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

caught the word krothka several times. I overheard some discussionЧapparently
having to do with whether or not to bring in the krothka "shepherd." This was
dismissed by the leader, who seemed to be of the opinion the fellow might act as
bait to whatever was outside.
Just to excite things a bit I plucked up some stones and began tossing them in a
high arc so they landed with a rousing thump on the slate roof. I did this from
many directions, so they could not pinpoint exactly where I was. Then, while
they were all looking out the door I came close enough to toss the severed head
squarely through the window.
That made for quite a stir.
They finally saw the wisdom of closing the door and shutters and did so lest
more repulsive missiles invade their shelter. By then they were worked up into a
state where making mistakes is nigh on impossible to avoid. It is amazing what a
little darkness and a few thrown stones (and a severed head) from an unknown foe
can achieve.
While they were busy debating what was to be done, I hurried around to the fire,
borrowed a skinning knife someone had left behind, and cut the hapless shepherd
down. He had heard the thumps and thuds of the stones, the constant frightened
bleating of the sheep, the nervous horses that had now sensed my presence, and
the shouts and wails of his captors. Add in the fact that he was a native
Barovian who would rather slice off one of his own fingers than be caught
outside after dark, and I had a quite terrified man on my hands. As soon as he
saw me looming over him with the knife he set up such a screaming row you would
have thought I was killing him instead of saving him. There was no time to
explain, nor was it my desire to do soЧI simply knocked him out and left him
there on the ground until I could return to question him later.
Doubtless his full-throated and heartfelt shrieks, so abruptly silenced, did not
improve the morale of the men in the croft. The horses liked it no better; they
had snapped their long tether lines and were gradually putting distance between
themselves and their luckless masters. That was the deciding factor for two of
the men, who broke free, dashing toward the retreating animals.
The men would be much more difficult to catch once they were in the saddle. I
headed them off, grabbing one while he was in the process of throwing a leg over
his animal's back. As I dragged him down, the horse panicked and squealed as it
fell, hampered by the restraints on its legs. The man screamed not unlike the
sheep which had finally broken their paralysis and were disappearing into the
night. I knocked him out with a quick, sharp blow to the base of his skull.
I heard a shout behind me and turned in time to see the second man. He looked
quite mad: wild-eyed, sword out, and ready to chop me in half.
He had the one chance.
The curved blade sliced right through my body, barely meeting any resistance at
all. I felt a decided tugging as it ruined my clothes, but nothing more harmful
than that. UnfortunatelyЧfor himЧI am not so vulnerable to sword cuts as I once
was.
Where he expected me to fall over in a bloody mess I still stood unharmed, quite
dumbfounding him, until I compelled him to take a nap next his friend.
Three remained, huddled in the little croft. Though what had specifically
happened to their friends would be beyond their ken, they would understand that
whatever prowled here was more than capable of attacking them with the same
success. They were trapped in a small and frail shelter against the whole of the