The Red Wyvern: Book One of the Dragon Mage. Katharine Kerr

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СКАЧАТЬ galloped through a stormy night. The wailing faded away, and Lilli heard her own voice start describing the omens. Swords that burned with blue fire formed a huge wall in front of Dun Deverry. An army all dressed in red threw itself against the wall but fell back, tattered and dying, only to regroup on a far hill.

      ‘They’re riding again,’ Lilli said. ‘I see them riding – wait. It’s going away, it’s all going away.’

      In the basin the flaming swords winked out like sparks on a hearth stone. The images turned pale and watery, then faded in turn. For a moment, blackness – then lantern-light revealed a pleasant chamber with bright-coloured tapestries on the walls. In the middle of the chamber stood an elderly man with a shock of untidy white hair. He was leaning over a table and staring into a basin of water. All at once he looked up – looked right at her with ice-blue eyes that seemed to pierce her very soul.

      ‘Well, here’s a surprise!’ He sounded amused, and his voice was oddly resonant for someone who looked so old. ‘Who are you, lass? You’ll hurt yourself spying on me like this, if you’re not careful.’

      Lilli started to answer but found she couldn’t speak. All at once the vision broke. The image separated into pie-slice fragments like the design on a shattered plate – then disappeared. A white-faced Brour was shaking her by the shoulder.

      ‘Are you back? Are you back?’

      ‘I am, Brour. What’s so wrong?’

      ‘I’d rather like to know that myself,’ Merodda said. ‘Why did you stop her?’

      ‘Because that old man is dangerous. He’s the Usurper’s personal advisor and a sorcerer of the greatest power.’

      ‘I saw into Cerrmor?’ Lilli said.

      ‘You did.’ Brour paused to wipe his sweaty face on his sleeve. ‘Or Nevyn tricked you into revealing yourself.’

      ‘Who?’ Merodda broke in. ‘No one? Don’t talk in riddles.’

      ‘I’m not. That’s his name, nevyn, Nevyn, some miserable jest of his father’s, it was, naming his son no one.’

      Merodda was studying her scribe with her mouth caught in a sour twist. With a long sigh Brour composed himself.

      ‘I studied under the man,’ Brour said. ‘I know him quite well.’

      ‘He wasn’t trying to trick me,’ Lilli said. ‘He was as surprised as I was.’

      ‘Ah.’ Brour considered this for a long moment. ‘Still, you’d best not scry again tonight. He’ll be looking for you. It’s too dangerous.’

      ‘What?’ Merodda snapped. ‘But the omens –’

      ‘Will have to wait,’ Brour said. ‘It’s too dangerous, my lady. Truly it is. I’ll gladly explain.’

      ‘Do so.’ Merodda turned to Lilli. ‘Leave us.’

      When Lilli hesitated, Merodda raised a ringed hand. Lilli left and hurried down the corridor to her chamber. Once safely inside, she went to the window – the floor was soaked with rain, but outside the storm had ended. Overhead a pale moon seemed to race through the sky as torn clouds scudded past.

      ‘He looked kind,’ Lilli whispered. ‘Truly kind. If he’s the sort of man Cerrmor has on his side –’

      She shook her head to drive the traitorous thoughts away.

      Yet that night she dreamt about Cerrmor, or some dream image of it, at any rate, since she’d never been there, and of Nevyn, who seemed to be trying to find her in the middle of a vast maze of stone walls and hedgerows. When she woke to a flood of sunlight across her bed, the dream stayed with her. She dressed and was just thinking of looking for Brour when he knocked at her door.

      ‘It’s me,’ he called out. ‘Are you there, Lilli?’

      ‘I am.’ She unbarred the door. ‘Come in. I’ve had the oddest dream.’

      ‘I thought you might.’

      Brour hurried in, then shut the door behind him. His round child’s face was pale and stubbled, as if he’d waked all night.

      ‘What’s so wrong?’ Lilli said.

      ‘A number of small things that all add up to trouble. Nevyn spotting you, and then your dear mother’s lack of sense. She refuses to stop this dangerous scrying.’

      ‘Dangerous because of Nevyn?’

      ‘Just so. If he makes a link with you, he’ll be able to spy through your eyes.’

      ‘Well, it’s not as if I know very much about the King’s plans.’

      ‘You’d be surprised what you know without knowing you know it.’ Brour smiled briefly. ‘What troubles my heart is a selfish fear, though. I don’t want Nevyn tracking me down.’

      ‘Oh. Why not?’

      Brour’s eyes blinked rapidly; then he shrugged.

      ‘I was a cursed poor student,’ he said. ‘And I left before I truly should have.’

      Lilli hesitated, hearing pain in his voice. Something more than that had gone wrong, she suspected – something too shameful for Brour to admit.

      ‘It was all a long time ago.’ Brour paced over to the window, paced back again. ‘But I’ve made up my mind. Once we work the ritual and find the bolthole, I’m leaving Dun Deverry.’

      ‘Oh, don’t go!’

      ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t stay here. Your mother and uncle have grown suspicious of me for some reason, and they’ll kill me when the time seems ripe. You remember the omen of my head in a chest? Well, I’m sure it was quite true. I was hoping to win your uncle round by finding the bolthole, but now I think I’ll just leave by it. Safer all round. Then once I’m gone, you can tell Burcan about it, and you’ll get the gain and favour.’

      ‘My thanks. But I wish you weren’t going.’

      ‘You could come with me.’

      Lilli gasped and laid her hand at her throat.

      ‘Just think about it,’ Brour said. ‘My offer is strictly honourable. I’ll treat you like my daughter. Come with me and be my apprentice. And save your skin, too, when this miserable dun falls to the enemy.’

      Lilli felt the blood pound in her throat.

      ‘I’ve got to get back to your lady mother.’ Brour looked as if he might spit at the mention of her name. ‘But think on it, Lilli. I beg you.’

      After he left, Lilli wandered over to the window. For a long time she stared out at the many-towered view without truly seeing it. She had a decision to make, and for the first time in her life, she couldn’t go running to Bevva with it.

      Over the past few days, Merodda had become more and more aware of Lady Bevyan’s growing influence over the young Queen. СКАЧАТЬ