"John Morressy - Cold Comfort" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morressy John)

As he packed food for the journey, he remembered, to his relief and delight,
that Bess the Wood-witch had once studied runes with a skald from the remote
north. Her hovel was not far away, and it was on the road north. A visit to her was
certain to be rewarding and informative.

He set out on the following morning, astride Unnamed, his great black steed,
the silver-horned, silver-hoofed, fiery of eye and breath. He considered it the ideal
mount for an encounter with a frost giant. The snow had stopped and the wind
during the. night had cleared most of the road. The horse had no difficulty breaking
through the infrequent drifts.

A league from BessтАЩs hovel, the ground was clear and the trees bare of snow.
The air was pungent, and grew steadily more pungent as he neared her dwelling.
When Kedrigern dismounted, his eyes watering, Unnamed exhaled twin jets of flame
from his nostrils. They blazed a lurid blue in the highly fortified air.

тАЬIt will be a short visit, my friend,тАЭ said the wizard, patting his neck. тАЬIf I stay
more than a few minutes, weтАЩll both pass out.тАЭ

He headed directly for a small outbuilding, from which clouds of steam were
escaping. He knew the cause. Bess was cooking up a batch of the brew she used for
professional purposes. He pushed open the door and staggered back from a
powerful blast of hot and potent steam.

тАЬKeddie, love, what a grand surprise!тАЭ she cackled at sight of him. Her voice
was muffled by the cloth wrapped around the lower portion of her face. тАЬHere, now,
cover your mouth and your nose and letтАЩs step outside where we can breathe.тАЭ

Coughing and gasping, blinking helplessly, he put both gloved hands over his
mouth and nose and backed into the open. When he had recovered, he said, тАЬI need
help, Bess. Princess is gone.тАЭ

тАЬShe never left you! I donтАЩt believe you! You two were close as тАФтАЭ
 тАЬNo, no, Bess. She and Spot were carried off by a frost giant.тАЭ

тАЬOh. Ah.тАЭ Bess wrinkled her leathery brow in thought, then said, тАЬWas it
about a month ago, Keddie?тАЭ

тАЬIt was. Did you see anything, Bess?тАЭ

тАЬI didnтАЩt see anything, but I remember feeling an awful chill pass over the
countryside one night just about then. I mentioned it to my familiar. тАШFeels to me like
that miserable frost giant is passing through,тАЩ I said. Those were my very words.тАЭ

тАЬThen I must know all you can tell me about frost giants.тАЭ

тАЬThereтАЩs only one left. His name is Harmr, and he lives in a stormcastle up
north in Rirnegard, on the frozen sea. HeтАЩs a bad lot, Keddie. Old Gnurri told me
about him.тАЭ