"Lawhead, Stephen - Albion 02 - The Silver Hand" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lawhead Stephen)

oak from the sun. To these, the Nawglan, the Sacred Nine, I added
holly with its bright array of spears; elder with its potent purple
berries; and apple with its sweet, smooth hardness.

I burned these in a fire built on a flat stone. Then I carefully
collected the ash and put it into a leather pouch which I tied to my
belt. When I had made these preparations, I returned to camp and set
about gathering wood for the Ten n'Righ, the King Fire. For this, I
took live embers from each of the hearth fires which the people had
burned the night before, and firewood from the stockpile of each
camp.

The only difficulty lay in obtaining the ember and branch from the
prince's fire. But the Goodly-Wise smiled on me, and Meidron-bored
with the duties of the camp, which he considered beneath him-rode out
to hunt at midday. I had only to wait until he and the warriors of his
Wolf Pack were out of sight. I helped myself to what I needed and he
was none the wiser.

At dusk I summoned Liew from hiding and hastened back to camp to await
Meldron's return from the hunt.

In the time-between-times, the light of a new-risen moon on my left,
the setting sun on my right, I kindled the King Fire within a circle of
stones gathered from the four quarters. Then I summoned the people
with the aurochs' horn. The sound had not been heard among us since
Meidryn Mawr led us to Findargad, and the clansmen were alarmed to hear
it now. They gathered quickly, circling the fire ring. Then I called
Liew from my tent.

As Llew stepped forward to take his place, Prince Meidron thrust his
way forward through the host, Siawn Hy at his side.

"What is this, Tegid?" Meidron called.

"More of your foolishness?"

I did not acknowledge the insult, for I did not want to give them leave
to speak.

"Put off your boots," I told Liew. When he had untied the laces and
pulled the buskins from his feet, I said, "Spread your clOak on the
ground behind you."

He did this, and turned again to me.

"Remove your siarc, and belt, and breecs," I told him.

Llew hesitated at this command, but obeyed.