"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 06 - A Time Of Omens" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

тАЬAnd no doubt heтАЩll be less than pleased to see you? Hum, I see your point, but you know, he may be
dead himself by now. ThereтАЩs been plenty of fighting down Cerrmor way.тАЭ

тАЬTrue spoken.тАЭ The captain looked a good bit more cheerful. тАЬLetтАЩs pray so, huh? Naught I can do
about it now, anyway.тАЭ



For five days the silver daggers rode wet and slept that way, too, as they picked their way across
Pyrdon, keeping to the country lanes and wild trails and avoiding the main-traveled roads. Although the
mercenaries grumbled in the steady stream of foul oaths typical of men at arms, they stayed healthy
enough, but Nevyn began to feel the damp badly. At times he needed help to stand in the mornings, and
he could hear his joints pop and complain every time he mounted his horse. Even his dweomer-induced
vitality had its natural limits. Just when he was thinking of dosing himself with some of his own herbs, the
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storm blew itself out, only to have the weather turn hot and muggy. The midges and flies came out in
force and hovered above the line of march as thick as smoke. Finally, though, just on the next day, they
reached the river that marked the Pyrdon border, and, at its joining with the Aver Trebyc, the only truly
large town in the west.

At that time Dun Trebyc was a far different place from the center of learning and bookcraft that it is
today. Although it was nominally in Cantrae-held territory, and its lord sent some small tribute to
reinforce the fiction, in truth it was a free city and scrupulously neutral, a town where spies from both
sides mingled to the profit of both or neither, depending on how many were lying at any given time. Since
it was also a place where everyone went armed, and mercenaries were common, no one remarked on
the silver daggers when they rode through the gates late on a steamy-hot afternoon. After the slop-muddy
road, the streets were welcome, even though they were paved only with logs instead of cobbles, and the
prospect of a night in an inn more welcome still.

тАЬI only hope we can find a place to ourselves,тАЭ Caradoc remarked to Nevyn. тАЬLast thing we need is a
brawl on our hands, and when you mix two free troops in the same tavern, brawls are about what you
get.тАЭ

Much to NevynтАЩs relief, and doubtless the captainтАЩs, too, they were indeed lucky enough to find an inn
over by the east gate that had just been vacated by another pack of mercenaries. Although the men had
to sleep four and five to each small room, everyone had a place to spread their blankets and a roof over
their heads. As befitted his supposed station as a wealthy merchant, Nevyn had a tiny chamber with a
proper bed all to himself. Branoic carried his gear up for him, and Maryn insisted on coming along with a
bucket of charcoal for the brazier.

тАЬNobodyтАЩs going to believe a pr-prince would c-carry c-coals,тАЭ the lad said. тАЬYe gods, IтАЩll be g-glad
when we reach the harbor town! Its rotten name is too hard for me to say. IтАЩll never make f-f-fun of
anyone who st-st-st-st who has trouble talking again, I sw-sw-swear it.тАЭ

тАЬComing down for dinner, my lord?тАЭ Branoic said.