Read Online The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Juliet Marillier
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sheep all dry as a bone?” She stood withhands on hips, stolid as a big guard dog set on seeing an intruder off the premises.
“Best put it back out quick,” Elpin said. “They say if you do that, the—the Others, they’ll come and take such a child away again. If you don’t leave it too long, that is.”
“Pretty cold out there,” observed Uven doubtfully. “The babe’s very small.”
“What’s all this?” Ferat had been roused from his bed by thenoise, and now wandered in with tousled hair and the look of a man whose head aches mightily. “Where did that come from, lad? Here, give us a hold—that’s it—” And with a deft dip and lift, the cook scooped the infant from Bridei’s arms and moved nearer to the hall fire so he could examine it more closely. He seemed to know what he was doing; after a scrutiny of the red, crumpled features he putthe child against his shoulder, began a rhythmic patting of its back and, miraculously, the screaming died down to a thin, plaintive sobbing.
“It’s hungry, all right,” Ferat said. “And stinking like a midden—Mara, go and fetch some clean cloths, will you? Lad, stir up the kitchen fire for me, we need warm water.”
The others stood mute, staring at him. This morning he was definitely not himself.
“Go on, get a move on,” Ferat snapped in something closer to his usual tone. “Wee creature’s starving! What would Broichan say if he heard that fancies and superstitions made us treat a newborn babe worse than we would an orphan lamb? Shame on you!”
“That’s all very well,” said Mara, “but how are we to feed it? Besides, it’s not what Broichan would want. It’s not the right thing, and I can’tbelieve you’d ever consider it—”
Bridei cleared his throat. “I was the one who brought him in. If my fosterfather is angry, he can be angry with me. But you can’t put the baby out in the snow. He’d die.”
“Looks more like a lassie than a wee lad to me,” Ferat said, still patting. “And fey as they come, Mara’s right about that part. See how pale she is now she’s given up the shrieking for a bit?Long lashes like a fine heifer’s, and a little rosebud mouth. She’s like a thing from a tale; a fine gift, is how I see it. Mara’ll tell you if it’s a girl when she changes these wrappings.”
“Me?” retorted Mara crossly, but she put the babe on the table and stripped off the dirty swaddling, and Ferat was right, it was a girl. Bridei was not at all sure how he felt about this. Duly washed andrewrapped in the cloth Mara had fetched, the baby stayed in the housekeeper’s arms while Ferat did what he could with warm water and honey, and in a little, the tiny girl was being coaxed to suck the mixture from a rolled-up rag they dipped into the bowl, and was growing quieter. Uven and Elpin stood by watching; neither of them seemed in a hurry to be away. Ferat, in the kitchen, had summoned hisassistants and was busy cooking breakfast and talking the while.
“That won’t keep her happy long,” he called over the clanking of pots and pans. “Didn’t Cinioch say he’d a cousin that just lost a babe? You know the girl, went up to Black Isle to wed, but her man was killed while the child was still in her belly. She’s in the settlement down the lake, came back to her sister’s for the birthing.The infant didn’t thrive; they buried him a day or two since. Can’t recall the girl’s name.”
“Brenna,” said Uven. “Shy little thing. Sad tale, that.”
“Aye,” said Mara, “sad indeed. But useful. That’s if we’re keeping this one.” She frowned at the infant, now cradled in Bridei’s arms once more as Mara squeezed a few more drops of the honeyed water into the small, neat mouth. The eyes gazed upat her, pale and clear.
“Uven!” yelled Ferat. “Where’s Cinioch this morning?”
“On night watch.”
“Right. Get some breakfast into you then, and get up there as quick as you can. Tell him to come and
“Best put it back out quick,” Elpin said. “They say if you do that, the—the Others, they’ll come and take such a child away again. If you don’t leave it too long, that is.”
“Pretty cold out there,” observed Uven doubtfully. “The babe’s very small.”
“What’s all this?” Ferat had been roused from his bed by thenoise, and now wandered in with tousled hair and the look of a man whose head aches mightily. “Where did that come from, lad? Here, give us a hold—that’s it—” And with a deft dip and lift, the cook scooped the infant from Bridei’s arms and moved nearer to the hall fire so he could examine it more closely. He seemed to know what he was doing; after a scrutiny of the red, crumpled features he putthe child against his shoulder, began a rhythmic patting of its back and, miraculously, the screaming died down to a thin, plaintive sobbing.
“It’s hungry, all right,” Ferat said. “And stinking like a midden—Mara, go and fetch some clean cloths, will you? Lad, stir up the kitchen fire for me, we need warm water.”
The others stood mute, staring at him. This morning he was definitely not himself.
“Go on, get a move on,” Ferat snapped in something closer to his usual tone. “Wee creature’s starving! What would Broichan say if he heard that fancies and superstitions made us treat a newborn babe worse than we would an orphan lamb? Shame on you!”
“That’s all very well,” said Mara, “but how are we to feed it? Besides, it’s not what Broichan would want. It’s not the right thing, and I can’tbelieve you’d ever consider it—”
Bridei cleared his throat. “I was the one who brought him in. If my fosterfather is angry, he can be angry with me. But you can’t put the baby out in the snow. He’d die.”
“Looks more like a lassie than a wee lad to me,” Ferat said, still patting. “And fey as they come, Mara’s right about that part. See how pale she is now she’s given up the shrieking for a bit?Long lashes like a fine heifer’s, and a little rosebud mouth. She’s like a thing from a tale; a fine gift, is how I see it. Mara’ll tell you if it’s a girl when she changes these wrappings.”
“Me?” retorted Mara crossly, but she put the babe on the table and stripped off the dirty swaddling, and Ferat was right, it was a girl. Bridei was not at all sure how he felt about this. Duly washed andrewrapped in the cloth Mara had fetched, the baby stayed in the housekeeper’s arms while Ferat did what he could with warm water and honey, and in a little, the tiny girl was being coaxed to suck the mixture from a rolled-up rag they dipped into the bowl, and was growing quieter. Uven and Elpin stood by watching; neither of them seemed in a hurry to be away. Ferat, in the kitchen, had summoned hisassistants and was busy cooking breakfast and talking the while.
“That won’t keep her happy long,” he called over the clanking of pots and pans. “Didn’t Cinioch say he’d a cousin that just lost a babe? You know the girl, went up to Black Isle to wed, but her man was killed while the child was still in her belly. She’s in the settlement down the lake, came back to her sister’s for the birthing.The infant didn’t thrive; they buried him a day or two since. Can’t recall the girl’s name.”
“Brenna,” said Uven. “Shy little thing. Sad tale, that.”
“Aye,” said Mara, “sad indeed. But useful. That’s if we’re keeping this one.” She frowned at the infant, now cradled in Bridei’s arms once more as Mara squeezed a few more drops of the honeyed water into the small, neat mouth. The eyes gazed upat her, pale and clear.
“Uven!” yelled Ferat. “Where’s Cinioch this morning?”
“On night watch.”
“Right. Get some breakfast into you then, and get up there as quick as you can. Tell him to come and
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