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

The giant Dagda waded into the five men who swarmed upon him. The great ax flew about him like a scythe cutting through a field of grain, slashing through the Fomor with a force they could do nothing to defend themselves against. Not far away the raven-woman shrieked her harsh battle cry and flew against three more with both swords. Her flashing weapons were like tearing claws, and it seemed to them that a flock of blood-hungry crows were upon them.

The battle was brief and bloody. The inhabitants of the ring-fort watched the fighting with growing amazement and jubila- ^ tion as the four wreaked devastation on the Fomor band.

Finally, Lugh pressed the captain back across the compound, teasing him now, nicking him here and there to drive ; him like a stubborn bull. The maddened officer made a desper- ; ate thrust. He found his weapon knocked from his hand and a bright, sharp blade pressed to his throat.

Lugh smiled and poked out with his sword. The captain tumbled backward into some of the deepest mud in the yard. Now the Fomor's recent captives laughed. >

"Now, Captain," Lugh said, "look around at your warriors."

He did. There were only three left alive, and two of them were wounded. The rest were sprawled lifeless in the mud.

"Tell them to surrender. Quickly!" the young warrior demanded. There was no compromise in his voice now. Only deadly earnestness. The captain obeyed.

The Fomor warriors were quickly disarmed and directed out of the gateway. Then Lugh turned back to the fallen officer. -

"Now you, Captain. Crawl out of here like the vermin that you are. Go and tell your fellows that if any of you come near this fort or any of the Tuatha de Dananns again, you will surely i die!"

The captain began to crawl. Lugh gave him a slap across the rump with the flat of his sword to urge him along. The terrified Fomor slithered through the muddy yard with astonishing speed and disappeared out the gateway.

Lugh walked to the de Danann man and boy who had watched the battle from their own seats in the mud, afraid to move. He sheathed his sword and hefd out a hand to each.

"And you, get up from that mud," he told them forcefully.?

"Stand up like men." Each took a hand and he pulled them erect. "It's time the de Danann people did that again."

The man stared at the young warrior before him, and then around at the rest of their saviors, still somewhat dumbfounded at the suddenness of their rescue.

"By all the Powers, you have saved us," he said weakly, as if he had just accepted the truth of it. "But how did you come here?"

"We've been traveling the countryside, trying to tell every settlement of the rising against the Fomor," Lugh said.

"Then there has been a rising?" the man asked. "That captain spoke of it."

"There has, that's certain," the Dagda assured him, moving up beside Lugh. "We seized Tara only days ago, drove out the Fomor garrison and deposed Bres."

"The High-King?" The man gasped in shock.

"Yes, but let's not speak of it right now," said Lugh. He had been examining the ringforts inhabitants. "Your people look badly used and nearly starved. See to them and get them some food. Then we can talk."

"We've no food left," the man told him sorrowfully. "We were poor enough to start, and these Fomor raiding parties have taken what we had these past few days, That's why this last band was so cruel."

Cilia Decaire crossed the yard to them.

"I think we can take care of that ourselves, so I do!" he said cheerfully. He reached into the voluminous cloak and yanked out a tremendous leg of mutton. This he tossed lightly to the man who gaped in wonder. "Here. This'll start things niceiy. And, here!" He reached in again, this time hauling forth a skin bulging with liquid and a fat, round loaf of bread. "Some nice ale here," he announced, passing it over to the man and tossing the bread to the boy.

The youngster stared wide-eyed at the loaf that filled his arms, then in awe at the marvelous cloak.

"Lost a whole lamb inside there once," the clown told him with a broad wink.