least," the queen said.She put the knife away and drew her stained robe down over her barefeet."We are well pleased with your service and value your counsel.May We always be able to trustthem as We do today."Decius bowed himself out, thinking that wishes, even royal wishes, could not bind the gods.He wastwice Chienna's age and would be fortunate indeed if he lived to teach Prince Urras the art of war.Perhaps he should marry again.After burying a wife and three sons, it might be tempting fate, buthis children and Urras might grow together.The prince would need friends and playmates, certainly,and"My lord Decius.Do you wish to be alone?"It was Raihna, who had come out of the darkness beside the path as silently as a cat.Decius startedto nod, then knew that in his heart he did not wish to be alone."Mistress Raihna, in truth I would enjoy your company."They walked side by side to the captain-general's tent.They were a sword's length apart, andRaihna's garb was no more revealing than usual, yet Decius had never been so aware of her as a woman.They sat on furs just inside the mouth of Decius's tent.The captain-general sent away hisbodyservant and drew a skin of wine from under the furs."Poor hospitality, I fear.""No hospitality is poor when the host is a treasure."Decius hoped that the firelight did not reveal him flushing like a boy.He sensed that there was morethan Raihna's nimble tongue in that praise.Raihna drank deeply, then handed the skin to Decius.In doing so, she let some drops fall on hiswrist."Forgive me, my lord.Here, let me& "She put her mouth to his wrist and began licking off the wine.That Decius had been long a widower did not make him a fool.He put both hands under Raihna'schin and lifted her face to receive his kiss.Her mouth bloomed under his, and her arms went around him.It was amazing how swiftly the lacings of armor could be undone by skilled fingers.There wasnothing amazing about what followed, unless it was that Raihna was even fairer to look at than Deciushad suspected.It was not until Raihna was sleeping in his arms that Decius realized they had not closed the tentflaps.They had been tumbling in the furs, clad only in the firelight, in full sight of anyone who wished towander by.Had Conan chosen to pass along this pathNo.Decius would take the word of both Conan and Raihna that the woman was her own mistress.After that, he would take her into his arms again, if she was willing.He dared not think about taking her to wife, not until the battle was won.That would be temptingthe gods, and for now, they had given him enough and to spare.His thought on leaving the queen hadbeen a true one: the gods did have some care for humans.Conan returned to the camp at dawn.The men he was taking against Count Syzambry had neededlittle more training, save at setting ambushes by night.This he had given them, and they now knew asmuch as he thought necessary.The Pougoi was masters of them all in the art of night fighting, he knew.But the queen did not careto send the tribesmen far afield and out of reach of her loyal men.Thyrin had borne this with more gracethan Conan expected, although no one could call the man pleased.The gods willing, he should even beable to keep the peace among his warriorsIt was no great surprise for Conan to find that Raihna was not in his tent.It was somewhat more ofa surprise to see that her clothing and weapons had likewise departed.It was a considerable surpriseindeed to find Wylla asleep in the furs.At least the hair spread out over the furs was the color of Wylla's, and the shapely bare arm thattrailed off onto the floor of the tent was that of a woman as young and comely.Conan removed his bootsand crept on hands and knees to the furs.Kneeling, he gripped the furs with one hand and poised theother over the arm.Then he snatched the furs away.The morning light proved what he had suspected.Wylla lay there,as bare as a newborn babe and much more pleasing to look at.She also lay so deeply asleep that Conanrealized other measures than removing the furs might be called for.He bent over, ready to kiss her.Her arms took on a life of their own, leaping up to twine round his neck.She embraced him sotightly that she lifted herself clear of the furs, pressing her whole length against him.Conan felt everycurve, and the heat of her blood flowed into his.Wylla began to croon softly as Conan returned her embrace.Conan knew a moment's unease at thesinging, but he soon passed beyond caring about such matters.Wylla saw to that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]