"Bill Fawcett & Brian Thomsen - Masters of Fantasy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fawcett Bill)

spill at the remains of the fire, and went out to light the lanterns.
When he had done the last of them, he found a couple of old men, limbs knotted with age, slowly
stacking wood in a firepit at the center of the village and he ran to help.
From that moment until late that night he worked, as hard as he had ever worked in his life, and despite
being a Prince, he was no stranger to physical labor. He carried wood and water, the enormous iron
kettle, and all the ingredients for the great pot of fish-stew that would be cooking night and day for as
long as this crisis lasted. He took a torch out to the drying racks for an old woman, rolled up empty
barrels and brought a keg of salt and a bag of herbs, and helped her stack smoked fish in layers with salt
and herbs. There were no fresh fish to spread upon the racks, but he helped her layer the fires for the
next day, when the men would go out. With aching muscles and sore feet he put babies and toddlers to
bed, persuaded them to stay there, then helped their grandmothers and grandfathers to their beds when
old bodies could do no more. Then he waited, getting off his feet at last, with Vedalia beside him,
watching the stew to see that it didn't burn. He'd taken Vedalia's tack and packs off him, but had no idea

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 - Chapter 2

where he should be stabled or where the two Heralds should stay. So he heaped tack and packs beside
the fire and used them as props for his back. As full as that kettle was, it would be a long time cooking,
and he needn't actually watch it, just stir it from time to time to keep what was on the bottom from
sticking and burning. He wished he could have a bath; even his hair felt full of smoke, and his eyes
gritty.
Slowly, slowly, the folk of the village began trickling back in, weary, too weary to think past the next
footstep. They didn't seem to notice him sitting by the fire; they trudged into their houses to seek what
they'd left of their beds, leaving him standing guard beside tomorrow's dinner.
And he could hardly keep his eyes open.
:You sleep,: Vedalia said. :I'll wake you if it needs stirringтАФor anything comes.:
"NoтАФI'm still on duty," Alain protested.
:Just close your eyes then to rest them,: Vedalia suggested. It seemed a sensible suggestion; they were
sore, irritated by all the smoke he'd been standing in. He let his lids fall for just a moment.
When he opened them again, it was because there was a rooster crowing in his ear. He jerked awake and
startled it and the two chickens scratching around his feet into flight.
It was dawn, and there was a young girl stirring the pot with a great wooden paddle. Someone had
draped a cloak over him, and he had curled up with Vedalia's saddle as a pillow. His packs were
nowhere to be seen, but Vedalia dozed hip-shot beside him.
The Companion snorted and stirred as Alain sat up, opening his brilliant blue eyes. :Stedrel was here
and took our packs, but he didn't see any reason to wake you. There's a Waystation just outside of the
village. If you'll just drape my saddle on me, we'll go wake him.:
They didn't have to; they hadn't gotten past the last longhouse when he and his Companion appeared on
the road before them. "You might as well turn back around," Sted called cheerfully. "We have to
organize the coast-watch now, and we'll both be a part of it."
Wishing mightily for more sleep, and trying not to feel disgruntled at Sted's announcement, Alain sighed
and did as he was told. At least there was food waitingтАФa communal kitchen set up by all the grannies
to dole out cold smoked fish and bread to anyone who stuck out a hand. The men, trusting blindly that
Sted would see to the protection of their families and village, took to the boats with their breakfasts in
their pockets and more of the same for eating later.
Before a candlemark was out, the village resembled a ghosttown. One set of elderly women minded
children and babiesтАФbut Sted had cunningly assigned every child too small to run to someone big
enough to pick it up and carry it. Several of the adult women were to carry babiesтАФand were put to
fashioning slings that let them have one slung on the back, one on the front, and one on each hip. That