"John Morressy - The Protectors of Zendor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morressy John)

"We've seen no witch," Kedrigern replied.

"Are you sure?" another said.

"I told you so, didn't I? Who is this witch, and what has she done?"

A third man pushed himself to the fore and demanded, "You've got a horse. Why are you walking?"
"Because I don't feel like riding. Tell me, what has this witch done?"

"It's that devil's child of hers that's done it."

"We'll burn the two of them," someone in the midst of the mob shouted, and voices rose all around in
enthusiastic endorsement of his words.

This sort of mob bluster was familiar to Kedrigern. He knew that the longer it was allowed to build the
less good was likely to come of it, so he decided to discourage this lot quickly. "I wouldn't go any farther
up this road if I were you. There's something worse than a witch lurking back there. We barely escaped
it."

As his words spread among the mob, the noise level subsided. One of the leaders plucked up his
courage and said, "There's nothing out there but farmland and forest."

Kedrigern shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He watched as they exchanged uneasy glances,
looking to the hilltop, then back to Zendor, then at one another, as if in search of something to buttress
the courage they found suddenly draining away. He said, "If your witch meets up with that thing, she'll
come to a messy end. But if you want to see for yourselves...."

They wavered. Low, fearful murmuring circulated among them like a cold breeze. They were ready for
the finishing touch.

From over the brow of the hill behind Kedrigern's back came a low ominous growl that grew to a snarl
and then a roar, as of something large and angry and hungry. A heavy footstep shook the ground, and
then another. And another, coming closer.

When the last of the mob was on its speedy way back to the shelter of Zendor's walls, Kedrigern spoke
the necessary words. The roars and footfalls stopped. Mother and child came into sight on his mount.
The woman's eyes were still wide in awe.

"You are a wizard," she said.

"Kedrigern of Silent Thunder Mountain. And this lovely lady is my wife and colleague, Princess. And
you're no witch, though that lot seemed to think so. Why were they so angry?"

"It's all the doing of Livia, the bog-fairy."

"A bog-fairy!" Princess said, reaching out to clasp the woman's hand in sympathy. "You poor unhappy
creature, why did she do this to you?"

"She wanted my child. When I wouldn't give him up, she placed a terrible spell on him."