"Mercedes Lackey - Mage Winds 1 - Winds Of Fate" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

DAW Books are distributed by Penguin U. S.A. Book designed by Lenny
Telesca.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

First Printing, November 1991 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

DAW TRADEMARK( REGISTERED U.S. PAT. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRM -MARCA
REGISTRADA. HECHO EN U.S.A.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
Dedicated to

the memory of Donald A. Wollheim A gentleman and a scholar




Prologue The Legend"

Long ago, in the days of the first King, for whom the Kingdom of
Valdemar is named, it came to the King that he was growing old. Now
Valdemar had led his people out of the hands of a tyrannical monarch and
had no wish to see them fall again into the hands of tyranny. He knew
that his son and Heir was a worthy, honest man-but what of his son's
sons, and theirs?

He longed for a way to determine who would be a worthy successor to the
throne, so that Valdemar the kingdom need never become less free than it
was at that moment.

So he went into the fields and gardens beside the Palace, alone, and
wrought what was half a prayer and half a spell, begging all benign
Powers for their aid in this desire of his.

And as the last rays of the sun died from the sky, there was a mighty
wind, and a shaking of the ground, and out of the grove of trees before
him came a being like unto a white horse. And it spoke into his
mind-Then came a second, and a third, and before Valdemar could think to
question why these came, his own son and his chief herald came to the
place as if they had been called. And these two beings spoke into their
minds, also, saying "I Choose you." So did the king know then that these
Companions would choose only worthy folk to bear them company, for all
their lives-and that these folk would be the instrument of justice and
honor for all of the Kingdom from this moment. So did he name those
Chosen by Companions to be Heralds, for only one could be a Monarch, and
only one could be the Heir, but all could aspire to be a Herald. And he