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

up, settling her head against his shoulder. Once she'd been a solid young
woman, but now - he was shocked at how light she seemed. Without much
difficulty he carried her into their bed chamber and laid her down on the bed-
In the small hearth, wood and kindling stood stacked and ready. Verrarc
hurried back into the reception chamber and grabbed a long splint from the
woodpile.
'Master?' Old Korla came shuffling in. 'Has Harl gone daft? He did come into
my kitchen babbling of evil spirits.'
Not daft in the least,' Verrarc heard his voice shaking. 'Did he go fetch
Gwira as I asked him?'
'He did, truly.'
'Good. My lady does lie in our chamber. Go sit with her whilst I take some of
this fire.'
When Verrarc came in with the blazing splint, he saw that Korla had spread a
blanket over Raena, who lay unmoving, her open eyes staring at the ceiling.
For a horrible moment he thought her dead, but she moaned and stirred. He
knelt down by the hearth and touched the splint to the kindling, blew on the
tentative flames, and tossed the splint into the fire as it blazed up,
'Well, Korla?' Verrarc got up and walked over to the bedside. 'What might this
be but evil spirits?'
'Ah, gods protect!' She crossed her fingers in the sign of warding off
witchcraft and stepped back from the bedside. 'I fear me you be right, unless
Gwira does ken some other thing it might be.'
But the herbwoman had no other explanation to offer when she at last arrived.
With Harl right behind, Gwira bustled in, carrying a big market basket crammed
with little packets of medicaments. She took off her cloak and tossed it over
a chair.
'Does she live?' Gwira snapped.
'She does,' Verrarc said. 'I did hold my hand in front of her mouth, and I did
feel her breath.'
Gwira set the basket down on the floor, then wrapped one hand around her chin
and considered Raena, who lay unmoving, her pale face and her hair soaked in
sweat. After a moment she walked over to the side of the bed.
'Harl did tell me that this came on all of a sudden, like.' Gwira laid a hand
on Raena's face. 'Huh, I like not how cold she be.'
She leaned over and pried open the lids of Raena's right eye. For a moment
more Raena lay wrapped in her faint, but the fire crackled, a log burned
through and dropped, and a brief flood of light leapt up and washed the room.
Raena suddenly moaned. Gwira let her go and stepped back just as she woke,
twisting under the blanket and moaning again. When she opened her eyes,
Verrarc nearly wept with relief at seeing her soul look out of them. When he
held out his hand, she worked hers free of the blanket and laid it in his
grasp. It felt as cold and wet as if she'd grasped snow.
'The light upon the eye, it do work wonders,' Gwira said. 'It does drive the
spirit away.'
'Here!' Verrarc said. You too think her possessed!'
'I ken naught else that it might be.' Gwira glanced at Korla. 'Fetch me water,
if you please. I can brew her up somewhat with a bit of strength in it, but
after that, this be a matter for our Spirit Talker, not me.'
Korla shuddered and crossed her fingers again.