"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 01 - Daggerspell" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

Jill ran to Cullyn and threw herself into his arms. He picked her up, holding her tightly. He smelled of
sweat and horses, the comforting familiar scent of her beloved da.

тАЬMy poor little lass!тАЭ Cullyn said. тАЬBy the hells, what a rotten father youтАЩve got!тАЭ

Jill was crying too hard to say anything. Cullyn carried her into the tavern and sat down with her in his
lap at a table near the door. The men at the far table set down their tankards and looked at him with
cold, hard eyes.

тАЬYou know what, Da?тАЭ Jill sniveled out. тАЬThe last thing Mama said was your name.тАЭ

Cullyn tossed his head back and keened, a long, low howl of mourning. Hovering nearby, Macyn
risked patting his shoulder.

тАЬHere, lad,тАЭ Macyn said. тАЬHere, now.тАЭ

Cullyn kept keening, one long moan after another, even though Macyn kept patting his shoulder and
saying тАЬhere nowтАЭ in a helpless voice. The other men walked over, and Jill hated their tight little smiles, as
if they were taunting her da for his grief. All at once, Cullyn realized that they were there. He slipped Jill
off his lap, and as he stood up, his sword leapt into his hand as if by dweomer.
 тАЬAnd why shouldnтАЩt I mourn her?тАЭ Cullyn yelled. тАЬShe was as decent a woman as the Queen herself,
no matter what you pack of dogs thought of her. Is there anyone in this stinking village who wants to say
otherwise to my face?тАЭ

The clot of men faded back, one cautious step at a time.

тАЬNone of you are even fit to be killed to pour blood on her grave,тАЭ Cullyn said. тАЬAdmit it.тАЭ

All the men muttered, тАЬWe arenтАЩt, truly.тАЭ Cullyn took one step forward, the sword glittering in the
sunlight from the door.

тАЬWell and good,тАЭ he said. тАЬGo on, scumтАФget back to your drinking.тАЭ

Instead, shoving each other to be the first out the door, the men fled the tavern. Cullyn sheathed the
sword with a slap of the metal into leather. Macyn wiped sweat off his face.

тАЬWell, Macco,тАЭ Cullyn said. тАЬYou and the village can think as low of me as you want, but my Seryan
deserved better than a dishonored piss-poor excuse for a man like me.тАЭ

тАЬEr ah well,тАЭ Macyn said.

тАЬAnd now youтАЩre all IтАЩve got left of her.тАЭ Cullyn turned to Jill. тАЬWeтАЩve got a cursed strange road
ahead of us, my sweet, but weтАЩll manage.тАЭ

тАЬWhat?тАЭ Jill said. тАЬDa, are you going to take me with you?тАЭ

тАЬCursed right. And today.тАЭ

тАЬNow here,тАЭ Macyn broke in. тАЬHadnтАЩt you best wait and think this over? YouтАЩre not yourself right
now, andтАФтАЭ