"Mercedes Lackey - Valdemar Anthology - Sun in Glory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

can live...with challenges to cope with, but none of them named Ma'ar. I am heartily sick of that name,
and all the troubles that go with it."
"Well...I can understand why the group would need a leader, but why not have a professional
healer with the group? I mean, I am not really qualified as a mage or even a herbalist, let alone a healer
yet. And a group of this size will need a proper healer, won't they?"
"Have you listened to anything I've been saying? You are known to be a dedicated student, and
are well versed in herbal techniques. You would be able to cope with any injuries that occur on the
journey, without a doubt. It would be perfect for both of us to go with them. Are you prepared to go?
You do have a choice, you know. If you don't want to go, you don't have to. I would understand."
"When are we leaving, Master Thomas?"
Master Thomas smiled.
"That's the spirit. We are leaving soon. Very soon. Our group is ready, and we are only waiting
until our Gate gets set up."
"About how long will that be? I haven't finished packing."
"About a half a day, but you'd better hurry. I've already almost finished getting my own things
together."
"You just wanted to get a head start on me so the master wouldn't be shamed by his student's fast
progress. Hah! I'll show you."
And with Master Thomas' laughter ringing in my ears, I left to pack for the journey of my life.
***
I had a list of what I needed to pack and how I needed to pack it. I had decided, after many
shorter trips where I had been badly equipped, that I would not make a single mistake. It would be faster
to pack everything slowly but correctly the first time, instead of throwing everything together and having
to repack a hundred times. First in were some of my softer clothes, with no metal buckles or straps in
them, placed against the back of the pack so that I had padding against my skin. I had made the mistake
of putting a belt buckle at my back once before, on one of my short journeys into the forest. Needless to
say, after a day of it rubbing against me, that was a mistake I intended never to repeat.
Next the seeds went in, a vital component of my supplies. When we reached a place where we
could settle down, the seeds would be needed to grow crops, and for my herbs. I placed the seeds in
specially prepared bags that were proof against water and fire, and woven through with protective spells.
The spells had been done by me, not Master Thomas. Master Thomas was an expert on war magics, but
he recognized that I knew more about the smaller, more useful spells for daily chores. It wasn't something
that was likely to get me recognition as a great mage, but I had a knack for it. After I had learned all the
simple spells that Master Thomas could teach me, and after that had become apparent that I would never
master the really powerful ones, I started turning to books.
I had had to learn most of what I knew by myself, deciphering the spells alone. I still hadn't learned
even half of what I wanted to know, so I was taking some books with me. It had been hard to decide
what books to take and which ones to give away, but it came down to what I would really need and,
eventually, what a village would need. I carefully packed five spell books into my pack, wrapping them in
more clothes. I had also prepared a whole range of herbal remedies, but only a little of each. Someone in
the group was sure to need them as we traveled, and I didn't want to be caught unprepared.
Lastly, I packed the food, water, and metal tools that Master Thomas had given me to carry for
the group. These all went at the top because they would be needed most often. I did one last check of
the list, making sure I hadn't left anything out, then I struggled into the straps and heaved the pack onto
my shoulders. I had been confident that I could cope with the weight, or that I would get used to it in
time, but it turned out that I had a previously undiscovered ability to underestimate weight. Well, I would
have to adapt or die...guess which one I thought was more likely at that stage!
I took a last look at my bare tent. It was a sobering sight, seeing the emptiness of it, when only a
couple of days ago it had been full of furniture, books, clothes, and other paraphernalia. Everything had
either been packed to be taken with us, or given away. There was no point asking people to save things