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

Changing into his clothes brought her a scatter of tears - sheтАЩd been fond of Avoic, who was only
fourteen - but there was no time for mourning. She belted on his second-best sword and an old dagger.
Although she was far from being a trained warrior, her brothers had taught her how to handle a sword,
simply because in those days one never knew when a woman would have to swing one in her own
defense. Finally she unclasped her long blond hair and cut it off short with the dagger. At night she would
look enough like a man to give any lone marauder pause about attacking her party on the road.

Since they had over thirty miles to go to reach safety, Gweniver bullied the other women into riding
fast, trotting, and occasionally galloping in short bursts. Every now and then, she would turn in her saddle
and scan the road for the dust cloud that would mean death chasing them. Shortly after sunset, the full
moon rose to shed her holy light to guide them. By then, her mother was swaying in the saddle with
exhaustion. Gweniver saw a copse of alders off to one side of the road and led the others there for a
brief rest. Dolyan and Mab had to be helped down from their saddles.

Gweniver walked back to the road to stand guard. Far away on the horizon, in the direction from
which theyтАЩd come, a golden glow flared like the rising of a tiny moon. It was most likely the dun burning.
She drew her sword and clutched the hilt while she stared unthinking at the glare. Suddenly she heard
hoofbeats and saw a rider galloping down the road. Behind her in the copse the horses nickered a
greeting, unknowing traitors.

тАШMount!тАЩ she screamed. тАШGet ready to ride!тАЩ

The rider pulled up, then dismounted and drew his sword. As he strode toward her, she saw his
bronze cloak pin glittering in the moonlight: a Boarsman.

тАШAnd who are you, lad?тАЩ he said.

Gweniver dropped to a fighting crouch.

тАШA page of the Wolf from your silence. And what are you guarding so faithfully? I hate to kill a slip of
a lad like you, but orders are orders, so come now, turn the ladies over to me.тАЩ

In utter desperation Gweniver lunged and struck. Taken offguard, the Boarsman slipped, his sword
swinging up wildly. She cut again and sliced him hard on one side of his neck, then struck back on the
other, just as her older brother Benoic had taught her. With a moan of disbelief, the Boarsman buckled to
his knees and died at her feet. Gweniver nearly vomited. In the moonlight the sword blade was dark wet
with blood, not shiny clean like in the practice sessions. Her motherтАЩs shriek of terror brought her back to
her senses. She ran for the Boars-manтАЩs horse, grabbed the reins just as it was about to bolt, then led it
back to the copse.

тАШThat ever it would come to this!тАЩ Mab sobbed. тАЬThat a lass I tended would be forced to turn warrior
on the roads! Oh holy gods all, when will you have mercy on the kingdom?тАЩ

тАШWhen it suits them and not a minute before,тАЩ Gweniver said. тАШNow get on those horses! WeтАЩve got
to get out of here.тАЩ

Deep in the middle of the night, they reached the Temple of the Moon, which sat at the top of a hill
with a good stone wall around its compound. Along with his friends and vassals, GweniverтАЩs father had
given the coin to build the wall, a far-sighted generosity on his part that was now saving his wife and
daughters. If any battle-drunk warrior were insane enough to break geis and risk the GoddessтАЩs wrath by