"Irene Radford - Merlins Descendents 03 - Guardian of the Vision" - читать интересную книгу автора (Radford Irene)

accused me. We had returned to our home at Kirkenwood from the raid in the early hours of the
morning. Lord Douglas had carried off all of the surviving villagers: men, women, and children. HeтАЩd left
us the sheepтАФmost of them stolen from our lands to begin withтАФa few dead bodies, and burning
houses. Nothing more.

We had returned home to the news that Meg had roused from her fever and her fear of every shadow
and movement. But her seeming recovery was marred by the sense that she had retreated into the mind
of a small child, unknowing of her ordeal. Unaware of her betrothed, her duties as midwife, and the life
she had lived between the ages of five and sixteen.

Raven had been unable to break through the walls of forgetfulness Meg had built.

I had been unable to heal her with my magic or my love. Now I packed in preparation to leave for
France. No Catholic seminaries remained in England. Helwriaeth slumbered at the foot of the bed I had
shared with Donovan from earliest memory, but never would again. I must be gone before sunset. I
already ached as if a part of my gut had been cut out by an enemy sword.

Occasionally Helwriaeth opened one eye a bit to see if I was ready to lead her on the next adventure.
Until then, sheтАЩd rest and store her energy. I had no doubt that she would follow me even if Da tried to
cage and muzzle her. She was my dog, my familiar. She and her dam, RavenтАЩs familiar Newynog, had
chosen me. I had yet to confront Raven with my decision. I would rather cut out my own tongue than
disappoint her. But God had called and I must obey. His authority was greater than RavenтАЩsтАФbut no one
dared tell her that. тАЬThat is my doublet!тАЭ Donovan grabbed the padded and embroidered red velvet out
of my hands.

Hard to tell which garment belonged to me and which to him; we both wore everything in the wardrobe.
WeтАЩd never questioned possession before. How could one own something exclusive to the other? We
were the same person. Until now. IтАЩd not need red velvet in the seminary.

тАЬYou planned to betray your inheritance, RavenтАЩs trust in you. You planned to betray me!тАЭ Donovan
turned his back to me, clenching and unclenching his fists, tightening his shoulders, and stalking rapidly to
the shuttered arrow-slit window.

тАЬI didnтАЩt plan to become a priest. I planned to follow Da as Baron of Kirkenwood and Raven as
Pendragon,тАЭ I said calmly. My air of projected calm and control was at war with the jumping inside my
stomach and the quivering in my chest. тАЬBut God called me, and I cannot refuse the call.тАЭ

тАЬIf you did not plan this, then why have you always questioned all that Raven has taught us? Why did
you pay greater heed to Father PeterтАЩs lessons than to RavenтАЩs?тАЭ Donovan screamed as he circled our
room. He was never one to stand still and listen. He constantly moved, mentally and physically. He would
rather yell than speak in normal tones or whisper.

тАЬI questioned everything, as Raven taught us both to do.тАЭ тАЬYou never questioned who fathered
Peregrine and Gaspar, the two bastards you claim.тАЭ

тАЬI accepted responsibility for the boysтАЩ education and well-being because I am the eldest, amтАж wasтАж
DaтАЩs heir. But there is no telling which of us fathered the boys. We shared their mothers equally, as we
have shared everything.тАЭ Da had never curbed our randy exploits. Indeed, he had encouraged them as
proof of our virility and strength. All he asked was that we take responsibility for our actions, as befitting