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

years ago with their herds, their household goods, and their readiness to work and work hard. Within
months, they had built an enclave of a dozen stout houses and barns enough for all their animals; within a
year, traders were coming especially to buy what they produced.
For what the Fellowship specialized in was producing remarkable textiles: lengths of
tapestry-woven fabric; intricate braids and other trims; and a very few simple garments such as shawls
and capes - woven, knitted, knotted, and braided of the beautifully spun and dyed wool from their herds.
The creatures providing the wool were no ordinary animals. The Fellowship had goats with coats
so long and silky that it was a pleasure to touch them, sheep with wool the texture of the finest
thistledown, and a special variety of chirra. They were a little smaller and had a sweeter, more delicate
face than those used as winter pack animals, and they possessed a coat of wool that when woven was
softer than the finest sueded deerskin: light, dense, and so warm that one had to wear a cloak of it to
believe it. These animals all needed more tending than their mundane counterparts, so much so that it was
likely that few folk would be willing to put that much work into their care. Nevertheless, it was obviously
worth it to the folk of the Fellowship, since traders came from as far away as Haven itself to purchase
items such as their chirra-cloaks and blankets, their intricately patterned fabrics, and their тАЬweddingтАЭ
shawls, wraps of knitted lace so fine and delicate that they could be drawn through a wedding ring.
Keisha had heard that it had become the fashion for the highborn of Valdemar to present one of these
shawls to daughters of their houses to mark a betrothal, or for a suitor to offer one in token that he
intended to ask for a womanтАЩs hand.
Well, what was desirable for the highborn of Valdemar was also the heartтАЩs desire of every girl of
marriageable age in ErroldтАЩs Grove - and the folk of the Fellowship were pleased to make it possible for
these less-than-highborn suitors and parents to grant those yearnings with special prices for the folk of
their home village. Small wonder ShandiтАЩs eyes and feet were drawn to the booth; she had three current
suitors, all hotly pursuing her (and completely unsuitable in their fatherтАЩs estimation), any one of whom
could give her the reason for selecting such a shawl and pointing her choice decorously out to him.
тАЬShandi - тАЭ Keisha called her wandering attention back with a touch of exasperation. тАЬLook, letтАЩs
see if thereтАЩs a red dye first, then you can go look at shawls while I see if anyoneтАЩs brought medicines or
herbs that I can use.тАЭ
тАЬAll right,тАЭ Shandi agreed, though with an audible sigh. Satisfied that she had her sisterтАЩs attention
for at least a little while, Keisha and Shandi made the rounds of all three dye-sellersтАЩ booths, looking for
that so-elusive red.
Keisha deliberately went to BadenтАЩs booth last; he was - in her opinion - the most honest of the
three. As they neared his booth, he twinkled at Shandi and crooked a finger at her. They hurried to his
counter.
тАЬI think I may have something for you young ladies,тАЭ the cheerful, weather-tanned man said. тАЬIтАЩve
only been waiting for our good HealerтАЩs expert opinion on it.тАЭ He nodded at Keisha, who flushed.
He cleared bundles of dried fungus off the counter and reached beneath it, bringing out a cake
the size of his hand and as black as dried blood, together with something that looked like a seed pod
made of dried leather. He placed hands with nails from beneath which no amount of soap and water
would ever remove the traces of dye on the counter. тАЬHereтАЩs the dye, and hereтАЩs the thing it comes from;
now you tell me if this is going to be as good as I think it is.тАЭ
Keisha crumbled a bit off the cake, smelled it, very cautiously tasted it, and tried dissolving it in a
cup of water he provided. It didnтАЩt dissolve, and she raised an eyebrow at the dye-merchant, who only
grinned.
тАЬWonтАЩt dissolve in water, nor in water and soap,тАЭ he said in triumph. тАЬHere - тАЭ He tossed out the
water, and poured a bit of clear liquid into the cup from a stoppered bottle It appeared to be
thrice-distilled spirits, by the potent smell, and very nearly made her drunk just to sniff it. She dropped a
crumb of dye in and was rewarded by a spreading crimson stain.
тАЬLet me add a bit of salt for mordant, and you see for yourself what this stuff does.тАЭ He brought
out another cup and poured water into that, then obliged her with some scraps and threads to try in the