"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 08 - A Time Of Justice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

neck. Jill's stomach churned; for all that she was good with the blade she carried, she hated killing. She
had no need of sending another man to the Otherlands that day, however, because the rest of the bandits
were already racing down the road to the north.

'Let them go!тАЩ Rhodry called out. 'We can't leave the women.'

When Jill turned back, she found him dismounted and pulling the Stag rider down from his saddle.
Although the serving woman clung to her saddle peak and sobbed, Ylaena dismounted and ran to the
page.

'Get down, Larro. Let me see what that man did to you.'

Shaking too hard even to weep, the lad swung down and threw himself into her arms. Jill dismounted
and joined Rhodry, kneeling beside the Stag rider. His face slashed with bloody cuts, he tried to speak,
then died in Rhodry's arms.
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'Ah horseshit.' Rhodry laid him down gently. 'I didn't think they had brigands in this part of the kingdom.'

'Not brigands,тАЩ Ylaena said from behind them. 'My brother would never allow such a thing, not if he had
to call in every alliance he had to chase them from his lands.'

They rose, Rhodry hastily wiping his blood-stained hands on his brigga.

'I owe you my life, silver daggers. Will you escort us back to my dun? I'll see that you're well-paid for it.'

'My lady will have our protection for the honour of the thing.' Rhodry made her a bow. 'But we'd best
hurry. Those cowards might realize that there's only two of us and come back.'

Between them Jill and Rhodry got the dead men tied over their saddles. When they rode out, the lady,
her serving woman, and the page each led one of the extra horses to leave Jill and Rhodry free in case of
attack, her at the head of the line, him in the dangerous rear-guard. As they trotted down the road, Jill
turned constantly in her saddle and peered into the trees, but apparently the attackers were the cowards
Rhodry had called them, because their terrified procession came free of the forest without any more
trouble. Out on the open road among the settled farms they were safe. With a sharp sigh of relief Jill
sheathed her sword, then fell back to ride beside Ylaena.

тАШIтАЩll take the reins of that horse, my lady. You shouldn't have to lead it like a caravan guard.'

'My thanks.' Ylaena handed them over. 'You know, I think it's the strangest thing of all that another lass
would save my life, but you have my heart-felt thanks.'

Tieryn Dwaen stood by the hearth in his great hall and shook with rage. Rhodry had never seen a man as
furious as this slender, dark-haired young lord, whose right hand clenched and unclenched on his sword
hilt for the entire time that it took for Ylaena to tell the tale, sitting in her brother's chair with Lord Cadlew
behind her. When she was done, the tieryn turned to the silver daggers.