"Kerr, Katharine - Westlands 02 - A Time Of War v1.1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dragon Stories)

СLay it off, lad. Do you understand me?Т He let Draudd go with a thrust of his wrist that sent the lad reeling, СDo you?Т
СI do, and I will, then.Т He hesitated, rubbing his throat with one hand, then swung himself free of the bench. СIТll just go have a word with the captain, like.Т
Rhodry realized that a clot of men were hovering in the door and watching. He ignored them and picked up his tankard again. When he checked a few moments later, he found them gone.
Soon after, Jill appeared at the far side of the great hall and hurried up to the gwerbretТs table, where Cadmar himself rose to greet her, insisting she take the place of honour at his right hand. Although he was too far away to hear their talk, Rhodry could guess that the gwerbret was trying to winkle information out of her - never the easiest task in the world. Rhodry suspected that she knew a great deal more than she was saying about this mysterious bard from so far away. In a few minutes the gwerbretТs other vassal in residence, Lord Gwinardd, joined the honour table, a young man, brown-haired and bland, his title newly inherited, sitting diffidently at the far end from his overlord and not saying a word.
As the afternoon drowsed on, Rhodry started keeping a watch for Lord Matyc, who would be expected to join the other noble-born men for the evening meal if not before, but lie had a long wait before Matyc finally strode in. Right behind him came Yraen. Rhodry allowed himself a small smile as the two parted company, Matyc to greet his overlord, Yraen to stroll down and join Rhodry.
СAnd where have you been?Т Rhodry said.
СKeeping an eye on his lordship. What do you think? I caught him showing a bit too much interest in those prisoners for my taste, so I stood on guard for a while. When he kept hovering round, I distracted him, like, with talk of horses, and manoeuvred him into taking a look at the gwcrbrctТs new marc and suchlike.Т
СAnd how did our lordship take that?Т
СBadly.Т Yraen shrugged. СLet him. I donТt like the look of the man. Somewhat about him turns my gut.Т
СMine, too. IТll try to get a word with Jill, and as soon as I can. I wouldnТt mind having our prisoners moved to some fresh place, and that without our lordship knowing.Т
Round sunset the jailor brought Jahdo and Meer a fresh loaf of bread, more water, chunks of cheese, stiff with rind but not bad tasting and plenty of it, and a couple of fresh peaches, which, he said, came by RhodryТs direct order. Although he was glad of the food, thinking that they were dependent on the good will of the man whoТd killed MeerТs brother and then captured them made Jahdo profoundly uneasy.
СI do feel that we shouldnТt eat it,Т he said to Meer.
СSlaves take what they can get, lad.Т
СI know that, but then it really creeps my flesh, thinking what will happen to us if RhodryТs killed or suchlike. How will someone else treat us?Т
СSlaves live one day at a time, as well.Т
While they ate, sitting in the straw, Jahdo looked up and out the barred window on the opposite wall- Outside the sky, streaked here and there with gold clouds, was darkening to a velvet blue. He could hear voices passing, harried servants, laughing men, the occasional bark of a dog or whinny of a horse. When he was done, he walked over to the window and found below it on the wall a couple of uneven stone blocks. By stepping on them and grabbing the window bars to hoist himself up, he could look out to a view of two storage sheds, the pigsty and, in the distance, the massive outer walls of the dun, all of which he described to Meer, mostly to pass the time.
СAnd then round the top of the dun thereТs these wooden catwalks, like we have back home, for the militia to walk round on and guard things. These are kind of broken in places, though, like they havenТt been kept up right. Maybe they donТt have a lot of wars here or suchlike.Т
СThis dun seems to be the strong point of the entire area and not very likely to be attacked. I wonder what a gwcrbret is? The lord of this place, obviously, but IТve never heard the word before.Т
СNeither have I.Т
Meer considered the problem for a moment, then felt for his staff, lying near him in the straw.
СDo you need the bucket?Т Jahdo said.
СI donТt. Help me to stand, lad.Т
When Jahdo did so, Meer tapped his way to the door and felt for the little window. Once it was found, he put his face close to the bars.
СJailor!Т he roared. СJailor! Come here!Т
He kept it up until the old man appeared, cursing and complaining as he stumped down the hallway. A whiff of sour ale came with him.
СAnd whatТs wrong with you, you hairy cow? Disturbing an honest man at his hard-earned meal, not that IТll be making much of a profit, feeding the likes of you, and that worm-riddled silver dagger giving me orders.Т
СI require the meaning of a word.Т
The jailor stared, his mouth flopping open and silent.
СI am Meer, bard and loremaster,Т Meer bellowed. Tell me what this word, gwerbret, means. Such lore is my due.Т
With a shake the jailor recovered himself.
СOh is it now? Since when do hairy dogs have bards?Т
СYou better watch your tongue!Т Jahdo snapped.
СHush!Т Meer waved him away. СOld man, first you called me a cow, now a dog. In my homeland you would have been publicly strangled for those insults. Here, as a slave, I have no choice but to forgive you. Yet even a slave-bard is a bard still. You will answer me my question, or IТll call down the wrath of the gods.Т
СCall away. IТll not be telling you one wretched thing.Т
As the jailor turned to go, Meer sang a high, piercing note whose harsh texture made Jahdo squirm. Louder and louder he sang, and longer and longer, until the jailor shrieked.
СVery well! Hold your ugly tongue, bard! IТll tell you. I should have known that hairy savages like you would be as ignorant as you are ugly. A gwerbretТs a kind of lord, see, the most powerful lord there is, except for the princes and suchlike of the blood royal. HeТs got vassals what owe him service and pay him dues. And he judges criminals and suchlike, and I hope to every god that when it comes to the judging of you, he hangs you good and proper.Т
This time when the old man hurried off, Meer let him go.
СMay his heart burst within him,Т Meer remarked. СOr better yet, may the gods plug his kidneys so that he dies in a stink of piss. Ah well. At least IТve got my bit of new lore.Т
Jahdo felt a profound relief. Obviously Meer had truly decided to live if heТd go worrying about some funny name. He got the bard settled, then climbed back to his window perch to watch the twilight fading. After a few minutes he saw a familiar figure come striding out of the main broch.
СSomeoneТs coming. It be Rhodry, and heТs got Yraen and a couple of men from the squad with him.Т
When he heard RhodryТs voice in the corridor, and the jailorТs snivelling answers, Jahdo climbed down from his perch and handed the Gel daТThae his staff. Meer rose to his feet just as they lifted the bar and opened the door. Rhodry made them a formal bow, but he was grinning all the while.
СFeel like a stroll in the evening air?Т Rhodry said. The wardТs nice and quiet at the moment, because most everyoneТs still eating. I think we can get you across to the broch safely, if you hurry and if you cause me no trouble. Agreed?Т
СWe donТt have any choice, do we?Т Jahdo said.
Rhodry laughed as hard as if the world were one daft jest.
СNone,Т Rhodry said. СSo march.Т
Jahdo caught MeerТs arm, and they hurried out, striding fast across the ward with the men disposed around them - not that they could hide Meer, tall as he was, of course, Jahdo, however, had trouble seeing through them, although he could just make out the many-towered broch complex, looming against the darkening sky and drawing closer and closer. They ducked suddenly into a doorT which Rhodry slammed behind them, turning wherever they were as dark as pitch.
СCurse you, Rhodry!Т Yraen snarled. СIТm not climbing all those stairs in the dark.Т
СThen get yourself into the great hall and grab us a candle lantern. The servants should be lighting them about now, Draudd, Maen -when Yraen returns, youТre dismissed, but say one word about this, and youТll have me to deal with.Т
СIТve forgotten already.Т Draudd said. СEven though IТm still here.Т
Once Yraen came back with a punched tin lantern, they climbed the staircase by its mottled and flickering light, up and up, round and round, until Meer and Jahdo both were panting for breath. At the landing at the top, Rhodry let them pause among the heaped sacks.