"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 02 - Darkspell" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

Otho snorted in profound disbelief.

тАШItтАЩs true,тАЩ Jill broke in. тАШDa even pledged him to the silver dagger.тАЩ
 тАШIndeed?тАЩ The smith still looked suspicious, but he let the matter drop. тАШWhat brings you to me, lad?
Have some battle-loot to sell?тАЩ

тАШI donтАЩt. IтАЩve come about my silver dagger.тАЩ

тАШWhat have you done, nicked it or suchlike? I donтАЩt see how any man could bruise that metal.тАЩ

тАШHe wants the dweomer taken off it,тАЩ Jill said. тАШCan you do that, Otho? Remove the spell on the
blade?тАЩ

The smith turned, openmouthed in surprise.

тАШI know cursed well itтАЩs got one on it,тАЩ she went on. тАШRhoddo, take it out and show him.тАЩ

Reluctantly Rhodry drew the dagger from its worn sheath. It was a lovely thing, that blade, as silky as
silver, but harder than steel, some alloy that only a few smiths knew how to blend. On it was graved the
device of a striking falcon (CullynтАЩs old mark, because the dagger had once belonged to him,) but in
RhodryтАЩs hand the device was almost invisible in a blaze and flare of dweomer-light, running like water
from the blade.

тАШElven blood in your veins, is there?тАЩ Otho snapped. тАШAnd a good bit of it, too.тАЩ

тАШWell, thereтАЩs some.тАЩ Rhodry made the admission unwillingly. тАШI hail from the west, you see, and that
old proverb about there being elven blood in Eldidd veins is true enough.тАЩ

When Otho grabbed the dagger, the light dimmed to a faint glow.

тАШIтАЩm not letting you in my workshop,тАЩ he announced. тАШYou people all steal. CanтАЩt even help it, I
suppose; itтАЩs probably the way you were raised.тАЩ

тАШBy every god in the Otherlands, IтАЩm not a thief! I was born and raised a Maelwaedd, and itтАЩs not my
cursed fault that thereтАЩs wild blood somewhere in my clanтАЩs quarterings.тАЩ

тАШHah! IтАЩm still not letting you into my workshop.тАЩ He turned and pointedly spoke only to Jill. тАШItтАЩs a
hard thing youтАЩre asking, lass. I donтАЩt have true dweomer. This spell is the only one I can weave, and I
donтАЩt even understand what IтАЩm doing. ItтАЩs just somewhat that we pass down from father to son, those of
us who know it at all, that is.тАЩ

тАШI was afraid of that,тАЩ she said with a sigh. тАШBut weтАЩVe got to do somewhat about it. He canтАЩt use it at
table when it turns dweomer every time he draws it.тАЩ

Otho considered, chewing on his lower lip.

тАШWell, if this were an ordinary dagger, IтАЩd just trade you a new one without the spell, but since it was
CullynтАЩs and all, IтАЩll try to unweave the dweomer. Maybe working it all backward will blunt the spell. But
itтАЩs going to cost you dear. ThereтАЩs a risk in meddling with things like this.тАЩ