"Elizabeth Vaughan - Chronicles Of The Warlands 01 - Warprize" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vaughan Elizabeth)

I shook my head no. тАЬI am following your instructions, Sire.тАЭ

тАЬAre any of them likely to die in the next day or so?тАЭ

An odd question. тАЬNot likely, Sire. I have one that is badly wounded, but other than that they are healing
well.тАЭ

тАЬVery well. You are dismissed.тАЭ He had the look of a man thinking about something else, and not happy
in his thoughts.

I looked over at Lord Warren, but his gaze was fixed on Xymund. I sensed that now was not the right
time to request an interview. Instead, I bowed to the King, and backed away. I managed to leave
without banging into the door.

The sun on my face woke me the next morning. I rolled over, burrowing my head in the blankets and
pillows, and sought the return of sleep. My muscles were warm and limp and the bed was so
comfortable. I could feel myself starting to drift. But something niggled at me. I drowsed for a bit, trying
to remember what was so urgent. Then I heard horns from outside.

I threw back the covers, darted to the window, and threw open the shutters. From my little window, I
could see the city sprawled below, beyond the walls, and into the valley stretching far below. The
WarlordтАЩs army lay there, the small white tents covering the fields beyond. It was an impressive sight. I
stood for a moment, then scrambled about my small room, looking for the clothes IтАЩd tossed aside last
night.

I took a sniff, and decided that fresh ones would be a good idea.

I found a simple gray dress in my trunk and dressed quickly, shoving the brooch back into my boot
before I finished. It was safer with me than not.

I would get a hurried look at the big man, check his wound, go to market and get the items I needed, do
my rounds with

Eln, then back to the tent, spend a few hours brewing in the stillroom, and with luck, be back in bed
before the next dawn. I dug my money pouch out from under a pile of notes, and stopped in dismay.

I hadnтАЩt realized how little was left. My only income was from the sale of some of my mixtures and
lotions to ladies of the court. I usually had enough for my needs, since by living at court I had no real
expenses. But I had been buying herbs and other supplies for a while now, and my coin had depleted
quicker than I expected. I frowned, dug out what coins there were and glanced around my room. There
was nothing here that had much value, and I had not the time to make any lotions. I reached for my belt
pouch and the pile of notes that I had shifted fell to the floor to reveal a potential source of funds.

It was an old book, the first that I had purchased for myself. A listing of herbs and a discussion of their
properties. I stared at its leather cover. I almost had the darn thing memorized, IтАЩd had it so long.

I didnтАЩt think twice, because it would have hurt too much. I swept up the book, grabbed a satchel and
crammed it in. I slung the whole thing over my shoulder and headed down to the garden.

The garden seemed its usual self this morning, bright in the sunlight. I had to stop when I entered the tent