Rosemary Sutcliff by The Shining Company

Author:The Shining Company [The Shining Company]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-01-15T22:20:40+00:00

The Shining Company meant nothing at all. Then a frenzied yapping broke out above the deeper tumult that was still going on. One of the little creamy lapdogs which the royal women kept for playthings and which were seldom allowed in the outer court must have slipped out after them, and seeing and hearing and smelling the nearest hound-fight, had hurled itself joyfully to join in. And next instant the Princess Niamh came swooping after it, calling its name on a high seabird note. ‘Cannaid! Cannaiff I saw her for a splinter of time poised by the weapon-stone in the reeling heart of things, and then, and then - I do not know what happened, I could not see, a knot of warriors maybe somewhat drunker than the rest of us, and close-locked still in conflict, came spilling in from the side, and the battle closed once more around her. ‘Lleyn! Prosper! With me!’ Gorthyn shouted, and we were with him, butting and thrusting our way through and shouting as we went. She had caught up the little dog and was clutching it high against her, her back against the weapon-stone when she came in sight again, and we had almost reached her when a couple of fighting hounds crashed into her, and she lost her footing on the icy slush and went down. We got to her in only a few moments more. It was all so quick, the whole thing had been so quick since we first saw the royal women standing in the gateway that a score of heartbeats could have covered it from first to last. But we were not the first, for Cynan was already there, standing over her as I have seen him since then standing over a wounded comrade, and thrusting back the tangle of men and hounds. She was up again at once, and tried to take a step and almost fell with a sharp cry, ‘Ah, my foot!’ The little dog had run shivering and yelping against my feet, and I scooped it into safety. Cynan had caught up the Princess high against his shoulder, and turned with her

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