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

had made for them clothing of white, like the coats of their Companions,
so that all might know them at a distance, or in a crowd; and he decreed
then that only a Herald could be the Heir or the Monarch. And he decreed
that there should be one Herald always to advise and serve and befriend
the Monarch, so that his decisions be tempered with another view, and
that Herald was to be called the Monarch's Own.

So it was. And so Valdemar has prospered. The Heralds increased, and the
Monarch's justice spread.

The Chronicles"

In the first year of Herald Talia's investiture as full Queen's Own,
Prince Ancar of Hardorn slew his father and all his father's men in a
bloody and successful attempt to take the throne. He slew also Herald
Kris who was there as ambassador on behalf of Queen Selenay, and
imprisoned and tortured Herald Talia who was with him. She was rescued,
out of all expectations, by the power of Herald Dirk, the young Heir
Elspeth, and all the Companions together. Such a thing had never been
known before, that the Companions would all add their strength to the
Heralds to accomplish a task.

Ancar then made a trial of the strength of Valdemar, using both magic
and his private army, but he was thrown back.

Some two years later, he made trial of the borders again. This time he
was beaten back by the combined forces of the mercenary Company the
Skybolts, under Captain Kerowyn; the armies of Valdemar; and the army of
Rethwellan under Lord-Martial Prince Daren, who had come in answer to a
promise of aid long forgotten. In the heat of the battle, the Prince and
the Captain lost their horses and were both Chosen-and the Prince and
Queen were taken with a lifebonding, a circumstance that both pleased
and disturbed many.

Our ancient enemy, Karse, remains quiet, for Karse is beset with
internal troubles. Ancar makes incursions on the Border from time to
thing but feints, however.

So it has been to this day, some s years from the last battle, when the
events occurred that I now relate ...

Herald-Chronicler Myste PCHAPTER One ELSPETH

'"But-," Elspeth protested weakly. The empty salle echoed back her words
faintly. She stared at Herald Kerowyn and tried to make some sense of
what she'd just been ordered to do. Repair armor? Why should I repair
armor? I don't even know the first thing about repairing armor! And what
does that have to do with anything? She sat down, her arms sagging
beneath the weight of a set of worn-out leather practice armor, a set
long past its useful lifespan, and smelling faintly of sweat,