"Gordon R. Dickson - Dragon Knight 08 - The Dragon in Lyonesse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

“Heigh-ho!” he said cheerfully. “I was just out today, playing with my bow- shooting at rovers, you
know-and damme if I didn’t get this deer. Dropped him with one shot, as it happens. Well, I had an extra
horse with me; but it struck me suddenly it was foolish to carry the meat back to my castle with
Malencontri so close. So I thought I might gift it to you, as some small acknowledgment for the excellent
dinners and other meals you have fed me here.”

As he said these last words, he heaved the carcass from his shoulders onto the table they were sitting at,
splashing wine out of the wine cups and nearly sending some of them, as well as other table settings, off
onto the floor. No small feat, thought Jim, since the buck, even eviscerated, could weigh almost as much
as Brian did himself.

It was instantly obvious to those at the table, who knew him, that Brian had been out since dawn or
before-hunting on foot, most likely, his hounds all being too old and few for hunting from horseback in a
more knightly manner; and that the deer had been taken with deliberate attempt to show he paid at least
some of his debts, social or otherwise. It was also intended to show that there was no lack of food at
Castle Smythe, which they all knew was not always the case.

“But now you’re here, you’ll sit and have a glass of wine, and maybe a bite of something with us,
certainly?” said Angie, the quickest to recover.

“Now, I could never say nay to that!” Brian came around to the side of the dais behind the table,
stepped up, and took his bowstave with its loose but ready string off his shoulder to put it aside before
sitting down.

“Sir Brian, of your kindness may I see your bow, and perhaps your arrows as well?”

“Why-of course,” said Brian, handing both over to the seated archer and obviously embarrassed. “Just
rough things, of course. Made them myself, with the help of Old Ned at my castle. Nothing to look at
really-no real skill or time put into either-“

“My thanks for your graciousness,” said Dafydd, taking them. “It is that I am always learning from the
way other men make these to their own purpose. Often I counsel young bowmen to do likewise; but
many will not realize that, despite what skill they may have, they can always learn from any man who ever
set knife to wood-were it only yesterday for the first time.”

“Hah! Yes, of course!” said Brian, burying his face in the full wine cup Angie had just passed him. By
this time servants were already there, taking away the deer and cleverly rolling up the old cloth with its
stains of blood and other fluids, replacing it as it went with a new, clean cloth and extra food. Brian lost
no time getting to work on the latter.

A stroke of luck, thought Jim, watching him. Brian would want to be invited to join any expedition such
as Dafydd was proposing; and he had not needed to be messaged to join them here-which reminded Jim
it would not hurt to ask Aargh, the English wolf, to keep an eye on the safety of Angie and Malencontri
while Jim and the others were gone.

“By the way,” he said to Brian, “you didn’t see Aargh while you were out, did you?”

Brian swallowed.