"Flint, Kenneth C - Gods of Eire 02 - Champions of the Sidhe UC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flint Kenneth C)

"Tell me! What has happened?" Nuada asked urgently.

"We've discovered an army of Fomor gathering secretly," the

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CHAMPIONS OF THE SIDHE

Dagda told his old friend bluntly. "Over a thousand warriors have joined it and more companies are arriving every day."

"There's something else," said Lugh. "Bres is with them. He's clearly been sent by those at the Tower of Class to lead them in crushing us."

"He has enough men to do that now," said Nuada, clearly alarmed by this news. "Why is he waiting?"

"He seems to be gathering all the Fomor in Eire," said Lugh. "We think he plans to destroy the de Dananns totally."

"Then how much time have we before he is ready?" Nuada asked.

"There must be several thousand Fomor in Eire," the Dagda answered. "We can only be guessing, but I'd say it will be at least ten days before he is ready to march against us."

"Ten days!" repeated Nuada in a despairing way. "So little time!"

"We wouldn't have had that long if we hadn't discovered Bres's secret," Lugh reminded him. "Now we have a chance to organize a defense."

"Is that the truth?" Nuada replied, his voice sharply edged with irritation. "And just what is it you're planning to make this defense with?"

Lugh was taken aback by this sudden hostility from the king. But Nuada saw the surprise in his face and was at once regretful.

"I'm sorry, young Champion. I know the kind of hopeful fire that courses in your veins. For you, anything is possible. But age is turning my blood cold. It's harder to keep hope."

Lugh didn't understand. "But the de Dananns are gathering. You're forming an army hereЧ"

"No, Lugh," Nuada interrupted. "Our own forces are only trickling in to join us from those few settlements close by. We haven't had time to reach the others. Most of the de Dananns in Eire can't even know there's been a rising here."

"He's right, Lugh," said Angus. 'And to give them time to come, to arm and train them and make an army, they would have to host in a very few days. We can't reach them so quickly."

"But some will come, and you have some companies here," Lugh said, stoutly battling to counter their air of defeat.

"Look at them more closely," said Nuada, taking in the warriors in the yard with a sweep of the arm. "We have perhaps

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five hundred who could fight. But look at their condition. Even with weapons and training, they are far too weak. They've been starved and beaten for too long. The rest of our people are surely the same." He shook his head. His voice sounded weary. "Even if every de Danann were at Tara now, armed and ready to fight, they wouldn't have the strength to withstand the Fomor hordes."

Lugh realized how deeply this vision of defeat had plunged Nuada into despair. He recalled the condition the High-King had been in not many days before. Then Bres had ruled and Nuada had watched helplessly as the tyrant drained his people. His sense of failure had driven him into a drunken apathy. The fear and uncertainty that had come upon the once assured leader still threatened to grip him at times. They had to be controlled.

"Nuada, remember, when I first came to Tara, you were certain you could never act again. But you have, and so have your people. You cannot show any weakness or any doubt. You must keep the spirit and the others will too. We'll find a way to defeat the Fomor. You must believe that."

Nuada looked closely at the intense young warrior, then he smiled.