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“You just noticed it?
“This was lying on a stone that was covered with moss. There were even words written on the stone, but I couldn’t make anything out.”
“So you took it?” I asked.
“And why not?” the goblin said with a shrug. “You can see what a beautiful thing it is. Why should something that good go to waste? I’ll be able to sell it.”
“Don’t sell it, Kli-Kli,” I said in a soft, insinuating voice.
“You don’t think I should?” The jester cast another curious glance at his find, then fastened the chain round his neck and hid the silvery, drop-shaped amulet under his cloak. “Miralissa told me the same thing. Are you two in cahoots, then?”
“No, just trust me. Perhaps someday it will save our lives.”
Kli-Kli looked at me seriously. “You’re full of riddles, Dancer in the Shadows.”
“We’re all full of riddles and mysteries, Kli-Kli. I am, and Miralissa is, and you are. It’s true, isn’t it?”
“Uh-huh,” he agreed, then suddenly smiled and said, “So you don’t object to my calling you Dancer?”
“What good do all my objections do? They don’t stop you anyway. Call me whatever you like. In any case now I’m going to do everything I can to retrieve the Horn.”
“And that’s another of the prophecies of the shaman Tre-Tre that has come true,” the goblin said triumphantly. “The Dancer in the Shadows has accepted his new name and decided to go through with things to the end.”
“There you go again, you and your stupid book!” I flared up immediately. “What if somebody else takes the same name?”
“First you find me the idiot who would agree to do it,” Kli-Kli said.
What a pity that the little wretch managed to dodge my hands and avoid a good solid smack!
Early on the twenty-eighth of July, the walls of a city emerged from the morning mist in front of us.
Our group had reached Ra
Moscow 2002
A
Avendoom - the capital of the northern kingdom of Valiostr. The largest and richest city of the Northern Lands.
battery sword - a variety of sword with a midsized blade that can be wielded with either one hand or both.
Beaver Caps or beavers - soldiers of Valiostr, armed with heavy two-handed swords. Each soldier bears the title of “Master of the Long Sword” and wears a beaver-fur cap as an emblem to distinguish him from the soldiers of other units. These forces are used as a reserve striking force, to recover all kinds of difficult situations in battle. During military action the beavers are also accorded the honor of guarding the ba
bidenhander - a two-handed sword with a blade that can be a yard and a half long. They usually are designed with a massive handle, a heavy counterweight that is usually round, and a broad crosspiece. Sometimes the armorers would add massive metal spurs to prevent the blade ru
Border Kingdom or Borderland - the kingdom beside the northern outcrops of the Mountains of the Dwarves and the Forests of Zagraba.
Borg’s link - named after a general of ancient times who invented the chain formation, in which every single soldier plays an indispensable part in repelling an attack.
brother and sister swords - the names of the two swords in the special school of swordsmanship that is widespread among the nobility of Garrak. During combat the weapons are held at different heights in relationship to each other. The “brother,” a narrow, double-sided blade held in the right hand, is used both for slashing and for thrusting. The “sister,” a shorter blade with no cutting edge, is used only for thrusting blows. The weapons are either carried behind the back or in a double scabbard.
Canian forge work - weapons made from the steel mined in the Steel Mines of Isilia. The steel is worked in the famous smithies of the kingdom’s capital, Cania. Following special processing and forging, it acquires a ruby color and a unique quality—on encountering steel of a different type it emits a melodic ringing sound like small bells, or a shriek of fury. For this reason Canian-forged steel is also known as Singing Steel, Shrieking Steel, or Ruby Blood.
Chapel of the Hands - the assembly of the supreme priests of Sagot.
Cold Sea - the northern sea of the Western Ocean. It washes the shores of Valiostr and the Desolate Lands.
Commission - the agreement that is concluded between a master thief and his client. The thief undertakes to supply the item required or, in case of failure, to return the client’s pledge and a percentage of the total value of the deal. The client undertakes to make payment in full on receiving the article in which he is interested. A Commission can only be abrogated by the mutual consent of both parties.
Crayfish Dukedom - the only state in the Desolate Lands.
crayfish grip (coll.) - a grip from which it is impossible to escape. The expression derives from the common saying that the men of the Crayfish Dukedom have a strong grip, and once they take you prisoner, you will never get away alive.
crayfish sleigh - in the Crayfish Dukedom, men who had been executed were transported to their graves on sleighs. Hence the meaning of this phrase—if the crayfish sleigh has come for you, death is at the door.