"Kerr, Katharine - Dragon Mage 03 - Fire Dragon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dragon Stories)

THE FIRE DRAGON

BOOK THREE OF THE DRAGON MAGE



KATHARINE KERR



A NOTE ON THE DEVERRY SEQUENCE

It occurs to me that readers might find it helpful to know something about the overall structure of the Deverry series. From the beginning of this rather large enterprise, I have had an actual ending in mind, a set of events that should wrap up all the books in a dramatic conclusion. ItТs merely taken me much longer to get there than I ever thought it would.
If you think of Deverry as a stage play, the sets of books make up its acts. Act One consists of the Deverry. books proper, that is, Daggerspell, Darkspell, Dawnspell, and Dragonspell. The СWestlandsТ books, A Time of Exile, A Time of Omens, A Time of War, and A Time of Justice, make up Act Two, while Act Three will unfold in the current quartet, The Dragon Mage,Т that is, The Red Wyvern, The Black Raven, and its СsisterТ, The Fire Dragon. The Gold Falcon will bring the sequence to its end at last.
As for the way that the series alternates between past and present lives, think of the structure of a line of Celtic interlace, some examples of which have decorated the various books in this set. Although each knot appears to be a separate figure, when you look closely you can see that they are actually formed from one continuous line. Similarly, this line weaves over and under itself to form the figures. A small section of line seems to run over or under another line to form a knot.
The past incarnations of the characters in this book and their present tense story really are one continuous line, but this line interweaves to form the individual volumes. Eventually - soon, I hope - the pattern will complete itself, and you will be able to see that the set of books forms a circle of knots.
Katharine Kerr


PART ONE
Deverry Spring, 850

The year 850. The gods saw fit to give our prince the victory, but never had we dreamt how high a price they would set for it.
The Holy Chronicles of Lughcarn

Sunlight streamed into the tower room and pooled on the wooden floor. Grey gnomes with spindle legs and warty faces materialized in the warmth and lolled like cats. Despite his great age, Nevyn felt tempted to join them. He sat in the chamberТs only chair and considered his apprentice, who was sitting cross-legged among the gnomes. She turned her face up to the sun and ran one hand through her blond hair, which fell to her shoulders in a ragged wave.
СSpringТs truly here,Т Lilli said. СIТm so glad of it, and yet I dread summer. You must, too.Т
СI do,Т Nevyn said. СIt wonТt be long now before the army rides out, and the gods only know what the battles will bring.Т
СJust so. All I can do is pray that Branoic rides home safely.Т
СYouТve grown truly fond of Branoic, havenТt you?Т
СI have. The prince doesnТt like it much.Т Lilli opened her eyes and turned to look up at him. You donТt think heТd do anything dishonourable, would you?Т
СPrince Maryn, you mean? What sort of dishonour -
СLetting Branno be killed in battle. Putting him in harmТs way somehow. It sounds so horrid when I say it aloud. I canТt imagine Maryn doing such a thing, truly. IТm just frightened, I suppose, and itТs colouring my fancies.Т
СNo doubt.Т Nevyn hesitated, wondering if her fear were only fancy or some half-seen omen. As apprentices so often did, she picked up his thought,
СIТve been meaning to ask you somewhat,Т Lilli went on. СYou know how the omens used to come to me? IТd be sewing or thinking of some ordinary thing, and then all of a sudden the words would come bursting out of my mouth?Т
СI remember it well.Т
СIt doesnТt happen any more.Т
СGood.Т Nevyn smiled at her. СItТs a common thing, that a person marked for the dweomer will have some wild gift, but when she starts a proper course of study, she loses the knack. Later, once you truly understand what youТre doing, the gift Хwill return to you.Т
СI see. To tell you the truth, IТm just as glad. IТd be terrified if I could see - well, you know - someoneТs death.Т
СJust so.Т Nevyn hesitated, thinking. It was likely that if grave harm befell either the prince or her betrothed, she would know, no matter how far away she was. He decided that worrying her the more would serve no purpose and changed the subject. СI need to be on my way. The prince is holding a council - at noon, he said, so I suppose IТd better get myself there. He stood up, stretching his arms above his head. СYou may finish the lesson I set you from the dweomer book.
СThose awful lists?Т
СI realize that the memory work is tedious.Т Nevyn arranged a mock-fierce expression. СBut those calls and invocations will come in handy some fine day. Learn that first page for today.Т
СI do understand. IТve got part of them off by heart already.
СSplendid. Keep at it. But if you finish before I get back, thereТs no need for you to stay shut up inside. The more sun you get, the better.Т
Nevyn hurried down the stone stairs, which still exuded a wintry chill, and walked out to the sunlight and the main ward of Dun Deverry and the looming towers of the dun itself. Not even the bright spring day could turn the smoke-blackened stone cheerful. The fortress spread out over the top of a hill, bound by six high stone walls, lying at intervals down the hill like chains upon the earth. Tall towers, squat brochs, wooden sheds, long barracks and stables - they sprawled in a plan turned random by hundreds of years of decay, the fires of war, and the disasters of siege, followed by what new building and fortifying the kings had been able to afford. In among the buildings lay cobbled wards and plain dirt yards, cut up by stone walls, some isolated, all confusing.
In the centre of this tangle, however, lay a proper ward, and in its centre rose the tidy cluster of brochs and towers that housed the prince, his family, his personal guards, and the many officials and servants that made up his court. Against the black stone bright banners displayed a red wyvern on a cream ground, lifting and trembling in the breeze. As Nevyn was crossing this ward, he saw Princess Bellyra just leaving the main broch tower. With two pages and one of her husband s bards in attendance, she was heading for the door of one of the side buildings. Dressed in blue linen, she walked slowly, her hands resting on her belly, heavy with her third child. Her honey-coloured hair was bound up in a scarf stiff with embroidery, as. befitted a married woman of her rank.
СNevyn! she called out. СAre you off to the high council?Т
СI am, your highness. Why are you going inside in this lovely weather?