"Morgan Llywelyn - Druids" - читать интересную книгу автора (Llywelyn Morgan)

ducted in the most sacred place in Gaul, the great oak grove on
the ridge north of our fort. The fort itself had been built to gar-
rison warriors like my father who guarded the approaches to the
grove, which must never be profaned by foreigners.

Other fortified villages and towns m Gaul were the strongholds
of princes, but not ours. Ours was the Fort of the Grove and the
chief druid of the Camutes was its supreme authority.

6 Morgan Llywelyn

On the night before the secret ritual was to take place I had lain
in a froth of impatience, waiting for my grandmother to fall asleep.
I had always lived with Rosmerta, who tended to my needs and
scolded me as she saw fit. She would never allow me to go out
on an icy night to spy on the druids.

Of course, I had no intention of asking her permission.

On this night of all nights, unfortunately, she seemed wide
awake, though usually she was nodding by sundown. "Aren't you
tired?" I kept asking her.

She smiled her toothless smile at me. Her collapsed mouth was
as soft as a baby's. "I am not, lad. But you sleep, that's a good

boy.*'

She hobbled around our lodge, doing little woman things. I lay
tensely on my straw pallet, burrowed amid woolen blankets and
fur robes, letting my eyes wander from Rosmerta to the faded
shields hanging on the log walls. They had been untouched since
my father and brothers were killed in battle shortly before I was
born. My mother, who was really too old for childbearing, had
given birth to me and promptly followed her men info the Oth-

erworid.

The shields were a constant reminder of my warrior heritage,
but their dimming glories did not excite me.

I wanted to see the druids work great magic.

My supper lay in my belly like a stone. Rosmerta glanced in
my direction occasionally, but she seemed preoccupied. At last
she pulled her three-legged stool close to the central firepit and
sat down, gazing into the flames.

I waited. I feigned a yawn, which she did not echo. I closed
my eyes and made snoring noises. Old woman, go to bed! I