"Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon - Valdemar - Darians Tale 03 - Owlknight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

lands of the North seemed to arrive with the potential to spread a new and
different illness. Keeping them all quarantined from Ghost Cat and from each
other until their ailments were identified and a cure devised required the tact
of a diplomat, the organizational ability of the Kingdom Seneschal, and the
tactical ability of a general. Although those qualities were not all combined in
a single person, among them all, the Council members managed, though there had
been a few-emergency sessions in the past.

The meeting planned for today, however, was the routinely scheduled monthly
meeting. Lord Breon and his son would be there for Kelmskeep, as would the Chief
and Shaman of Ghost Cat for the Northerners, representatives from Errold?s Grove,
and from all the races resident at k?Valdemar Vale. Darian didn?t figure he?d
hear anything more exciting than progress reports - perhaps some complaints or
requests from farmers.

The vague murmur of conversation mingled with the rustle of leaves reached him
before he actually saw the Council House. He stepped past the vine-covered,
wicker-work screen shielding the entrance, and joined the others in a ?room?
that seemed very much an extension of the lush forest outside.

Of the representatives for k?Valdemar, only he and the snow-haired, aged
Starfall were present at this moment; Nightwind and Snowfire and the others were
presumably on their way. Lord Breon and Val had arrived last night, staying
overnight in the guest lodge, and now were in their chairs chatting comfortably
with Chief Vordon and Shaman Celin of Ghost Cat. Hertasi moved about the table,
putting beverages and light snacks within reach of the Council members on the
topmost tier of the table. No one shuffled papers on the lowest table tier today,
which was a good omen for a short meeting. The table itself was in the shape of
an open rose seen from above, with the layers in trimmed wood forming the petals.
The original concept had been for a square table, yet someone had observed that
only allowed for comfort for four parties. The way things had been going who
knows how many more powers might come to stay in this area!

The Lutters were no longer the ones making the decisions for Errold?s Grove - oh,
they thought they were, but the real work was done by the Village Council, and
two representatives from that body were the new glass-maker, Harrod Dobbs, and
Barda of the Fellowship. Harrod was always glad of an excuse to come to the Vale
for a chance to use the bigger glass furnaces here and trade tips and lessons
from the Vale glass-makers. There was very little overlap in what he produced
and what the Vale artisans did; Harrod only rarely made anything that wasn?t
utilitarian, as the demand for glass bottles and jars and common drinking
vessels would always exceed his output. Still, he liked to turn out a nice set
of goblets now and again, and most of what the Tayledras produced was lampwork
and blown glass, so he was able to teach them molding techniques. The latest
result of that was a series of small, flat medallions to hang in a window that
they called ?sun-catchers,? formed of colored glass, with a decorative
impression molded into each. They were an adaptation of an Eastern style, very
popular within the Vale; whether they would become popular outside it had yet to
be determined.