"Elrod, P N - I, Strahd 2 - War Against Azalin e-txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elrod P N)

There was not much bloodЧlittle wonder at thatЧjust a little oozing easily
sopped up by the grass. Taking the dripping head by the braided hair, I strode
in a wide circle around the croft to see how things were faring at the cooking
fire.
Their feast was apparently ready, the leader already sitting down to his roasted
lamb. I assumed he was such since he was older and a bit wider than the rest,
wearing a large number of gold medals and necklaces. An ornate painted baton
swung from his waist. He also had the loudest voice, and the others showed a
certain deference to him.
Putting down the severed head, I resumed wolf form and settled in the grass to
wait. They fulfilled my expectations soon, calling into the empty night for
their scout to return, but it was only at the end of their meal that they
thought to send anyone out to find him. Two men took it upon themselves to go
look.
Putting all four sturdy legs to good use I loped back to where I'd left the body
so as to be there to greet them. I ambushed them in much the same way, assuming
a mist form, until they were past me, then taking them out from behind. A sharp
crack with a fist against each of their skulls just behind the ear was
sufficient to render them tractable, and I took myself back to await their
friends' next move.
After a quarter hour two more were dispatched, both calling loudly. They were
more on guard; one had his bow ready to shoot, the other his sword outЧnot that
either weapon proved to be of significant benefit in their defense.
Five down, ten to go. When enough time passed for them to become nervous, they
sent another party to go look. Suspicions were high, and six of them went
together, taking along brands from the fire to light their way. The new moon had
set, and the land around was ominously black. The thin starlight was not much
help to their dull vision.
They followed the scant trail the others left until they came upon the bodies.
None of their friends could be roused, which alarmed them, but they became
positively incensed upon discovering the headless corpse. The uproar was not
unexpectedly loud and full of much fury, and they proceeded to go off in all
directions trying to find the perpetrator. Only two had the intelligence to stay
together and futilely called to the others to do the same.
It's a poor commander who does not exploit his enemy's weaknesses. I made what
effort I could, appearing suddenly from the darkness to knock them senseless one
at a time. For this I was able to remain in man form. My clothing hid me well so
long as I kept low to the ground and did not move. At night the eye is better at
perceiving motion than anything else, and I could hold very, very still if
necessary. Once, as I lay flat on the turf, face pressed to the moist ground to
hide its revealing whiteness, hands covered by my spread cloak, one of the men
actually did stop and stand on my right hand for a time. I was hard pressed to
hold in my laughter as he diligently searched about for their common threat.
As soon as he moved, though, I dispatched him to a state of unconsciousness like
the rest. The two who kept together proved to be no more trouble than the
others. Ten down, five to go.
The remaining ones held close to the fire. They called in vain for their friends
to reply. Their leader summarily ordered them into the shepherd's croft. They
left the door and shutters open to see out, for all the good it would serve
them. One of the younger men in the group pointed toward the shepherd, and I