"Robin McKinley - Damar 2 - The Hero and the Crown" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinley Robin)

son.тАЭ She paused, brooding over her last burn scar, where a dragon had licked her and the ointment
hadnтАЩt gone on quite evenly. тАЬWhat was my mother like?тАЭ
Teka looked thoughtful. She too looked toward AerinтАЩs sword and dragon spears, but Aerin was
pretty sure she did not see them, for Teka did not approve of her first solтАЩs avocation. тАЬShe was much
like you but smallerтАФfrail almost.тАЭ Her shoulders lifted. тАЬToo frail to bear a child. And yet it was rather
as though something was eating her from the inside; there was a fire behind that pale skin, always burning.
I think she knew she had only a little time and she was fighting for enough time to bear her baby.тАЭ TekaтАЩs
eyes refocused on the room, and she looked hastily away from the dragon spears. тАЬYou were a fine
strong child from the first.тАЭ
тАЬDo you think she enspelled my father?тАЭ
Teka looked at her, frowning. тАЬWhy do you ask so silly a question?тАЭ
тАЬI like to hear you tell stories.тАЭ
Teka laughed involuntarily. тАЬWell. No, I donтАЩt think she enspelled your fatherтАФnot the way Galanna
and her lot mean, anyway. She fell in love with him, and he with her; thatтАЩs a spell if you like.тАЭ
They had had this conversation before; many times since Aerin was old enough to talk and ask
questions. But over the years Teka sometimes let fall one more phrase, one more adjective, as Aerin
asked the same questions, and so Aerin kept on asking. That there was a mystery she had no doubt. Her
father wouldnтАЩt discuss her mother with her at all, beyond telling her that he still missed her, which Aerin
did find reassuring as far as it went. But whether the truth behind the mystery was known to everyone but
her and was too terrible to speak of, particularly to the mysteryтАЩs daughter, or whether it was a mystery
that no one knew and therefore everyone blamed her for endlessly reminding them of, she had never
been able to make up her mind. On the whole she inclined to the latter; she couldnтАЩt imagine anything so
awful that Galanna would recoil from using it against her. And if there were something quite that awful,
then Perlith wouldnтАЩt be able to resist ceasing to ignore her long enough to explain it.
Teka had turned back to the tray and poured a cup of hot malak, and handed it to Aerin, who settled
down cross-legged on her bed, the hanging scabbard just brushing the back of her neck. тАЬI brought
mik-bars too, for Talat, so you need not go to the kitchens if you donтАЩt wish to.тАЭ
Aerin laughed. тАЬYou know me too well. After sulking, I sneak off to the stables after
darkтАФpreferably after bedtimeтАФand talk to my horse.тАЭ
Teka smiled and sat down on the red-and-blue embroidered cushion (her embroidery, not AerinтАЩs)
on the chair by AerinтАЩs bed. тАЬI have had much of the raising of you, these long years.тАЭ
тАЬVery long years,тАЭ agreed Aerin, reaching for a leg of turpi. тАЬTell me about my mother.тАЭ
Teka considered. тАЬShe came walking into the City one day. She apparently owned nothing but the
long pale gown she wore; but she was kind, and good with animals, and people liked her.тАЭ
тАЬUntil the king married her.тАЭ
Teka picked up a slab of dark bread and broke it in half. тАЬSome of them liked her even then.тАЭ
тАЬDid you?тАЭ
тАЬKing Arlbeth would never have chosen me to nurse her daughter else.тАЭ
тАЬAm I so like her as folk say?тАЭ
Teka stared at her, but Aerin felt it was her mother Teka looked at. тАЬYou are much like what your
mother might have been had she been well and strong and without hurt. She was no beauty, but she ...
caught the eye. You do too.тАЭ
TorтАЩs eye, thought Aerin, for which Galanna hates me even more enthusiastically than she would
anyway. She is too stupid to recognize the difference between that sort of love and the love of a friend
who depends on the particular friendshipтАФor a farmerтАЩs sonтАЩs love for his pet chicken. I wonder if
Perlith hates me because his wife hoped to marry Tor, or merely for small scuttling reasons of his own.
тАЬThatтАЩs just the silly orange hair.тАЭ
тАЬNot orange. Flame-colored.тАЭ
тАЬFire is orange.тАЭ
тАЬYou are hopeless.тАЭ