Read Online The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Juliet Marillier
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The key settled at the bottom, hidden, secret. Now nobody could sendthe baby away.
What Bridei really wanted to do was go back to his own chamber, where nobody could see, and keep his remarkable gift safe for as long as possible. He could not stop looking at those tiny, perfect features, the strange eyes that were both innocent and knowing, the little fingers like delicate petals. But it was cold in his room. Besides, Bridei understood that newborn creatures,such as early lambs, needed a lot of looking after. There’d need to be warm milk. How would they manage that in the middle of winter? There’d probably be all sorts of other things he knew nothing about. He carried the basket through into the hall and settled on the stone floor near the sleeping hounds. One of the dogs growled soft and low, and Bridei hushed it.
He reached into the basket, handscareful as if gathering eggs, and lifted the infant out. It felt warm and relaxed and weighed no more than a rabbit. It was clad in a kind of cloak, fur-lined, and a gown underneath so fine-woven,so lacy, the thread might have been spun from cobweb or thistledown. The child’s lower parts were swathed in a bulky and practical piece of woolen cloth. Though this was undeniably damp, Bridei didn’tthink he could do much about it, having no handy substitute. So he held the baby in his arms, rocking it a little, and the clear, strange eyes gazed up at him as if working out just what to make of him. A lock of hair had escaped the confines of the bonnet and curled, black as soot, over the pale brow.
“It’s all right,” Bridei said in an undertone, just for the two of them. “I won’t leave youon your own. I’ll tell you a story every night, and play with you every day, and keep you safe from the Urisk. I promise.”
PERHAPS THE GOOD Folk had made sure the infant’s belly was full of milk before they left the child for the moon to dispose of. At any rate, it was not until the late winter sunrise began to send its lowlight through the chinks and crannies around the door that the child became suddenly hungry and began a shrill squalling that brought the whole household instantly awake. The dogs began to bark, the men groaned and stretched cramped limbs, and Mara, one hand to her head, got slowly to her feet and took two steps toward the spot where Bridei, startled from sleep, sat by the hearth with the red-faced,bawling infant in his arms. Mara’s shrewd eyes took in the strange, small basket, the swansdown lining, the tiny robe edged in white fur; they moved to the child itself, now looking more like any other hungry newborn, yet still notable for the pale, clear eyes, the delicate hands, the curl of coal-black hair. Then Mara looked straight at Bridei. He held the child to him tightly and stared back.They’d better not try to take his baby brother.
Mara moved her fingers in an age-old gesture, the sign to ward off evil. Behind her, the men were doing the same. “Black Crow save us,” she said, squatting down, “what have you been up to, Bridei? Here, give it to me.”
Bridei held on grimly.
“Come on, lad. Use your head. Can’t you see what that is? Just think what your foster father would say.Give it to me, quick now. The longer it stays within these four walls the more ill it’s likely to bring down on all of us. And with Broichan close to death and far from home, that’s just what we don’t need here.”
Elpin reached down as if to take the child. The expression on his face wasthat of a person forced to touch something he finds repulsive or dangerous, such as an adder.
Bridei edgedaway. “He just wants milk,” he said over the racket. Who would have thought such a scrap of a thing could make so much din? He could feel the cries vibrating right through the child’s fragile body. “Shh, shh, you’ll be all right,” he whispered.
“Milk, is it?” inquired Mara. “And where do you think we’ll find that in the middle of winter, with the cows and
What Bridei really wanted to do was go back to his own chamber, where nobody could see, and keep his remarkable gift safe for as long as possible. He could not stop looking at those tiny, perfect features, the strange eyes that were both innocent and knowing, the little fingers like delicate petals. But it was cold in his room. Besides, Bridei understood that newborn creatures,such as early lambs, needed a lot of looking after. There’d need to be warm milk. How would they manage that in the middle of winter? There’d probably be all sorts of other things he knew nothing about. He carried the basket through into the hall and settled on the stone floor near the sleeping hounds. One of the dogs growled soft and low, and Bridei hushed it.
He reached into the basket, handscareful as if gathering eggs, and lifted the infant out. It felt warm and relaxed and weighed no more than a rabbit. It was clad in a kind of cloak, fur-lined, and a gown underneath so fine-woven,so lacy, the thread might have been spun from cobweb or thistledown. The child’s lower parts were swathed in a bulky and practical piece of woolen cloth. Though this was undeniably damp, Bridei didn’tthink he could do much about it, having no handy substitute. So he held the baby in his arms, rocking it a little, and the clear, strange eyes gazed up at him as if working out just what to make of him. A lock of hair had escaped the confines of the bonnet and curled, black as soot, over the pale brow.
“It’s all right,” Bridei said in an undertone, just for the two of them. “I won’t leave youon your own. I’ll tell you a story every night, and play with you every day, and keep you safe from the Urisk. I promise.”
PERHAPS THE GOOD Folk had made sure the infant’s belly was full of milk before they left the child for the moon to dispose of. At any rate, it was not until the late winter sunrise began to send its lowlight through the chinks and crannies around the door that the child became suddenly hungry and began a shrill squalling that brought the whole household instantly awake. The dogs began to bark, the men groaned and stretched cramped limbs, and Mara, one hand to her head, got slowly to her feet and took two steps toward the spot where Bridei, startled from sleep, sat by the hearth with the red-faced,bawling infant in his arms. Mara’s shrewd eyes took in the strange, small basket, the swansdown lining, the tiny robe edged in white fur; they moved to the child itself, now looking more like any other hungry newborn, yet still notable for the pale, clear eyes, the delicate hands, the curl of coal-black hair. Then Mara looked straight at Bridei. He held the child to him tightly and stared back.They’d better not try to take his baby brother.
Mara moved her fingers in an age-old gesture, the sign to ward off evil. Behind her, the men were doing the same. “Black Crow save us,” she said, squatting down, “what have you been up to, Bridei? Here, give it to me.”
Bridei held on grimly.
“Come on, lad. Use your head. Can’t you see what that is? Just think what your foster father would say.Give it to me, quick now. The longer it stays within these four walls the more ill it’s likely to bring down on all of us. And with Broichan close to death and far from home, that’s just what we don’t need here.”
Elpin reached down as if to take the child. The expression on his face wasthat of a person forced to touch something he finds repulsive or dangerous, such as an adder.
Bridei edgedaway. “He just wants milk,” he said over the racket. Who would have thought such a scrap of a thing could make so much din? He could feel the cries vibrating right through the child’s fragile body. “Shh, shh, you’ll be all right,” he whispered.
“Milk, is it?” inquired Mara. “And where do you think we’ll find that in the middle of winter, with the cows and
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