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

тАЬBy all the ice in all the hells!тАЭ Cullyn spun around, his hand on his sword hilt. тАЬIтАЩm as much myself as
1 need to be!тАЭ

тАЬAh well.тАЭ Macyn stepped back. тАЬSo you are.тАЭ

тАЬGet your clothes, Jill. WeтАЩll go see your motherтАЩs grave, and then weтАЩll be on our way. I never want
to see this stinking village again.тАЭ

Pleased and terrified all at the same time, Jill ran to the chamber and began bundling the few things she
owned up into a blanket. She could hear Macyn trying to talk to Cullyn and Cullyn snarling right back at
him. She risked calling out softly to the Wildfolk. The gray gnome materialized in midair and floated to the
straw-strewn floor.

тАЬDaтАЩs taking me away,тАЭ Jill whispered. тАЬDo you want to come? If you do, youтАЩd better follow us or
get on his horse.тАЭ

When the gnome vanished, Jill wondered if sheтАЩd ever see him again.

тАЬJill!тАЭ Cullyn yelled. тАЬStop talking to yourself and get out here!тАЭ

Jill grabbed her bundle and ran out of the tavern. Cullyn shoved her things into the bedroll tied behind
his saddle, then lifted her up on top of it. When he mounted, Jill slipped her arms around his waist and
rested her face against his broad back. His shirt was stained all over in a pattern of blurry rings, rust
marks made by his sweating inside his chain mail. His shirts always looked like that.

тАЬWell,тАЭ Macyn said. тАЬFarewell, Jill.тАЭ

тАЬFarewell.тАЭ All at once she wanted to cry. тАЬAnd my thanks for being so good to me.тАЭ

Macyn waved, somewhat teary-eyed. Jill turned on her uneasy perch to wave back as they started
downhill.

On the downhill side of the village stood the holy oaks, sacred to Bel, god of the sun and the king of
all the gods. Scattered among them were the village burials. Although Seryan had no stone to mark her
grave as the richer people did, Jill knew that she would never forget where it lay. As soon as she led her
father there, Cullyn began to keen, throwing himself down full-length on it, as if he were trying to hold his
beloved through the earth. Jill was terrified until at last, he fell silent and sat up, тАЬI brought your mama a
present this trip,тАЭ Cullyn said. тАЬAnd by the gods, sheтАЩs going to have it.тАЭ

Cullyn pulled his silver dagger and cut out a piece of sod, then dug down like a badger to make a
shallow hole. He took a gold bracelet out of his shirt and held it up for Jill to see: a thin rod of pure gold,
twisted round and round to look like rope. He put it into the hole, smoothed the dirt down, then put the
chunk of sod back.

тАЬFarewell, my love,тАЭ he whispered. тАЬFor all my wandering, I never loved a woman but you, and I
pray to every god you believed me when I told you that.тАЭ He stood up and wiped the dagger blade clean
on the side of his brigga. тАЬThatтАЩs all the mourning youтАЩll ever see me do, Jill, but remember how I loved
your mother.тАЭ