Under the Vale and Other Tales of Valdemar
Read Under the Vale and Other Tales of Valdemar Online
Authors: Mercedes Lackey
Table of Contents
The Simple Gifts - Mercedes Lackey
Catch Fire, Draw Flame - Rosemary Edghill and Denise McCune
In an Instant - Elizabeth A. Vaughan
A Healer’s Work - Daniel Shull
A Leash of Greyhounds - Elisabeth Waters
Warp and Weft - Kristin Schwengel
Slow and Steady - Brenda Cooper
Sight and Sound - Stephanie D. Shaver
The Bride’s Task - Michael Z. Williamson and Gail L. Sanders
The Watchman’s Ball - Fiona Patton
Raves for the Previous Valdemar Anthologies:
“Fans of Lackey’s epic Valdemar series will devour this superb anthology. Of the thirteen stories included, there is no weak link—an attribute exceedingly rare in collections of this sort. Highly recommended.”
—The Barnes and Noble Review
“This high-quality anthology mixes pieces by experienced authors and enthusiastic fans of editor Lackey’s Valdemar. Valdemar fandom, especially, will revel in this sterling example of what such a mixture of fans’ and pros’ work can be. Engrossing even for newcomers to Valdemar.”
—Booklist
“Josepha Sherman, Tanya Huff, Mickey Zucker Reichert, and Michelle West have quite good stories, and there’s another by Lackey herself. Familiarity with the series helps but is not a prerequisite to enjoying this book.”
—Science Fiction Chronicle
“Each tale adheres to the Lackey laws of the realm yet provides each author’s personal stamp on the story. Well written and fun, Valdemarites will especially appreciate the magic of this book.”
—The Midwest Book Review
“The sixth collection set in Lackey’s world of Valdemar presents stories of Heralds and their telepathic horselike Companions and of Bards and Healers, and provides glimpses of the many other aspects of a setting that has a large and avid readership. The fiften original tales in this volume will appeal to series fans.”
—Library Journal
Under the Vale
TITLES BY MERCEDES LACKEY
available from DAW Books:
THE HERALDS OF
VALDEMAR
ARROWS OF THE QUEEN
ARROW’S FLIGHT
ARROW’S FALL
THE LAST HERALD-MAGE
MAGIC’S PAWN
MAGIC’S PROMISE
MAGIC’S PRICE
THE MAGE WINDS
WINDS OF FATE
WINDS OF CHANGE
WINDS OF FURY
THE MAGE STORMS
STORM WARNING
STORM RISING
STORM BREAKING
VOWS AND HONOR
THE OATHBOUND
OATHBREAKERS
OATHBLOOD
THE COLLEGIUM
CHRONICLES
FOUNDATION
INTRIGUES
CHANGES
VALDEMAR ANTHOLOGIES:
SWORD OF ICE
SUN IN GLORY
CROSSROADS
MOVING TARGETS
CHANGING THE WORLD
FINDING THE WAY
UNDER THE VALE
BY THE SWORD
BRIGHTLY BURNING
TAKE A THIEF
EXILE’S HONOR
EXILE’S VALOR
Written with LARRY DIXON:
THE MAGE WARS
THE BLACK GRYPHON
THE WHITE GRYPHON
THE SILVER GRYPHON
DARIAN’S TALE
OWLFLIGHT
OWLSIGHT
OWLKNIGHT
OTHER NOVELS:
GWENHWYFAR
THE BLACK SWAN
THE DRAGON JOUSTERS
JOUST
ALTA
SANCTUARY
AERIE
THE ELEMENTAL MASTERS
THE SERPENT’S SHADOW
THE GATES OF SLEEP
PHOENIX AND ASHES
THE WIZARD OF LONDON
RESERVED FOR THE CAT
UNNATURAL ISSUE
HOME FROM THE SEA*
And don’t miss:
THE VALDEMAR COMPANION
Edited by John Helfers and Denise Little
*Coming soon from DAW Books
Copyright © 2011 by Mercedes Lackey and Tekno Books.
ISBN : 978-1-101-55247-6
All Rights Reserved.
DAW Book Collectors No. 1568.
DAW Books are distributed by Penguin Group (USA).
All characters and events in this book are fictitious.
All resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
First Printing, December 2011
DAW TRADEMARK REGISTERED
U.S. PAT. AND TM. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES
—MARCA REGISTRADA
HECHO EN U.S.A.
S.A
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
“The Simple Gifts,” copyright © 2011 by Mercedes Lackey
“Catch Fire, Draw Flame,” copyright © 2011 by Rosemary Edghill and Denise McCune
“In an Instant,” copyright © 2011 by Elizabeth A. Vaughan
“A Healer’s Work,” copyright © 2011 by Daniel Shull
“A Leash of Greyhounds,” copyright © 2011 by Elisabeth Waters
“Warp and Weft,” copyright © 2011 by Kristin Schwengel
“Discordance,” copyright © 2011 by Jennifer Brozek
“Slow and Steady,” copyright © 2011 by Brenda Cooper
“Sight and Sound,” copyright © 2011 by Stephanie Shaver
“The Bride’s Task,” copyright © 2011 by Michael Z. Williamson and Gail L. Sanders
“Fog of War,” copyright © 2011 by Ben Ohlander
“Heart’s Peril,” copyright © 2011 by Kate Paulk
“Heart’s Place,” copyright © 2011 by Sarah Hoyt
“Family Matters,” copyright © 2011 by Tanya Huff
“The Watchman’s Ball,” copyright © 2011 by Fiona Patton
“Judgment Day,” copyright © 2011 by Nancy Asire
“Under the Vale,” copyright © 2011 by Larry Dixon.
The Simple Gifts
Mercedes Lackey
The last thing I expected when I woke up that morning was to find myself running for my life with my clothing in one hand and the other hand holding a sheet rather insecurely about my impressive torso.
Wait, let me back that up a bit.
First, please understand that I have no illusions about myself. I know what my talents are: charm, rugged good looks, wit, a great voice, and an instinct for how to make a lady very happy. I know what my flaws are: the desire to do as little actual
work
as possible, coupled with a taste for all the finer things in life, and a tendency to stretch the truth paper-thin. These two things make me the ideal candidate for no actual
job,
but they make me very good at being company for females (face it ladies, you really do
not
want to know that your butt looks like the rear end of a brood mare in “this dress”).
Yes. Alas, I am a man-whore.
Now that we have the technicalities out of the way, let me add that I specialize in ladies of a certain . . . age. Those who (so they tell me, and so I will fervently believe as long as I am with them) are underappreciated by the husbands. Because, oh yes, I
only
specialize in married ladies. That way if anything happens, they have a husband to deal with the consequences. And most of them actually are underappreciated. In the class I deal with exclusively, those husbands will have gone out and gotten themselves one or more pretty, young mistresses, so why, I ask you, is the sauce for the gander not just as appropriate for the goose?
I had somewhat worn out my welcome in the western part of Hardorn, so I had crossed into the eastern part of Valdemar, a country with which I was just marginally familiar. Hardorn was rather more to my liking: lots of rich merchant wives, lots of rich minor nobility, lots of husbands who were always somewhere else. However, I’d temporarily run out of the former, and since I was ill-equipped to fend for myself for very long, I took the very
nice
farewell present from my last “friend” and got a ride with her cousin’s trade caravan west. Her cousin was a widow, and I made an exception to my rule of wives only, and we passed the time pleasantly enough in her plush little wagon.