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

Chosen as a Herald precisely as she would have if Shandi had been abducted by barbarians. This made
no sense, of course, but Keisha hadnтАЩt expected anything else.
She tried not to wince when SidonieтАЩs voice rose to new and shriller heights. тАЬI canтАЩt believe you
just let her go like that! How could you just stand there and let her be carried off?тАЭ
This was only about the hundredth time KeishaтАЩs mother had repeated that particular accusation,
and it didnтАЩt look as if she were going to stop thinking Keisha was the villainess of the situation any time
soon. Each time Sidonie uttered another outburst, before Keisha had a chance to say anything sensible in
reply, she broke down into hysterical sobs and cast herself into the arms of her husband or one of her
two oldest sons. This time it was her husbandтАЩs arms where she sought shelter from her traitorous
offspring. He patted her back and said consolingly, тАЬNow, Mother, you know thatтАЩs how it is.
 Keisha couldnтАЩt have done naught. ThatтАЩs how they always do these Choosing things, I suppose,
so they can make a clean break and all.тАЭ
тАЬBut sheтАЩs only a baby! She canтАЩt take care of herself all alone!тАЭ was the inevitable reply,
followed by a fresh spate of tears. Keisha wisely kept silent this time, since anything sheтАЩd tried to say
until how had only brought on another outburst; her brother Garry was injudicious enough to put in his
two bits.
тАЬAw, Mum, sheтАЩs not so little as all that!тАЭ Garry protested. тАЬSheтАЩs old enough to take care of
herself, and anyway, you know them Companions see to it the kids they Choose are right and tight.
YouтАЩd have been losing her pretty soon, anyway. SheтАЩs had three beaus, anтАЩ like as not, sheтАЩd have been
married in a year or two - тАЭ
Oh, no. Now heтАЩs given Mum something else to weep about, Keisha thought with dismay.
She was right. тАЬNow IтАЩll never see her wed!тАЭ came the wail, muffled by her husbandтАЩs shoulder.
Keisha swallowed, as her stomach roiled. This was beginning to make her sick - literally.
But her father had a thoughtful look on his face, and it was pretty clear that he was thinking there
was another side to all this, one that had a lot of advantages besides the obvious. Female Heralds, if they
wed, generally married other Heralds; on the rare occasions they married outside the Circle, it was with
men who asked nothing more of them than their company outside of duty, usually Healers or Bards. So if
Shandi married, there would be no dowry to raise. If she wed, it would be with someone who would live
far from ErroldтАЩs Grove - so there would be no need to put up with a son-in-law he disliked (and he
disliked all three of ShandiтАЩs suitors, each for a different reason).
The obvious reasons for being pleased about the situation were many, and heтАЩd already brought
them up to his wife, as had Keisha. Their daughter was going to be a Herald; theyтАЩd be the parents of a
Herald. People would look up to them, theyтАЩd have new importance in the village; people would listen to
what they said, even ask their opinions on matters of importance. Oh, of course she was going to be
doing work that was often dangerous, but not for years yet, and it still wasnтАЩt all that safe here in ErroldтАЩs
Grove - after all, what if the barbarians came back?
Keisha could tell that her father had clearly come to the opinion that this was no bad thing; his
thoughts might just as well have been written on his face for Keisha to read.
тАЬMum, sheтАЩs going to be fine,тАЭ Keisha said, once again, as her motherтАЩs sobs quieted. тАЬWhen
have you ever heard of a newly Chosen Trainee coming to grief on the road? SheтАЩs going to be a very
important person now, and people will look up to you because sheтАЩs your daughter. We might even get
invited to Court someday and see the Queen! And if she decides to get married, what ever gave you the
idea that she wouldnтАЩt come here to do it?тАЭ This time - finally - this attempt at comfort wasnтАЩt met with
another outburst, and Keisha continued as soothingly as she could. тАЬMum, sheтАЩs going to be in the safest
place in the world for at least four years - you just donтАЩt get any safer than HeraldтАЩs Collegium. I mean,
think! ItтАЩs right inside the Palace grounds! Think about that! Your daughter is going to be living on the
Palace grounds, and not as a servant either! SheтАЩll be back every long holiday, you know she will. After
all, you couldnтАЩt keep her away. Which one of us always throws herself into the holidays, hmm? Shandi,
of course! Just because sheтАЩs going to be a Herald, that doesnтАЩt mean she doesnтАЩt love her family!тАЭ
Oh, but IтАЩm getting very close to not loving my dear family right now. . . . All of this