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

with nothing to do.

?I want Herald Anda to meet you, Val,? he said, turning to his son, who quickly
assumed a more appropriate expression. ?But as soon as he?s settled in, it?ll be
a good time for you to leave; any later and I might not be able to spare you a
proper escort.?

Val grinned back at his father. ?I?d have been disappointed if you?d asked me to
go to Court before he arrived,? he assured his father. ?If there was ever an
excuse for a Tayledras celebration, this will be it!?

Snowfire grinned, and Kel chuckled. ?What an excellent suggestion, Val!?
Snowfire said facetiously. ?We would never have thought of that, we are so
completely serious-minded. We?ll take it under advisement!?

Val knew the Hawkbrothers too well now not to recognize the teasing for what it
was, and just grinned back. ?I?d be happy to advise you on the menu as well,? he
suggested.

Nightwind raised an eyebrow. ?Not that you would ever volunteer to cook any of
the proposed menu,? she said dryly.

?You beat me to it,? chimed in Ayshen.

?You wouldn?t even suggest that if you had ever tasted his cooking, lady,? Lord
Breon replied with an exaggerated shudder. ?I won?t even let him make tea when
we are out on a hunt.?

Val opened his mouth to protest, then realized that he might get himself into
something he didn?t want, and shut it again. Darian smirked.

?Well, before we get into too many celebration plans, I?ve got a protest to lay
before the Council,? Barda announced. ?Ard Kilmer and Fern Holl are not happy
with Ghost Cat at the moment, and they want me to make a formal objection.?

Chief Vordon looked surprised. ?What could this problem be?? he asked. ?Not Boys?
Raids again, surely??

He was referring to the last protest against Ghost Cat, when boys wanting to
earn their Manhood status had begun raiding villagers. Everything that was taken
was returned, and the items taken were all of little value - but the fact that
those items had come from inside people?s homes, and had been taken in the dead
of night, had been more than a little unsettling to the good people of Errold?s
Grove. They did not like the idea of ?half-wild barbarian boys? creeping around
in their homes while they slept, and who could blame them? After all, their
daughters might be next to be stolen, and the daughters might not want to be
returned!

The Chief and Shaman, after long consultation with the Council, had agreed to a
new way of earning Manhood tallies that would demonstrate even more raiding