"Mercedes Lackey - Owl Mage 2 - Owlsight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

That snapped everyone else out of their tense silence, and before Shandi could speak, she was
surrounded by friends and neighbors, all of them contributing to a conglomerate of babble that sounded
like a shouting match between a flock of hens and a gaggle of geese. As far as Keisha could make out,
none of them had anything very intelligent to say, but they were all very intent on saying it.
Through a gap in the crowd, Shandi peered entreat-ingly back at her sister; Keisha sighed and
pushed her way past everyone else to reach her.
Shandi paid attention to no one else, holding out her free hand entreatingly. тАЬKeisha, I didnтАЩt
mean - I mean, I want to go, but I didnтАЩt ask - I mean, I didnтАЩt intend - тАЭ Shandi was doing a good job
of babbling herself, and Keisha reached out and gave her shoulders a friendly shake.
 тАЬOf course you didnтАЩt mean for this to happen, you ninny,тАЭ she half-scolded, half-cajoled.
тАЬChoosings arenтАЩt planned, everyone knows that - and itтАЩs not as if youтАЩd gone and made an
appointment for this hairy beast to show up! I mean, if you could simply decide to be a Herald, what
would be the point? Herald would be like any other job. You get Chosen because youтАЩre the right
person to be a Herald, you know that.тАЭ
And I, most certainly, am not!
Was it her imagination, or did the Companion swing his head around and wink at her, just as she
thought that?
Oh, thereтАЩs probably a fly buzzing around his ears.
тАЬBut Keisha, I have to go, I mean I have to go now, and - тАЭ Shandi looked at her, pleading with
her to understand, tears brimming in her eyes and rolling slowly down one cheek.
тАЬAnd if you didnтАЩt have to go now, you know that Mum would find a thousand reasons why you
couldnтАЩt go, ever. I know that; Havens, probably everybody in town knows that.тАЭ Keisha tried to smile,
but it was a great deal more difficult than she had thought it would be. тАЬShandi, thatтАЩs why it happens this
way - IтАЩll bet that, otherwise, every single mother in Valdemar would have a thousand reasons why her
child couldnтАЩt go haring off into the sunset just on the say-so of a big white horse!тАЭ
тАЬBut - but - тАЭ ShandiтАЩs expression was painfully easy to read. Fix things for me, her eyes
pleaded. This is more important than anything in my life, but I canтАЩt go if you donтАЩt promise to fix
things forme!
Keisha closed her eyes for the briefest of moments, no more than a blink, stifled a sigh, and
nodded. Just like always - it looked as if she was going to have to тАЬpitch inтАЭ after all, and help clean up
the mess. . . .
But thatтАЩs not being generous, and if it was me - oh, if Shandi could have substituted for
me, IтАЩd be at HealerтАЩs Collegium now.
тАЬGo,тАЭ she urged her sister, and meant it. тАЬGo, and go now. IтАЩll take care of everything.тАЭ
Shandi believed her; Shandi always believed her. With a sigh of relief and a sudden smile like the
sun emerging from a thundercloud, she kissed Keisha, hugged her tight, then fumbled loose the strings
holding her belt-pouch to her belt. тАЬHere - тАЭ she said, pressing it into KeishaтАЩs hands. тАЬTake the dye, see
what you can do with it, maybe itтАЩll be good for a medicine.тАЭ Then she turned away and mounted the
CompanionтАЩs saddle with such ease and grace that it looked as if sheтАЩd been doing it all her life, never
mind that sheтАЩd never ridden anything before but their aged pony. The Companion clearly was taking no
chances; he gave Shandi no further chances for farewells or regrets. He danced a little, shook his
harness, and pivoted in place on his hind feet. That got people to move out of his way, and pretty briskly,
too. He moved out at a fast walk, allowing Shandi time enough only to wave good-bye before breaking
into a canter at the end of the street. In no time at all, they were over the bridge, then lost to sight as the
road was hidden by trees. Keisha let out the sigh sheтАЩd been holding in - and the exasperation. While the
rest of trie villagers gathered in knots, still babbling with excitement, Keisha felt the weight of yet another
burden fall on her shoulders. LetтАЩs see - one hysterical mother, three heartbroken suitors, half a
dozen friends left forlorn and a little jealous - I can handle that. I hope,
Keisha stood with her back to the wall in the warm, soup-scented kitchen, and wished she were
anywhere else but there. Sidonie Alder had reacted to the news that her youngest daughter had been