"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 10 - The Black Raven" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

'Oh come now, lad,' Rhodry said. I made you a promise, didn't I?'
'You did, but so did Jill, and then she -' His voice cracked. 'And then she
died.'
'True spoken, but I'm too daft and mean and ugly to die.' Rhodry sat up,
grinning. 'At least when there's no war to ride, and truly, my lady Death
seems to be spurning my suit even then. When Arzosah flies back to Cerr
Cawnen, we'll be on our way. She knows the weather and the seasons better than
any sage or bard.'
Jahdo nodded, considering this. Privately Dallandra wondered if they'd ever
see the dragon again. Wyrmkind was not known for its faithfulness.
'It won't be so long till spring,' she said to the boy. 'We're well past the
shortest day.'
'I know, my lady. And truly do I think I could wait with good heart but for my
worrying about my kin. My Mam, she be frail in the winter, and then my sister,
she were to be married, and here I don't even know which man they picked for
her.' Jahdo paused and took a deep breath. 'Uh, my lady, I did wonder
somewhat, you see.'
'Could I scry your family out, you mean?'
'Just that.' He was looking at her with begging eyes.
'Jahdo, I'm so sorry, but I can't. I can only scry someone out if I've seen
them in the flesh first.'
'Oh.' He gulped back tears. 'Why?'
'It's just the way dweomer works. I don't truly know why. I'm sorry. It's a
hard thing to be missing your kin and have no way to get news of them.'
'That be true, sure enough, At least Evandar comes and goes, and you do see
him now and again.' Jahdo paused to wipe his eyes with the back of a grubby
hand. 'I did wake so cold this morning, and I did think on how warm it be at
home,'
'Oh come now!' Dallandra said with a laugh. 'Cerr Cawnen's a good bit farther
north than we are. It must be even colder.'
'Ah, you know not about the lake. Our lake, it be warm, my lady, even in
winter. My Da did tell me once that way down in the deeps of the lake lie
springs, where water bubbles up from the fire mountain, and it be as hot as
you'd heat for a bath, hotter even.'
'Fire mountain?' Rhodry said. 'Does your town lie near a fire mountain?'
'Too near, some say. I mean, we sit not in its shadow, but it be close enough.
One of our gods does live in it, you see. As long as we do honour him and
bring him gifts, he'll not harm us.'
Dallandra had grave doubts, but she saw no use in worrying the lad when there
was naught to be done about it.
'So,' she said instead. 'Your town stands on the shores of this warm lake?'
'On them and in them, my lady. You'll see, or so I do hope. But truly, I might
not shiver so badly now if my kin were here with me. Rori, and what of your
kin? Never have I heard you speak of them, not once.'
'Probably you never will,' Rhodry said. 'I've no idea if they ride above the
earth or under it, and I care even less.'
Jahdo stared open-mouthed.
'A silver dagger can't afford a warm heart,' Rhodry went on. Think on Yraen,
as much a friend as I've ever had, and ye gods, I don't even know where he
lies buried, do I? You learn, lad, after a while and all, to keep your heart