Black Horses for the King
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Black Horses for the King». Краткое содержание книги:
After his father's death, young Galwyn Varianus is apprenticed to his uncle, who puts the boy to work on the high seas. But horses, not ships, are Galwyn's passion. Luckily, a passenger aboard, Lord Artos (later to rule as the legendary King Arthur), is bound for the great horse fair at Septimania. Risking his life, Galwyn abandons his uncle to serve the gallant leader. Galywn's calming way with horses quickly impresses Lord Artos and his men. But what no one expects is how crucial Galwyn will be to their upcoming battles--as he masters the secrets of the iron shoes that will protect the exotic horses' delicate hooves. . . .
"The horse needs to be ridden, Lord Bericus," Iswy was saying in a wheedling tone. I ducked aside from the path so as not to be seen listening. "Lord Artos would want him to be ridden."
"Lord Artos will do whatever riding that horse needs, Iswy."
"But I can stay on anything." The nasal whine of Iswy's scratchy voice must have annoyed Bericus as much as it did me.
"That may be true enough, Iswy, but I have specific instructions from Lord Artos, and Galwyn will continue to lead him."
"I could do that as well, Lord Bericus."
"Your offer is appreciated, Iswy." Bericus was obviously moving away from him, because his voice became less distinct.
There was a silence while I stood motionless, lest Iswy know that I had overheard his humiliation. Then he began a flow of soft cursing such as I had never heard before-vicious, promising vengeance from pagan gods on the high and mighty Lord Bericus for denying Iswy his simple request.
I crept back into the camp shaken with apprehension by the malice in his words. I had no doubts at all that he would try to do something irrational and perhaps dangerous, but I did not know what to do about warning Bericus.
I doubled my vigilance, sleeping that night near Cor-nix's end of the picket line.
I observed nothing unusual. The next morning, however, Spadix's near foreleg was swollen to the knee and he would not even put his hoof tip to the ground. I couldn't imagine what he could have done, for he had been sound the night before. He was such a sturdy pony that he was the one least likely to have leg trouble. As I raced for Canyd, seated by the fire with his porridge, I caught just a glimpse of Iswy's face-and the malicious smile on it.
I faltered in my headlong dash for Canyd, suddenly realizing that even that clever man would be unable to cure my pony before we had to be on the road again that morning. Exactly what Iswy wanted. I would not be able to lead Cornix from a seat on Spadix, so the animal would have to be ridden. And Iswy was acknowledged to be the best rider of us all.
"What is it, lad?" Canyd cried, looking up from his porridge bowl.
"Spadix." And I tugged at Canyd's arm. Maybe he had something heroic to cure my pony. "It's his leg. Swole up like a wasps' nest."
"It is?" Canyd rose in one swift movement, putting his bowl aside as he did so, surprise and confusion on his face.
"Oh, come quickly. He won't even put his toe to the ground." I pulled on Canyd's thin wiry arm.
"Easy, lad, easy," Canyd said, patting my hands to ease their grip on his arm. "I'm comin', I'm comin'."
Spadix was beyond Cornix on the picket, and his swollen leg was visible as we approached.
"Sa-sa, lad," Canyd said, touching Spadix's rump with a gentle hand as he moved in beside him and crouched by the filled leg. "Sa-sa, now what have ye don' to yurseP?"
"He didn't do anything, Canyd. It was done to him!"
Canyd paused hi his examination and squinted up at me. "It was, was it? This pony's that tired he swole his leg up so as not to lead out Cornix today?" And Canyd winked at me.
Astonished, I was speechless as I watched the wise hands gently press against the leg. Spadix nickered low in pain and tossed his head nervously. I went to his head and began stroking his muzzle, murmuring my own "Sash's to reassure him. I was proud of being part of those tending Lord Artos's marvelous horses; but Spadix was mine, and his injury, as spiteful as it was, distressed me more than I thought possible. Before my father's heart had failed him, I had had the best ponies money could buy, but I had never felt the kinship with them that I felt for this shaggy plebeian fellow.
Canyd kept up his "Sa-sa" while he felt more deeply hi the leg, felt the hoof itself; and then, with his head practically on the ground because the swelling hi the fetlock prevented the pony from tipping his hoof, he looked at the underside of it.
"Hmmmm"-and Canyd pressed both thumbs hard on the frog. Spadix did not react to the pressure. "Not hot. Not sore. That's good."
Spadix nodded his head vigorously, as if agreeing. Canyd continued his careful examination: the outside of the hoof again, up to the coronary band; and there, his knowing fingers stopped.
"We didna' go through thorny bushes, did we, lad?" he asked, of the pony more than of me.
I shook my head vigorously. "We were on roadway all day and I checked his legs last night as I always do. His and Cornix's. He was sound last night, Master Canyd, he was sound." I tried not to let my voice break but it did, and then a gentle finger prodded me.
"Did I say 'twas your fault, lad? Nay. But…" And he set his thumb and forefingers carefully to pulling a triangular thorn from the flesh beside the sesamoid bone. With narrowed eyes, he peered at it a long moment and then pushed it at me.
"How could-I mean, it just doesn't-!" I exclaimed, examining the wicked triangle.
"Indeed, lad, an' how a clever-footed pony like this 'un could possibly get such a thorn in his leg is beyond Canyd's understanding. We won't talk about that now. Sa?" He cocked his head at me in a cautionary pose. Winked again. "Now get me hot water, my bag, an' some bran from the sack. We must poultice it to draw the infection." His voice followed me as I ran to do his bidding.
Had I encountered Iswy on my way I'm not sure what I would have done to the fiend. And he was supposed to be such a great horseman! No real horseman would deliberately injure a horse. Or a pony.
We had the poultice wrapped around the swollen foreleg when Bericus came over to inquire what was wrong. I started to rise, to blurt out my suspicions, when Canyd pinched my leg so hard I had to grab Spadix's good leg to keep from tipping over.
"Bad?" Bericus asked Canyd, who nodded solemnly. "What?"
"Thorn." And Canyd gave a diffident shrug.
"Wouldn't you know!" Bericus sighed, glancing at me-but not in an accusing sort of way: more as if this delay were one more trial to be overcome. Then he strode back to the fire, murmuring to Bwlch.
"Why couldn't I speak?" I demanded of Canyd. "He'll think it was my fault."
"Bericus won't. He knows ponies. He can also figger things out hisself, you know." And Canyd chuckled.
"How would he know it was Iswy did this?"
"How do you?" Canyd asked, his eyebrows reaching up his forehead into his thick white hair.
"I heard him. In the woods, asking Bericus to ride Cornix. But Bericus refused him. I heard Iswy cursing and promising that he'd get to ride the stallion one way or another. So he has lamed Spadix on purpose, so I can't lead Cornix. And no one can lead him from a mare. Nor the other stallions. Not Cornix."
"Aye, lad, you've the answer."
"And what about Spadix?" A sudden fear coursed through me. I almost wailed as I said, "We can't leave him behind."
"True."
"It'll be days before Spadix can walk! And Bericus won't wait on a pony!" I had never been so afraid for another living creature, not even during the roughest days crossing the Narrow Sea, when I had worried so about the foals.
"Now, lad"-and Canyd took my hand in a firm grip of gnarled fingers, waving the index finger of his other hand in my face-"how do you know what a great lord like Bericus will or will not do?" He straightened up. "There, an' I've never knowed the bran to fail me."
By the time Canyd and I had returned to the fire, Bericus had come to a decision.
"How long before the pony'll be sound, Canyd?" he asked.
"Two, three days. Ponies is tough."
Bericus sighed again. "Much as I hate to leave you, lad, we've got to move on today," he said, and I nodded, feeling a numbness; but I really did understand. "We'll leave you provisions and you can follow at your own pace. It's a good road all the way to Glevum from here. And you're sure to catch up with us before Bravonium, or by Virconium at the very latest." He put one hand on my shoulder and gave me an encouraging shake. "We must make good time while we have the weather."