[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

"Seritha! Seritha, hurry!" He added to Naitachal, help-
ing him to the bench, "She's our Healer. Have you up
and well in no time."
To Kevin's surprise, Seritha turned out to be the
plump, motherly woman he'd first seen in buttercup
yellow: hardly the sort, he thought, to harbor any sort
of Power. But she laid bare the arrow gash with quiet
skill. And as soon as she placed her hands on the
wound, Kevin saw Power well up about her, endrcle
her in a pale blue cloud, brightening to dazzling blue-
white where her hands touched Naitachal's arm. The
bardling thought he saw unhealthy flesh slough away
under that touch, and felt his too-empty stomach lurch
in protest. He hastily turned away, but after a time
sheer curiosity made him look once more.
Seritha, looking worn but satisfied, was straighten-
ing- Naitachal, eyes wild with relief, was getting to his
feet and not a mark marred the smooth skin of his
arm. At Seritha's wave, a little boy brought them
flagons of something that smelled sharply herbal and
was presumably strength-restoring. Both Healer and
Dark Elf drank thirstily then smiled at each other.
Nakachal bowed.
"I am forever in your debt, lady."
She beamed. "I'm hardly a lady. And I only did what
any Healer should do." Seritha made a shooing
240 Mercedes Lackey ^Josephs Stwnwn
gesture with both hands. "Off with you now. Go reas-
sure your friends."
Naitachal grinned. "I hear and obey!**
As the Dark Elf approached, Kevin asked breath-
lessly, "How  how do you feel?"
"Healed. Absolutely, totally healed."
"Now that's truly amazing," Lydia said. "I never
thought an ordinary human could wield that type of
Power."
"No," the Dark Elf murmured thoughtfully,
"neither did I." His glance locked with that ofBerak.
But then Naitachal shrugged. "So be it," he said, so
meaningfully Kevin could have sworn he'd meant to
say, I'll keep your secret.
What secret? What was going on between those two?
But then the wonderful aroma of roasting meat hit
his nostrils, and Kevin forgot all about secrets for the
moment
"Don't gobble," Lydia warned him. "Your stomach's
shrunk. You'll make yourself ill."
Oh, but it was a struggle not to wolf down the meat
file:///G|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Me...stle%20of%20Deception%20-%20Bard's%20Tale.txt (179 of 200) [2/2/2004 1:24:48 AM]
file:///G|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Mercedes%20+%20Josepha%20Sherman%20-%20Castle%20of%20Deception%20-%20Bard's%20Tale.txt
and bread and cheese, the wine and sweetmeats. At
last, feeling alive again for the first time in he didn't
know how many days, Kevin sat back with a contented
sigh.
"My friends," he told the minstrels, "we can't pos-
sibly repay this."
They laughed. "No need! No need!"
"But," the bardling added, as casually as he could,
"we... ah... separated a good many days ago."
"Separated!" someone teased. "You ran off, is what
happened!"
"Uh, well, yes," Kevin admitted reluctantly, aware of
Lydia's amused glance. "But now, what have you been
doing since then? Have any news?"
Berak shrugged. "Old news by now. Count Volmar is
going to be hosting a major fair at his castle shortly."
CASTLE OF DECEPTION 241
"And we're to perform at it," a boy piped up. "Before
the count himselfl"
Berak grinned. "That's right, Riki. Before the count
himself." His grin faded slightly as he turned back to
Kevin- "You know, there are odd rumors these days.
Rumors that Count Volmar is going to make some sort of
major announcement- You know anything about that?"
"N-no. Not really."
"Indeed. Well, rumor or no, the truth is that cer-
tainly every liegeman and ally the count has is
streaming in for the grand event. Whatever it may be."
Kevin met Berak's inquisitive stare as innocently as
he could. Forcing a grin, the bardling said, "Well, it's
been a long day. If you don't mind, we'll spend the
night here with your people."
Berak was plainly disappointed not to have learned
any deep secrets from his guests, but he bowed from
the waist. "Our camp is, of course, your camp. Make
yourselves at home."
As soon as they were alone in the shelter of a wagon,
Tich'ki popped out of hiding. "You could have slipped
me more food!" she complained to Lydia.
"And have everyone wonder why I was feeding my
hair?"
Naitachal ignored them. "What of Berak's news?
That sounded truly ominous to me."
"Me, too," Kevin agreed. "This isn't just some litde
tourney the count decided to throw, not if he's calling
in all his allies to hear some grand declaration."
file:///G|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Me...stle%20of%20Deception%20-%20Bard's%20Tale.txt (180 of 200) [2/2/2004 1:24:48 AM]
file:///G|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Mercedes%20+%20Josepha%20Sherman%20-%20Castle%20of%20Deception%20-%20Bard's%20Tale.txt
"Exactly." The Dark Elf frowned. "It just might be
that Volmar is gambling on Carlotta's behalf, staking
all, as the saying goes, on one throw of the dice."
"If that's true," Lydia mused, "then losing one Hole
bardling  sorry, Kevin  and one spell isn't going to
stop them. They must have had this plan in motion for
months."
"Sure," the bardling added, "and I'm one very small
242 Mercedes Lackey ^Josepha Sfierman
fly in the ointment- One they think they can afford to
remove at their leisure." He fought down the surge of
indignant pride: he was small and insignificant  so far.
"This could be just the chance we need to deliver the
spefl."
"If we can take these folk into our confidence,"
Naitachal said.
"If we dare," Lydia muttered.
"If we can," Kevin added quietly, "in good con-
science expose them to our own danger."
"Ah. Well. There is that."
The bardling glanced at the others. "I think the best
thing is for you to split up and go into hiding, first off." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]