"Julian May - Boreal Moon 2 - Ironcrown Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (May Julian)

cast herself into the sea. The air in the shuttered little room was fresh and pleasantly cool, thanks to the sod roof of DobneluтАЩs sturdily
built home. Outside, under the endless midsummer daylight, it was probably rather warm. Perfect for what she had planned.

After putting on her clothes, she tiptoed to the partly open door leading to the large central chamber, the combined kitchen and sitting
room where her servingwoman and the boy slept. The hourglass on the mantelpiece indicated about three in the morning. Little DyfrigтАЩs
nook was wide-open and he sat unclothed on the edge of his bed, watching his mother with solemn, intelligent eyes. Neither Maudrayne
nor her son needed much sleep in the summertime: their Tarnian blood saw to that. But Rusgann Moorcock was a southerner, and sheтАЩd
demonstrated that she could sleep through a tundra-deer stampede. Her cupboard-bedтАЩs curtains were shut.

тАЬNo more magic drum,тАЭ Dyfrig whispered to his mother. His hair had the same tawny golden color as that of his father, and he also
possessed ConrigтАЩs handsome features and unusual dark brown eyes. A moon earlier, the boy had celebrated his fourth birthday.

Maudrayne put a finger to her lips and beckoned him. He slipped to the floor noiselessly and joined her at the kitchenтАЩs single small
window. Leather-hinged at the top and held open by a hook and eye fastened to the low ceiling, it was covered with a screen of black
gauze to exclude biting midges. Outside, bright sun shone on the meadow and reflected from the island-strewn expanse of Useless Bay
beyond the dropoff into the fjord. A distant iceberg with multiple spires, like a dazzling white castle, hovered on the horizon off Cape
Wolf.

Maudrayne pointed to the sea-hagтАЩs holy hut at the edge of the steading and spoke softly into the boyтАЩs ear. тАЬEldmama Nelu has drummed
herself into an enchanted sleep again. Her body will stay in the hut for a few days now, while her spirit soars away northward to the
icecap of the Barren Lands to talk to the One Denied the Sky and the other witches and wizards. Now that sheтАЩs gone, we can leave the
farm without her permission and go wherever we please! Would you like to walk along the seashore today and have a treasure hunt?тАЭ

He squealed with excitement. тАЬYes! Yes! Maybe we can find whale bones, or scales from a mirrorfish!тАЭ

тАЬShhh. YouтАЩll wake RusgannтАФтАЭ

Curtain-rings rattled and the maidтАЩs homely face popped out of her enclosure. тАЬIтАЩm already awake, Your Grace.тАЭ A lanky body modestly
clad in a homespun shift emerged. тАЬAnd you know very well weтАЩre forbidden to leave the steading circle without Dobnelu along to
protect us from danger.тАЭ

Ignoring the servantтАЩs admonition, Maudrayne went to the larder, where she gathered rye bread, cheese, a small crock of goose-grease
flavored with wild herbs, and some sweet cranberry cakes. тАЬThereтАЩs no danger,тАЭ she insisted. тАЬNone at all, except from our own
misadventure, and weтАЩll take great care not to lose our footing on the cliff trail or be caught by the rising tide. Now dress yourself, Dyfi.
Visit the backhouse and wash your hands, and weтАЩll be on our way. We can have a picnic breakfast on the beach.тАЭ

The boy threw his clothes on and darted outside with a joyful shout, slamming the door. The maid Rusgann lumbered over to her mistress
and stood, fists on hips, scowling in disapproval. тАЬYour Grace, the spells protecting us extend only to the ring of white stones around this
house and the outbuildings. If we venture outside the magic circle, the Beaconfolk could do us harm. Or some windwatching scoundrel of
the kingтАЩs might scry us!тАЭ

тАЬDo you know what day this is, Rusgann?тАЭ Maudrayne was serene and smiling. Her long auburn hair, freshly washed and hanging free as
she stubbornly insisted upon wearing it, shone like burnished copper. тАЬThis is the Solstice Eve, a very lucky day. No wicked sorcerers or
monstersтАФnot even the Coldlight ArmyтАФcan harm human beings today.тАЭ

тАЬHuh! I never heard of such a thing.тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs because youтАЩre Cathran-born. We Tarnians know more about dark magic than you do. As for windwatchersтАФnone of them know