"Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon - Valdemar - Darians Tale 03 - Owlknight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

The nonhuman members of the group, Kelvren, Ayshen, Tyrsell and Hashi, had not
yet appeared either - but just as Darian took his own seat and exchanged
greetings with the rest, the hertasi entered, followed by the king stag and the
kyree.

And right after them, Snowfire and Nightwind appeared. ?Sorry we?re running a
bit late,? Nightwind apologized, pulling her ebon hair away from her finely
honed face. ?Kel will be here in a minute, too - we had to pry the baby away
from him and get her put down for her nap.?

As if that had been a cue, the wicker walls shook with the thunder of enormous
wings outside, and leaves blew, and Kelvren the gryphon joined the group,
shouldering past the screen. He shook his dark brown feathers to settle them
after his flight (and the baby Moonshadow?s sticky hands) and looked around.

Ayshen, the leader of the lizard-folk called hertasi, sat beside Nightwind on
her left. The Kaled?a?in smiled a welcome and swept her trailing sleeves out of
the way for him, and he put the tray of her favorite berry tartlets he had
brought on the top tier of her table section. To her right sat Snowfire, and the
section of Tayledras concluded with the silver-haired mage Starfall, the eldest
of the group. Then came Darian, then Lord Breon?s sturdy son, Val, then the Lord
himself. Between Lord Breon and the two Ghost Clan representatives sat Barda and
Harrod. The dyheli stag Tyrsell stood beside Kelvren the gryphon along the back
wall. Val?s arm was in a sling again; he?d probably managed to sprain it at
fighting practice.

?It ssseeemsss everrryone isss herrre,? Kel said genially, and arranged himself
along the wall, lying down on the turf out of the way. Hashi the kyree lay down
next to him. ?Good! I am sssorrry I was delayed. Who will ssstarrrt??

?Actually, I will,? Lord-Breon said, looking uncommonly cheerful. Although his
hair was threaded with gray, no one in his right mind would ever challenge Breon
to a fight; he kept his well-muscled fighter?s frame in top trim. ?I have some
excellent news to start the Council session with - we?re getting our own,
permanent, resident Herald-Mage!?

?No, really?? Snowfire exclaimed, blue eyes widening, as the others murmured
their surprise. ?When did you hear this??

?Just before we left; news came by messenger.? Lord Breon was extremely pleased,
and well he should be. Giving this corner of the world a resident Herald meant
that Queen Selenay and her Council judged the land that held Breon?s keep to be
of significant importance. That meant Breon?s status had risen from that of a
minor noble to that of a key landholder here in the Northwest.

?Actually,? Breon continued, with a shamefaced glance at Starfall, ?I probably
ought to have told you last night, but - ?

?But there was no point in repeating the story half a dozen times, when you
could tell us all at once,? Barda said bluntly, her plain, no-nonsense face