"Berg,.Carol.-.D'arnath.1.-.Son.Of.Avonar" - читать интересную книгу автора (Berg Carol)

trees to my right. 展ho痴 there?・I called out, scrambling to my feet.
As if from nowhere and everywhere sounded the blast of a horn, the clamor of a
hunt sweeping through the forest on three sides: racing hoofbeats, jangling
harness, a shouted command not ten paces from where I stood. The runner was
closer than that.
鉄tay away from me,・I said softly, trying to look everywhere at once, 登r I値l
scream and let them know you池e here.・/p>
A branch snapped. I whirled about, but saw nothing. Backing slowly away from the
hunt toward the downhill side of the clearing, my hand moved slowly toward my
slit pocket where I could reach the knife sheath hidden under my skirt. But
whatever I thought to do with my pitiful weapon was left undone. A muscular arm
reached from behind and wrapped itself about my neck, while another grabbed my
waist, crushing my elbow into my ribs. I fought to keep my footing as my
assailant dragged me downstream through the water and into a dense tangle of
cedar, pine, and juniper. Twigs and sharp, dry underbranches caught in my hair,
slapped and stung my face.
My captor痴 arm was fiercely sunburned, the skin scratched and abraded. The heart
pressed so close to my back was thudding ferociously, and his sweat soaked the
back of my tunic. He stank of unwashed terror.
I slammed my unrestrained elbow into his belly, tore at his arms, stomped my
boot somewhere in the region of his foot, and flailed at his flank妖iscovering to
my surprise that he seemed to be entirely unclothed. When I reached over my head
to claw at his eyes, he used my own right arm to bat away my left and tightened
his hold on my throat.
The pursuit careened through the woodland, the riders so close, I could almost
smell the leather harness and feel the cool steel of their blades. Yet even if I
could have mustered a shout or a scream, I wouldn稚 have done so. I had no
illusions that those giving chase were more benevolent than my captor. Such was
the state of the vile world. I just wanted to get loose, to get out from between
pursuers and pursued. A bizarre struggle・both of us wordless, desperate.
My chest hurt. Feebly, I tried jamming my fingers between my windpipe and his
arm, but he trapped both my wrists in one broad hand and pinned them to my
breast. But just as the black spots before my eyes started swirling together, he
shifted backward a few wobbling steps, jolting to a stop as if he壇 backed into a
tree. My knees buckled and left me sagging against his arm, and either the
change of position or some release on his part allowed me to gulp a bucketful of
air.
The day fell unnaturally quiet. The noisy pursuit had passed us by, but the more
ordinary sounds葉he bawling of crows, the rustle of rabbits scrabbling through
dead leaves揺ad not yet resumed. Only the faint mumble of the stream accompanied
my captor痴 breathing. While his chest heaved with harsh, shuddering gasps,
painfully muffled, I dangled from his grip like a scrawny chicken waiting to
have its neck wrung. Filthy bastard. I knew how desperate men were likely to
release pent-up fear and anger when a vulnerable woman was within their reach,
and I was having none of that. The slight quiver beneath his flesh hinted at
weakness, and the sweaty hand that held my two wrists was trembling. One chance,
perhaps・/p>
I wrenched my hands from his grasp, clawed at his arm, and tried to duck my head
under it. But weakness is a relative thing. With devastating speed, and strength
that came near cracking my spine, the man growled and spun me about, grabbed my