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

nearest the bridge - and he was coming straight toward the market square. There was purpose in each
and every step he took. He had no rider.
And - was he looking at her?
You had to have lived in a. cave all your life not to know what a blue-eyed white horse was, and
meant, in this kingdom. This was a Companion, and alone like this, with no urgency in his demeanor, he
hadnтАЩt lost his Herald, nor was his Herald in trouble. No, he had to be on Search.
And that meant he was looking for a new Herald-well, Herald-trainee - the person to whom he
would be bonded for the rest of both their lives.
 It seemed that the entire market saw the Companion at the same time that Keisha did. Everyone
stopped talking, and the silence that fell over the square was broken only by the soft chiming of bridle
bells and the matching overtones of the CompanionтАЩs deliberate steps. He knew very well that all eyes
were on him, too - he arched his neck and lifted each hoof so high he might have been on parade.
Keisha froze; out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Shandi had done the same. The
Companion was looking neither to the right, nor to the left, and there were only two people of reasonable
age for him to Choose from in the direction he was moving. Of course, Companions had been known to
Choose full adults in the past, but it wasnтАЩt usual. No, the only two people likely to be Chosen in this
village who were present at the moment were Shandi - and Keisha.
For a moment, Keisha was stunned, too shocked to think. This was not supposed to be
happening! But as the Companion moved closer, she wrenched herself out of her shock with a grimace,
as dismay washed over her.
DonтАШt you dare, she thought with annoyance bordering on anger at the Companion. DonтАШ tyou
dare try to Choose me! Her hands balled into fists as she stared into his eyes, willing him to hear her.
DonтАЩt even think about Choosing me! I have responsibilities here, you dolt! People here need me
for what I can do, and I can тАШtjust ride out of here and leave them! Listen to me, you fool! DonтАЩt -
Maybe staring into his eyes had been a mistake.
She felt the rest of the world vanishing around her as she fell into those twin pools of sapphire.
But before she could drown in them, she bit her lip to bring her back to herself and hurled her denial at
him.
I. Am. Not. Expendable! she thought, working up real heat at the thought that anyone, even a
Companion, could march into her life and proceed to reorder it for her. I. Am. Not. Going!
She sensed surprise. Pick somebody else!
Now she sensed - amusement? Why amusement?
Her anger evaporated.
The eyes turned away from her, let her go. Had they ever really held her, or had that only been
her imagination?
She didnтАЩt get a chance to think about it, because movement beside her caught her attention. The
Companion stood quietly, and now it was Shandi who walked with slow, entranced steps toward him.
She looked like a sleepwalker, and Keisha stifled the impulse to grab her arm and keep her
where she was. Still. . . IтАЩm not her keeper. If this is what she wants, she should try to make it work.
SheтАЩs old enough to make up her own mind, just as I am, and live with whatever comes of it.
Although, it looked as if consequences were the last thing on ShandiтАЩs mind right now.
Shandi stopped, just a step away from the CompanionтАЩs nose, and slowly reached her hand
forward, as if she feared to touch him. Keisha waited, heart pounding, biting her lower lip. The
Companion made short work of ShandiтАЩs hesitation, craning his neck forward as his bridle bells chimed,
and putting his nose in her hand. Then they just stood there for a long, long time, and KeishaтАЩs breathing
seemed very loud in the silence.
Then, as KeishaтАЩs nerves wound tighter and tighter, like an overtuned harpstring, the spell - or
whatever it was - finally broke. They both moved, the Companion tossing his head and sidling around so
that his stirrup and saddle were in easy reach. Shandi reached for the cantle, then turned to her sister with
eyes brimming with wonder.