"Esther M. Friesner - Chicks 05 - Turn The Other Chick" - читать интересную книгу автора (Friesner Esther M)

separated them, and the surrounded fox-riders broke out of the trap with minimal losses.

Fortunately for the fairy army, Hinzelmann pulled his troops back to regroup for another assault.
Mustardseed, Peaseblossom, and Cobweb downed mugs of nectar and assessed the damages. "Not
good," Cobweb said. "Some of their officers have little blue stones embedded in their leather coats. I saw
two perfectly good shots glance off the cursed things. I was hoping to take out the maniac on the snake."

"The guy in the cap's a bigger danger," Mustardseed said. "I saw him bring down an owl with a dagger in
the eye, and he nearly destroyed Blossom's platoon. He's fast enough . . . What's that?"

But she knew too well what it was. Shrill piping filled the sky and dark shadows played across the
moon. Cobweb, without hesitating, loosed two shots in succession. A reremouse fell to the ground,
twitching until Mustardseed slit its throat. Its fellows shrieked in protest, and the fairies' camp was
instantly filled with combat.

Reremice, however vicious, aren't good at coordinating attacks, and soon flew off. But, to the fairies'
horror, they were heading for Oberon's Glade where the civilians were hiding.

"There's no help for it," Lady Quill shouted from the back of her massive owl. "What use fighting the
kobolds if all our loved ones perish under vile fangs? Onward!"

The owls took flight and the foxes, many double-burdened with archers, leaped over the fields. "Bad,
very bad," Mustardseed said over her shoulder to Webby. "Even if we beat the bats, the kobolds will
pour down from the hills onto us."

"First things first," said Cobweb. "Hey, Lady Quill's owl just nailed two of the buggers! But what's that in
the glade? That can't be Moth!"

The diminutive grey fairy was smacking a downed reremouse with a broom. She looked furious, her
antennae sticking straight up. Other reremice were flapping in the sky above the glade, engaging the
owl-riders in combat. Cobweb and her fellow archers immediately started shooting, bringing more
leathery-winged demons down.

Mustardseed looked about in amazement. Save Moth, the glade was empty. "Where is everybody?"

"In the caves." Moth gave the corpse one more whack. "Ghosh found a tunnel last week while digging,
leading to enormous caves. Room for all, and we can block the entrance until these creatures leave. I
stayed to show you the way."

General Pard's panther pulled up just in time to hear Moth's news. "Wonderful! And even more
wonderful: look, we've beaten them back, and they're heading for the kobolds! They'll get what's coming
to them!"

Something twisted in Mustardseed's stomach. "Begging your pardon, sir, but I disagree. No intelligent
beings deserve to die under the reremice's fangs and claws. The kobolds, for all that they attacked our
lands, are a cultured people with a sense of honor." The image of the kobold colonel tipping his absurd
cap came unbidden to her mind. "Do you thinkthe Queenwould leave any thinking race to such a fate?"

The general, who revered Titania, had the decency to blush. "What would you have us do, then? Invite
the devils to share our sanctuary?"