"Elizabeth Moon - Paksenarrion 1 - The Sheepfarmer's Daughter" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moon Elizabeth)

"em long enough. I'd say they weren't just digging
ditches."
Paksenarrion felt her ears steam, but before she got her
mouth open, she saw Stammel, behind the others, shake
his head at her. Then her file leader, a chunky dark youth
named Coben, spoke up.
"At least neither of them sneaked ale and collapsed like a
town bravo, Jens. And as for being ditchdiggers, Korryn,
it's better than graverobbingтАФ"
The black-bearded man jumped up and his hand reached
for the sword he no longer wore. 'Just what d'you mean
by that, Coben?"
Coben shrugged. "Take it as it fits. Digging jacks is
something any of us might be assigned тАФ I was, and you
will be. It's nothing to sneer about."
"Young puppy," muttered Korryn.
"Enough chatter," said Bosk. "Fall in for rations."
Paksenarrion was glad to find that after supper they were
each issued a blanket and expected to sleep. She had no
problem. She woke early and stiff, and had made her way
to the jacks and to the river to bathe before a bellow from
Corporal Bosk brought the others out of their blankets.
The regulars, she noticed, were already in uniform: did
they sleep that way? She folded her blanket as the others
did, and turned it in to the privates to load on a mule. This
morning she stirred porridge in one of the cookpots; three

file:///F|/rah/Elizabeth%20Moon/Moon,%20Elizab...arrion%2001%20-%20Sheepfarmer's%20Daughter.htm (18 of 653) [5/20/03 11:22:30 PM]
Elizabeth Moon - The Deed of Paksenarrion [vol 1] Sheepfarmer's Daughter


others were supervised by Saben, Jens, and the red-haired
boy in velvet.
A bowl of porridge, hunk of brown bread, and slab of
dried beef made an ample breakfast, and Paksenarrion felt
no ill effects from the previous day's journey. She was, in
fact, happier than she'd been for years: she was a soldier
at last, and safe from her father's plans. When she found
that Jens and Korryn had been told to fill in the trench,
her mood soared even higher.
"I don't mind digging them, if they'll fill them," she
whispered to Saben.
"Nor I. That Korryn's nasty, isn't he? Jens is just a drunk,
but Korryn could be trouble."
"Recruits. Fall in!" yelled Bosk, and the day's work really
began.
In the next few weeks, as they traveled toward the Duke's
stronghold where their training would take place,
Paksenarrion and the others became more and more
proficient at marching and camp chores. They picked up