"Mercedes Lackey - Bards Tale - 04 - Castle of Deception" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

Chapter I

'Roong./

The lute string snapped, whipping across Kevin's
hand. He yelped, just barely managing not to drop the
lute. Instead, he placed the instrument gendy down on
his cot, then brought his stinging hand to his mouth.
Blast it all, that had Aurt! Of course it had. He knew bet-
ter by now than to try tightening a string too far. After
all, he'd been a bardling, an apprentice Bard, for what
seemed like all his nearly sixteen years.

The welt finally stopped smarting. Kevin got to his
feet with an impatient sigh. He didn't really mind prac-
ticing; it was something every musician had to do every
day, even his Master. He didn't even mind being stuck
in his cramped little room. Or at least he wouldn't mind
practicing and being cooped up in this stupid room in
this stupid inn if only he knew this was all leading
somewhere!

If something doesn't happen soon, something exciting...

Picking his way across the piles of clothes and music
scrolls uttering the floor, the bardling stared out the
one window, down to the Blue Swan's cobblestone
courtyard. A merchant was climbing onto his fine bay
horse, his travelling robes rich purple in the
springtime sunlight. With him rode his bodyguard,
two men and a woman in plain leather armor, straight-
backed and alert as falcons, hands never straying too
far from the swords at their sides. Kevin sighed in envy.
They were probably nothing more heroic than com-
mon mercenaries, and the journey they were taking

2 Mercedes Lackey^'Josephs Sherman

was probably nothing more exciting than a ride to the
next town, but at least they were going- somewhere,
they were doing something! While he -

"Blast iti" the bardling swore under his breath.

He couldn't stand being stuck here a moment
longer. Clattering down the inn's wooden staircase,
Kevin hurried across the common room - empty at
this early hour - and headed out into the courtyard.