"02 - The Star Scroll" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rawn Melanie)

Pol only laughed.

Willa, Giamo's wife, emerged from her kitchen then, wiping her hands on her apron and obviously intending to gather compliments from her exalted guest. The merchants had risen to leave, still arguing amiably over their silk. The young girl squealed, "Oh, Rialt, you're terrible!" in response to some sally of her companion's; the shipwrights laughed in response and raised their cups to him. All was warm good cheerЧuntil one of the soldiers suddenly shoved his chair back and sprang to his feet, growling a difference of opinion that turned every head in the room. Meath saw the glint of steel and rose, his substantial frame instinctively placed between the soldiers and Pol. The merchants, caught between their table and the angry Gribains by the door, sent a look of frantic appeal to the Sunrunner, and he nodded reassurance.

"Here, now," Meath said casually. "You can settle this outside, can't you?"

Usually his height, his breadth of shoulder, and his rings made his point. But these were seasoned troopers, angry and resentful of any interference, even that of a faradhi. The bearded one who seemed to have started the quarrel snarled, "It's no concern of yours, Sunrunner."

"Put the knife away," Meath replied, his voice less pleasant now. The merchants were trying to slip past, silk swatches rustling in their clenched hands, and the girl had shrunk back in her chair.

Willa marched forward, hands on hips. "How dare you threaten the peace of this inn?" she demanded. "And in the presence ofЧ"

Meath interrupted before she could identify Pol. "Get out of here before you make a very serious mistake, my friends."

The womanЧtheir captain judging by the braid at her throatЧdrew her own knife. "You have a loud and offensive mouth, faradhi. And you are mistaken in using that tone to members of Prince Velden's own guard."

The bearded man brought up his knife in obvious threat, sunlight through the windows striking silver off the blade, and the innkeeper's wife shrieked a protest. The merchants tried to vanish behind a couple of chairs. And the knife sped through an abrupt silence toward Meath's chest.

"No!" a young voice cried. Meath rocked easily out of the knife's path as a fountain of Sun runner's Fire rose from the middle of the soldiers' table. They yelled and leaped back, and in that precious moment of their star-tlement Meath surged toward them. He slammed two into the wall and shoved the woman at the terrified merchants. Rialt shook off his girlfriend's clutching hand, jumped to his feet, and launched himself at the bearded soldier. The three shipwrights, bulky muscles barely covered by thin shirts, hastily downed the last of their ale before leaping up to join the fight.

By brawl's end, Meath had a sore jaw and a shallow slit in his arm. Neither deterred him from overturning a table on top of the Gribain who was foolish enough not to stay where Rialt had kicked him. Two of the shipwrights were holding a second soldier so Rialt could take whatever punches he liked; Willa was engaged in tying

up the unconscious woman with knotted napkins. The fourth soldier had gone headfirst into the brick hearth; the fifth sprawled on the floor, and the shipwright seated casually on the Gribain's spine looked up with a grin at Meath.

"Many thanks for the entertainment, my lord Sunrun-ner! I haven't had so much fun since I worked over to the other port!"

"My pleasure," Meath answered, and looked around for Pol. The boy was administering ale to the white-faced girl. He was unhurt, and Meath felt relief shake his knees just a little. He didn't want to consider what he would have told Sioned if her son had been injured.

Giamo puffed up the cellar stairs and gave a shocked cry. Meath patted his shoulder.

"All taken care of. But I'm afraid we've made a shambles of your room." He glanced down as capable hands went to work on his wounded arm. "It's nothing," he told Willa.

"Nothing?" She snorted and tied off the bandage she had made with strips torn from her apron. "Nothing that could have been deaths in my house, that's what nothing! Now, you find out who these ruffians are and what they're about while I find some good strong wine to restore the blood you've lost."

Meath was about to protest that it was only a scratch-then remembered the glorious wine Prince Lleyn had treated him to at this very inn last autumn. He nodded enthusiastic approval and Willa snorted once more.

There were more casualties among the furniture and plates than among the people involved. Rialt would have a sore shoulder for a few days, and the merchants' dignity had been more bruised than their backsides. Meath righted an overturned chair, tested it for soundness, and pointed to the Gribain commander, who sat on the floor with her hands bound behind her. "Have a seat," hл invited.

Sullenly and awkwardly, she obeyed. Her red tunic was a little darker along one shoulder, but Meath judged the wound to be superficial. Of her companions, three would have very bad headaches and the other would not be walking entirely upright for a while. After assuring him-

self of their relative good health, Meath stood before their captain with arms folded, unimpressed by her arrogant demand to be released on the instant.

"Captain," he told her, "I don't care if you stand guard outside Prince Velden's own bedchamber while he favors his wife with his attentions. You know the law here."

"It was a private matter between me and my men," she snapped. "You have no rightЧ"

"I have the right of any man or woman to make sure the law is obeyed. I want several things, and I want them now: your name, those of your men, and the reason for this outrage against Prince Lleyn's peace. And then you may make your- apologies as well as restitution to those you've offended here today."

"Apologies!" She sucked in a breath and glared at him.