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

'Now you're not to trouble your heart, my lady. Lady Ylaena can tell you that I don't carry a sword just
for the pretty scabbard, so no one's going to harm you.'

Slaecca whispered out a thanks so faint that her daughter leaned forward and squeezed her hand for
reassurance.

'Come now, Mam, Lord Cadlew's promised me that he'll guard our Dwaen, too. I'll just wager the
gwerbret puts a stop to all of this as soon as he finds out.'

'I'll pray so,' Slaecca said. 'Oh by the Goddess! I don't want things coming to a war.'

At dinner that night Dwaen found out how seriously Rhodry took his post as bodyguard when a page
brought them each a tankard of ale. Just as the tieryn went to drink, the silver dagger grabbed his wrist
and snatched the tankard.

'Allow me, Your Grace.' Rhodry took a cautious sip, thought about it for a moment, tried another,
waited, then finally handed the ale back. 'If his grace would oblige, he'd best not have so much as a drink
of water from the well without me or his captain trying it first.'

'Ye gods, I think I'd rather die than have another man poisoned in my s,tead.'

'His grace is honourable, but we've sworn to die protecting you in battle, so why not at table, too?'

Dwaen forced out a sickly smile. He felt like a badger in a trap, waiting for the hunter to appear and
spear him through the wickerwork. Rhodry, fortunately, proved good company, whether talking about
his life on the long road or passing along bits of gossip about the noble-born. Dwaen began to wonder
about this silver dagger, a courtly man by every phrase he used or graceful bow he made, but a
dishonoured outcast all the same. Jill puzzled him just as much. It was extremely odd to think of a woman
charging right into the fight on the road, odder the more because as the women settled themselves at
table, Jill was talking with his mother about some typical female matter. While he waited for Rhodry to
sample the meat and bread on his plate, he overheard a bit of it: one of the kitchen lasses apparently had
a bastard out in fosterage, and Jill and Slaecca were predictably (to his mind at least) distressed for the
lass.

'How awful to leave your baby behind!' Slaecca said. 'Jill, later you might ask Cook for me just where
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Vyna was in service before. The poor lass.'

'My lady, I already did, and it's rather interesting. Cook seems to know an awful lot about the
countryside round here.'

Just then, Rhodry handed the tieryn his plate back.

'Well, my mouth's not burning yet, Your Grace.'

'Good. I'm wretchedly hungry.тАЩ