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СКАЧАТЬ told me once you’d owned it since you were a very young man.’

      Neb looked up, his lips half-parted in shock.

      ‘I mean,’ Branna said hastily, ‘Nevyn told Jill that.’

      ‘I figured that. It just always surprises me, how much you remember.’

      ‘Me too. What’s this second one?’

      The smaller book turned out to contain healing lore, first a treatise on the humours, then a vast compendium, page after page of herbs, roots, symptoms, and treatments, and finally some instructions for simple chirurgery. The handwriting wavered, each letter spiky and oddly large.

      ‘Jill’s writing,’ Neb said abruptly. ‘I do remember a few things, here and there. She learned late, you see, and so her hand’s somewhat childish.’

      ‘I feel like there’s four people in this chamber. Do you feel that, too?’

      ‘In a way.’ Neb glanced over his shoulder as if he expected to see Jill and Nevyn standing behind them. ‘It creeps my flesh.’

      Branna closed the book of medicines and walked over to the window. Outside lay the familiar view of her uncle’s dun wall and the green fields beyond. She’d half-expected to see a different prospect, though the details had escaped her memory. Somewhere I’ve never been, she thought, not as me, anyway. Did I know the silver dragon when I was there? Ever since she’d seen Rori fly past Cengarn, the silver wyrm had never been far from her mind.

      ‘What were Prince Dar’s messages?’ she said.

      ‘Um? Jill, what did you say?’

      Neb was reading a page in the larger book. He was leaning over to peer at the writing, his shoulders hunched like those of a much older man. Again she remembered seeing Nevyn reading in this same book, sitting at a rough-made table with a dweomer light hovering above him. For a moment she saw their surroundings: a windowless stone room, and at the top of the walls ran a carving of circles and triangles, abruptly broken off as if someone had deliberately defaced it. Stop! she told herself. You’re Branna; Branna, not Jill.

      ‘Neb, stay here!’ Branna made her voice as sharp as she could. ‘What were Prince Dar’s messages?’

      With a toss of his head Neb straightened up and turned to face her. ‘You’re right,’ he said softly. ‘For a moment I was back there. What did you used to call it? The other When?’

      ‘Just that. But we’re here now.’

      ‘So we are. That’s going to be our spell of safety, isn’t it? Stay here now.’

      ‘It’s a good one. We’ll need it.’

      Neb smiled, nodding a little. ‘But the messages,’ he went on, ‘were all about the army. He’s raised over five hundred archers and a good many swordsmen. He’s hoping to raise more before we join him.’

      ‘We? You’re not riding with the Red Wolf warband, are you?’

      ‘Of course I am. My place is at the tieryn’s side.’

      For a moment she could barely breathe. Neb caught her hand in both of his.

      ‘What’s wrong –’ he began.

      ‘I’m terrified you’ll get killed, of course,’ Branna said. ‘Why does he want you to go?’

      ‘To write messages if he needs some sent, of course.’

      ‘Very well, then, but you won’t be riding to battle, will you?’

      ‘I won’t. Will you look down on me because of that?’

      ‘Oh, don’t be stupid!’

      Neb grinned. ‘I’d be useless in a battle, unless they need someone who can throw stones with a fair degree of accuracy. I used to be good at slinging them at crows and squirrels.’

      They shared a laugh, and she felt the fear leave her.

      ‘After all,’ Branna said, ‘you are my husband now. I get to worry. You’re supposed to be touched by my devotion.’

      ‘That’s true spoken, and my apologies.’ Neb made a sweeping bow. ‘May I express my complete and total devotion to you?’

      ‘You may. How about the passion that burns within you?’

      ‘That, too. Quite a lot of that, actually. Do you regard me with great esteem?’

      ‘I do, and with affection to match it.’

      ‘Well and good, then. Give me a bit of time, and I’ll compose some englynion in your honour.’

      ‘That’d be lovely, but what is this? I’m supposed to sit at my window with the scroll in my lap and long for your return? Huh. I’m going with you.’

      ‘What? You can’t do that!’

      ‘Why not? I’ll be your assistant. I can gather rushes for pens and all that. It’s not like anyone would be asking me to swing a sword, is it?’ Branna thought for a moment. ‘And I can tear up rags for bandages and help Dalla.’

      ‘Your uncle won’t let you come.’

      ‘Then we shan’t tell him until it’s too late.’ She laid a hand on his arm and smiled up at him. ‘Don’t you want me there?’

      ‘Of course I do. I mean – gods, I never should have admitted that.’

      ‘True spoken. You shouldn’t have, but you did, and so let’s plan my escape.’

      ‘What about your aunt?’

      ‘She’s got Adranna and the children, and Solla now, too. She won’t be lonely any longer.’

      ‘There are times when I can see that being married to you is going to be like living in one of Salamander’s tales. And I’m thankful to every god there is.’ Neb raised her hand and kissed her fingers.

      Someone knocked in urgent rhythm on the door. Neb ran to open it and reveal Salamander, who strode in without waiting to be asked. The gerthddyn frowned and looked Branna over with stern grey eyes.

      ‘What is this?’ Salamander said. ‘I’ve just had an omen warning about you, my fine lady. You’re not planning on doing anything stupid like following the army, are you?’

      ‘What makes you think I’d do such a thing?’

      ‘Your general temperament, mostly, as well as the way you blushed scarlet just now.’

      ‘I hate you.’

      ‘Ah, so I’m right.’

      ‘I cannot let Neb go off to war while I stay here, I just can’t.’

      ‘What?’ Salamander turned to Neb. ‘You’re riding with the army?’

      ‘I’m СКАЧАТЬ