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

СTheyТve grown so bold?Т
СThey have. They camp on my borders, and IТve seen some of your folk among them, too, rebels all and gone off to follow Alshandra.Т
Evandar turned his head and spat on the ground.
СThen IТd recommend, younger brother, that you ride your borders as carefully as I ride mine.Т
СHow can I when the lands sicken and pale?Т
Evandar ignored the question. When he snapped his fingers, the bone whistle appeared, clasped in his hand, The fox warrior started to lunge forward, then pulled himself and his horse under control.
СThe loss of a woman is a painful thing,Т Evandar said. СHere.Т
When he tossed the whistle over, his brother snatched it from the air, then jerked his horseТs head round and spurred it hard. As he galloped off toward the sunrise, the Dark Court howled and screeched, then spurred their own mounts to ride after him, until out of the retreating army it seemed that a vast storm rose up and raged, charging toward the horizon like a living thing. Just as suddenly it collapsed in a swirl and scatter of brown dust. The plain stretched empty and silent.
СI worry, my love,Т Dallandra said. СWhy do those rebels want that whistle so badly?Т
СProbably for the same reason they made the wretched thing in the first place, rather than some new mischief ЕТ
Evandar turned his horse and jogged back to the waiting Host, leaving her no choice but to follow and to hope that he was right about the whistle. There were dweomer workers who could pick up visions and the astral equivalent of scents from objects that a person had handled for a long time. She didnТt want such on RhodryТs trail to work him harm.
СThe border lies secure!Т Evandar called out. СLet us return, and as a reward IТll raise the golden pavilion. Feasting and dancing, my friends! ThereТll be feasting and dancing.Т
Although the Bright Court roared its approval, Dallandra was troubled. SheТd never seen him reward them before, and she suddenly wondered if he were trying to buy their wavering loyalty. As they returned home, she noticed again that the lands along their route seemed solid and renewed, as if he were pouring energy into them as they rode through. When they reached the meadow by the riverbank, they found the trees growing green and tall, with wild roses and daffodils sprinkled in the grass. The host cheered, howling out EvandarТs name over and over. He raised a hand in acknowledgement, but said nothing. They fell silent and dismounted, leading their horses away and disappearing as they reached the river, only to reappear without their mounts. Evandar sat on horseback and watched them unsmiling.
СWhatТs wrong?Т Dallandra said. СSomewhat is.Т
СOh, I was merely wondering,Т Evandar bpoke so softly that only she could hear him, Сif IТve done a weak thing and thus a wrong thing. By giving my brother the whistle, I mean.Т
СIt seems to me that you did a noble thing, helping him rescue his woman.Т
СTrue, in your mind and the minds of men and elves, and even in my own mind, that was a noble thing. But in his mind? ItТs likely that in his mind that it was a sign of weakness and naught more. Well, whatТs done is done, even here in my country.Т
Much later, when it was far too late to turn ill into good, she was to remember this conversation and to realize that, indeed, EvandarТs profound mistrust of his brother had been justified.
While Dallandra was riding with the Bright Court, Jill had shut herself up in her chamber and devoted herself to scrying and meditation in a kind of border ride of her own. Occasionally a frightened page had knocked on the door to deliver food and water and take away leavings, but no one else had dared come near. Since despite its great power the dweomcr has strict limits, Jill was working under considerable disadvantages. If she had ever seen these magical enemies in the flesh, she could have scried them out, or if theyТd been nearby she could have scouted them on the etheric plane in her body of light. As it was, of course, she didnТt even know their names, and they were apparently staying away from Cengarn, judging from the utter lack of any evidence of their presence.
When Jill travelled on the etheric, she used not the elaborate hawk form, but a simple, stylized version of her own body modelled out of the bluish etherie substance and joined to her physical body by a silver cord, navel to navel, along which energy passed back and forth to sustain both her flesh and her consciousness. Although this creation wasnТt alive in any sense, it did serve as a vehicle for her consciousness and for her true etheric double, such as every person possesses. Unfortunately, this process has its own limits, particularly in the distance away from the body that a dweomermaster can safely travel. Without a constant influx of new energy, the body of light, as this thought form is called, tends to start breaking up, leaving the etheric double naked and vulnerable, at the mercy of the winds and currents of pure force that flow constantly through the higher planes. Damage to the etheric double can kill a person, even a great master of dweomer. Any damage to the silver cord will kill the person instantly, by snapping the major link between the flesh and the upper levels of consciousness.
So Jill was forced to stay fairly close to Cengarn on her night hunts. She could travel farther in this form than she could as the hawk, but not truly far enough for her tastes - some hundred miles in any one direction, a good five days ride for a raiding party, and a fair warning, certainly, compared to none at all, provided of course that sheТd ehosen the right direction in the first place. But always she was mindful that any new lot of raiders would have dweomer with them, powerful dweomer, no doubt, from a system alien to her. She simply didnТt know what this other mazrak might or might not be able to do, though she doubted that the ability to hide an entire army would be among his or her powers.
At about the same time that Dallandra and Evandar were returning to the riverbank - though in their world only a few hours had passed - Jill decided that four days of futile effort were enough. First she had the pages bring up hot water for a bath, so she could change her clothes and make herself presentable; then she went down into the great hall to confer with Gwerbret Cadmar. As she was leaving the side broch, she saw Jahdo watching the kitchen boys kick a leather ball back and forth over the cobbles. When she hailed him, Jahdo came over, but she could see how frightened of her he was.
СHow come youТre not joining in the game?Т she said.
СThey wonТt let me. Alli wonТt let them let me.Т
СOh. He is a little snot, isnТt he?Т
Jahdo merely shrugged, misery graved on his face.
СIТll have a word with the lad, if youТd like.Т
СWell, my thanks, my lady, but thatТll only make it worse. Rhodry says I should call you my lady, by the way. Be that right?Т
СIt is, though I doubt if our arrogant Allonry considers me one.Т
СI donТt suppose you could turn Alli into a frog, could you? Just for a little while, like?Т
Jill laughed.
СIТm afraid I canТt, Jahdo lad, though IТll admit that the sight of him hopping round would bring us all a good laugh. But here, other than our puffed-up lordling, have you and Meer been well treated? ItТs important to me, you know, and I left orders to that effect.Т
СWe have, truly.Т
СGood. Run an errand for me, will you? Go find Rhodry for me, and tell him IТve come down from the tower.Т
СI will.Т Jahdo brightened up considerably. СYou know, I did hate him when he captured us, but now I kind of like Rhodry. He canТt have done anything that dishonourable. Just because he be a silver dagger, I mean.Т
СWell, actually he didnТt, but I donТt dare tell you more. HeТd be in a temper over it, if I did.Т
СOh well, now, I wouldnТt want that.Т
Jahdo trotted off on his errand, and Jill went inside the great hall. At the dragon hearth of honour the gwerbret was sitting with his lords, while nearby the bard and Meer sat together, a harp between them, and discussed how it was played in low voices, so as not to disturb the noble-born. Jill was honestly surprised at how easily the Gel daТThae and his boy had fitted into the life of the dun - until she remembered that theyТd had days to do so, while sheТd been shut up working. She still didnТt want Meer going into the town, though, where the citizens would have no way of knowing that he was under the gwerbretТs direct protection, and she made a mental note to tell him to stay away from it. At her approach the gwerbret rose, calling for a chair, and Matyc and Gwinardd inclined their heads in her direction. Jill made an impersonal bow all round,
СYour Grace, IТve come to tell you that as far as I can tell, CengarnТs in no immediate danger. But I canТt swear to you that the raiders wonТt return and soon. I believe that they have good reason to make another strike upon us.Т
СIndeed?Т Cadmar said. СI see. Well, thatТs grim news.Т
СYour Grace?Т Gwinardd broke in. СYou know that my men and me are at your disposal for as long as you need us.Т
СAnd mine too, of course,Т Matyc said, much more slowly.
СBut youТve got a few affairs of your own that could use a little tending, eh?Т Cadmar smiled. СAnd the same goes for you, too, Gwinardd, IТm sure. You both have rny leave to return to your own lands if itТs needful, just so long as you return if our enemies do.Т
СI donТt know if it is or not, to be honest, Your Grace,Т Matyc said. СIТll send a messenger to my lady straightaway, by your leave.Т
СOf course. We all need to discuss this matter at some length, once youТve heard from your wives and stewards.Т
Matyc and Gwinardd rose, bowed all round, and strode off. Cadmar watched them go, then turned JillТs way with a questioning eyebrovv raised. It was time, she realized, for honesty, but although she was perfectly willing to tell the gwerbret everything she knew, she wondered how much he would understand. A version of the truth would be, no doubt, truer than the truth itself, and she had one ready.
СYour Grace,Т she said. СLet me put the matter simply. Someone is trying to kill Carra in order to kill DarТs unborn child and heir. They had faulty information about her whereabouts and sent that raiding party into your territory too soon. I doubt me if they know what she looks like, either.Т
СAnd so they killed every pregnant woman they found.Т Cadmar looked physically sick for a moment. СOur prince has some ruthless enemies, IТd say. More like demons than men.Т
СWell, theyТre not truly human nor elven, either.Т Jill considered for a moment, then decided to let him continue to think of the prince as the enemyТs target. "If they can kill him, you see, his clan will be dead. HeТs the last heir to any of the seven thrones of the far west, so that makes him the only heir to all of them, well, such as they are.Т
Cadmar smiled in a brief and painful way.