"Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon - Mage Wars 01 - The Black Gryphon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

they both exulted in it behind their calm and rehearsed exteriors.
"I feel sorry for that one's lover," Skan said finally. "Very sorry, actually. She seems more important
as a possession than as a person to him."
"That was the conclusion I came to," Amberdrake admitted. "What was worse, though, was that I
was supposed to be dealing with my client's problems, and I found myself wishing there was a way I
could have a good long talk with his lover instead. That wasn't very professional of me, I suppose, but
then again, he wouldn't let me help him."
"The more fool he," Skan said scornfully, "to pay good money and then refuse to take what it
purchased."
Trust Skan to put the situation into the simplest possible terms! Amberdrake had to smile. "Thank
you, Skandranon Rashkae, you'll make me a perchi yet. Should I simply become a baker, and save
myself some worry?"
"You would find another way to take on the army's burdens as a baker. Each little slice of bread
would have a soldier's very life and spirits slathered upon it," Skan snorted.
Amberdrake laughed in response. It was, after all, a good return volley. "I suppose that in the grand
context of an entire army, one mage's emotional problems aren't too high on the list of things I need to
worry about."
Skan chuckled. "That is a reasonable statement. More reasonable than the fretting. You've spent
more time with me than you should have. Your other clients will be unhappy if they find out."
"Then they won't find out." Amberdrake got up to leave. "This is going to be a very interesting day;
I'm going to begin and end with a gryphon. It's the first time something like that has ever happened."
"I thought I was your only gryphon client," Skan mock-chided. "I may become jealous!"
"Don't bother, old bird," Amberdrake told him. "This is just a once-only, a reward. I'm not sure why
this gryphon chose me when she could have had the same treatment from an apprentice at a fraction of
the fee, but it will be a nice change from emotionally-damaged fighters and deservedly-traumatized
mages."
Skan snorted approval at the small insult to Conn Levas. He had long maintained that Amberdrake
was too gracious. "I may still be jealous."
Amberdrake smoothed his unwrinkled tunic as a mocking gesture. "She's a young female, I believe,
and if you're very good, I might introduce you to her after Gesten and I finish prettying her. Not that
you'll be in any shape to seduce her, but you might be able to persuade her you'll be worth keeping in
mind when you heal!"
Skan's face wore a very peculiar expression, as if he tried to hold back something. He seethed with
amusement. Amberdrake couldn't for a moment imagine why, though; the female gryphon hadn't been
listed as being from any wing Skan had ever flown with, and was several years his junior besides.
Whatever his secret was, however, he managed to keep it behind his beak. Amberdrake waited for him
to betray himself, but he said only, "I should like very much to meet this young lady once you've been
with her."
"I'll see what I can do," Amberdrake said. And since Skan didn't seem disposed to reveal anything,
he finally waved good-bye and went back to his scheduled work.
Very much like to see her, indeed... vain bird, he's probably planning his post-mating dinner
with her already.

Amberdrake was wiping thick oil from his hands with a rag when Gesten reminded him of his last
client for the day. It had been a day marked by trauma and pain, from the emotional trauma of a young
Healer who had seen one too many die, to the pain of a horseback skirmisher who'd had three beasts
shot out from under her at the attempt to retake Stelvi Pass. She had had so many wrenched and
displaced vertebrae from falls that Amberdrake almost sent her to the Healers instead, regardless of what
she said she wanted. But she swore to him that she would rather have "the best kestra'chern in the world"
put her spine back in place than any Healer and seemed thrilled to be with him, as if she spoke to a great