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

СWhat?Т Rhodry looked up sharply from the bridle he was cleaning. СWhat do you mean?Т
СJahdo. SomewhatТs wrong with him. I wonder if heТs been ensorcelled? I donТt find all the usual evidence, but maybe it was done very cleverly.Т
СDo you think it happened here in the dun?Т
СCouldnТt have. IТd know if someone were working evil dweomer nearby.Т
Out in the warm sun they were sitting in front of the stables, Jill on a bound shook of hay, Rhodry on the cobbles while he cleaned his tack. Although the ward was its usual busy chaos, the various servants and riders walking by all gave the pair of them a wide berth.
СBesides,Т Jill went on. СEvery time I look him in the eye he cringes, while IТve never noticed him do that to anyone else. I think me heТs felt the touch of magic on his soul.Т
СThe ladТs got guts, true enough. I remember the night we captured them. He stood his ground, bold as brass, looking me right in the eye, and when I went to lay a hand on him, he tried to stab me with this miserable little knife, practically a pen-trimming knife, it was. I thought then that heТd make a grand warrior some day, but heТs clumsy. Ye gods, is he!Т
СOh.Т She paused for a smile. Think heТll outgrow it?Т
СSome lads do, truly, but somehow I doubt it in this case.Т
СWell, maybe the gods have other plans for our Jahdo.Т
СWhat?Т He looked up again to find her solemn. СThinking of making him your apprentice?Т
СOh, not truly, not now that I say it aloud. He seems a stolid sort of lad, all common sense and suchlike. But you know, itТs getting on to be time I thought of finding someone.Т
Rhodry winced and concentrated on drawing a rag through a bronze bridle ring to wipe away the green.
СWell,Т Jill said in a moment. СI know you donТt like to think of my dying, but IТve not got over that fever I picked up in Bardek, and itТs not likely that I ever will. Rhoddo, weТre both well on in years, even if you do look but half your age.Т
The tarnish lay thick on the inside of the ring. He scrubbed hard.
СOh very well, IТll hold my tongue.Т
СCurse it, Jill!Т He let the bridle fall into his lap. СHow do you expect me to feel when you turn all morbid like that?Т
СIs it truly morbid?Т
СWell, I suppose not, because youТre right enough that weТre a good bit older than the people we know would think, but -Т He hesitated. СItТs not my own death I mind. You know that. It would be losing you.Т
СMy thanks. Huh - so IТm morbid, am I? IТm not the one whoТs half in love with my own death, like some as I could mention.Т
He shrugged and ignored her. In a moment she laughed, just softly and in defeat.
СTell me somewhat,Т she said. СWhen did you meet Dallandra?Т
Worse and worse. He rose, sweeping up the bridle.
СA long time ago, the year I took Yraen on as an apprentice. It was over that silly matter of the bone whistle.Т
СThe what?Т
СOh come now, surely youТve heard that tale.Т
СI havenТt. Will you sit down and tell it to me? What you and Dalla may have done together is no business of mine.Т
He felt his face burning, but he sat.
СHow did you know? Did she tell you?Т
СNot at all, but I felt her mind skip the same way yours just did. What bone whistle?Т
Rhodry picked up the rag again and started in on the buckles on the chcckpiece.
СCome to think of it, you should hear this,Т he said. СUh, youТre sure youТre not jealous?Т
СItТs been how many years since we rode together? A long long time, for certain. Of course IТm not jealous. Why? Is your vanity hurt because IТm not?Т
He growled under his breath.
СAh, it is.Т She sounded amused. СBut what about ЧТ
СThe whistle, truly. It was a thing Evandar left with me by accident one Samaen day, you see, and sent Dalla to fetch back. It was made of bone, and it looked like a human or elven finger, but it was far too long for that. It had a cursed sour sound to it, I tell you. And all these peculiar creatures came prowling round to steal it. A thing that looked like a man but with a badgerТs head tried to murder me for it, so I killed our snouted friend and gave Evandar the wretched whistle back when he came for it himself.Т He paused, frowning at the buckle. СWell, thereТs a few more twists to the tale than that, but I donТt truly remember them well.Т
СYe gods!Т JillТs voice hissed in surprise. СAnd you never told me?Т
СAnd when have I had the chance? I donТt see you for years and years, and all at once, you pop up. Not much more than a fortnight ago, was it? And what do you do then? You send me haring off round the countryside, battling raiders and capturing mysterious bards and suchlike.Т
СWell, true spoken, but Rhoddo, please, after this, tell me straightaway if anything happens that smells of dweomer. I donТt care how small or strange it is. Tell me.Т
СI will then, and gladly. IТll pass the message along to Yraen, too.Т
СDo that, and my thanks.Т Jill thought for a moment. СHow big was this whistle?Т
СOh, let me think.Т He laid the bridle down and held up his hands about a foot apart. СAbout so long. Or maybe a little shorter. Much too long to be the finger-bone it looked, at any rate. And someone had cut a couple of holes in it, to make a few sour notes.Т
СIndeed? Huh, I wonder. It looked like a finger-bone, did it? It could be. It just could be.Т
СCould be what?Т
СIТll tell you when I know. IТve got to be sure first.Т
СYouТre as full of riddles these days as Evandar.Т
СI begin to have more sympathy for him, truly.Т She smiled, but only briefly. СDo you remember when you first rode into Cengarn, and we had a talk out in the barracks here? I told you that Alshandra had sworn to kill CarraТs child?Т
СI do remember it, indeed. IТve been wondering if thatТs why the raiders-Т
СYouТre right, I think, but shush a moment.Т
Rhodry glanced round, then made a show of reaching behind him for another rag. Sure enough, Lord Matyc was standing some yards away, perhaps out of earshot, perhaps not. Rhodry scrambled to his feet and made the lordship a bow.