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

mirth that she couldnтАЩt suppress. тАШCome with me, and then weтАЩll see about the blessing.тАЩ

Gweniver turned on her heel and strode through the trees. Although she heard them following, Draudd
protesting in whispers, she never looked back until she reached the camp. When Ricyn saw the men
following her, he called out and ran forward, his sword in hand.

тАШThereтАЩs naught amiss,тАЩ Gweniver said. тАШI may have found us a pair of recruits.тАЩ

The men all looked at each other for a stunned moment.

тАШDraudd! Abryn!тАЩ Ricyn burst out. тАШWhat by the name of all the gods has happened to you? WhereтАЩs
the rest of the warband?тАЩ

Only then did Gweniver notice the barely visible blazons on their muddy shirts: Stags.

тАШDead,тАЩ Abryn said, his voice cold and flat. тАШAnd Lord Maer with them. A cursed big band of
Cantrae riders struck us hard some five days ago. The dunтАЩs razed, and cursed if I know whatтАЩs
happened to our lordтАЩs lady, and the children, too.тАЩ

тАШWe were trying to get to the Wolf, you see,тАЩ Draudd broke in. He paused for a bitter, twisted smile.
тАШI take it that it wouldnтАЩt have done us one cursed jot of good.тАЩ

тАШNone,тАЩ Gweniver said. тАШOur dunтАЩs razed, too. Here, are you hungry? WeтАЩve got food.тАЩ

While Abryn and Draudd wolfed down hardtack and cheese as if it were a feast, they told their story
between mouthfuls. Some hundred and fifty of the false kingтАЩs own men fell upon the Stag just as they
were leaving their dun to start for Cerrmor. Just as Avoic had done, Lord Maer ordered his men to
scatter, but Abryn and Draudd had both had their horses killed as they tried to fight free. The Cantrae
men hadnтАЩt pursued them; theyтАЩd headed straight for the dun and swept in without warning before the
gates could be shut.

тАШOr so they must of,тАЩ Abryn finished up. тАШIt was taken, anyway, when we made our way back there.тАЩ

Gweniver and her men nodded solemnly.

тАШWell,тАЩ she said at last. тАШIt sounds to me like theyтАЩd planned this raid in conjunction with the one on us.
I can see what the piss-poor little weasels have in mind: isolating the Wolf lands so itтАЩll be easier for the
cursed Boars to keep them.тАЩ

тАШItтАЩs going to be hard for the swine to take the Stag lands,тАЩ Abryn said. тАШLord MaerтАЩs got two
brothers in the KingтАЩs service.тАЩ

тАШNo doubt they wonтАЩt risk trying to hold your clanтАЩs lands,тАЩ Gweniver said. тАШTheyтАЩre too far south.
But by razing the dun and killing your lord, theyтАЩve taken our closest ally away. Now theyтАЩll try to
establish a strong point on the Wolf demesne and nibble at the Stag later.тАЩ

тАШTrue spoken.тАЩ Abryn looked at her in sincere admiration. тАШMy lady understands matters of war, sure
enough.тАЩ

тАШAnd when have I ever known anything else but this war? Now here, weтАЩve got extra horses. Join up