(eng) Mercedes Lackey - Valdemar 12 by Closer to Home

Author:Closer to Home [Home, Closer to]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

10

Mags was happy to get away from the Court whenever he could, tending to his little crop of budding spies. He was altogether pleased with them; the three who’d been dubious had weeded themselves out, by violating one or another of the rules. His band of faithful had recruited more like themselves. Now he had a solid little group, and it was time for the next step. Nikolas concurred. “And it is appropriate,” he’d said. “New year . . . new life.”

He’d already revealed who and what he was to Aunty Minda. He had figured that she would take it well, but he hadn’t expected her full reaction, which had been both amusing and embarrassing. She hadn’t been afraid of him or what he represented—why should she have been, when she had never broken the law in all of her life?—but she had very nearly treated him like some form of royalty, bowing and making her children kneel, until he’d told her in no uncertain terms that if she kept doing that, he’d have to get down on his own knees just to speak to her.

Then he’d done it.

That had made her laugh, and they had a good long talk that went on for well over a candlemark. He already knew much about her sad life; it had been one long struggle until now, never getting ahead, never managing to do more than stay one step away from homelessness and starvation. Until that moment, however, he had never known how much she idolized Heralds—and for no good reason as far as he could tell, since until he’d come along, no Herald had ever done anything for her.

He’d told her what he wanted and needed from his little gang—how he planned to take care of them, and how he planned they could work for him. And as he had hoped, she had some ideas.

Now it was time to tell the gang of—children, not boys, since he’d discovered to his surprise there were two girls in disguise among them. He’d advised the girls to stay in disguise; they were more likely to get messenger jobs that way, and less likely to have to be on guard against someone trying to abuse them.

He came in as they were eating dinner, locking the door behind himself just in case one or more of them took fright and tried to bolt, wrapped up in his usual faded cloak. The former shop had a home-like scent to it, of good food, strong soap, and drying laundry. There was a faint hum of conversation, but not much. Children who had been starved took their food very seriously, and seldom mixed talking and eating. He was pleased to see how they had progressed in the time he’d had them here. They no longer looked like they were starving, and they no longer ate like it, either. They were seated on their bedrolls, quietly and steadily spooning up another of Aunty Minda’s tasty stews, with thick slices of buttered bread to sop up the gravy, and heavy mugs of some herbal tea.

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