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

"Yes," Mustardseed said bluntly. "I am willing to ride to their camp under a flag of truce and direct them
to the caves. Er, where are they, Moth?"

She pointed. "Near the tallest birch in that grove, just under the outcrop of rocks that resembles a red
crab. I left Ghosh's bucket near the entrance as a sign."

"I must confer with Quill," mumbled Pard, gesturing towards the air patrol, which was coming in for its
landing.

"Do it quickly. Sir." Mustardseed's sharp ears caught hoarse cries from the kobolds' camp.

Moments later, Mr. Tod and every other available fox were bounding through the forest again. The
beasts were tired, but somehow picked up energy as they neared the fray. Foxes loathed reremice.

There wasn't any time to present the flag of truce in any formal way. The kobolds were backed up in a
solid mass, defending a cluster of wagons. Mustardseed heard tiny kobolds wailing over the din of battle.
The fairies charged.

Mustardseed glimpsed the face of Colonel Cap, who was directing the defense: he clearly thought the
fairies had come to polish his men off, and registered complete crogglement when he saw Titania's Finest
whaling into the bats. Then she had to concentrate on impaling reremice, having picked up a new spear in
camp. She turned three into shishkabobs before getting close to the kobold defenders again.

The reremice had figured out that the most defenseless morsels were in the wagons, and were
dive-bombing them in their haphazard fashion. Mustardseed watched in astonishment as the colonel's
pine marten hurled itself into the air and snapped a reremouse in half while its rider cleaved another. But
then the colonel's luck failed; a brown streak whizzed at his head and long claws raked through the black
hair. The felt cap flew off, and the kobold nearly lost his seat. The reremouse pivoted in air, readying
another attack. Mustardseed heaved her spear . . . and connected.

Two more of the monsters tried getting into the wagon, its canvas cover torn to shreds. Mustardseed
glimpsed small, frightened blue faces within, and maneuvered Mr. Tod in between the wagon and the
reremice. She fended off one with her sword, but when she turned to challenge the second, she saw the
injured kobold had already dispatched it. Blood dripping down his face, he looked around wildly for
more enemies. But the fairy reinforcements had driven them off, at least for the moment.

"Where's Hinzelmann?" Mustardseed asked him.Where had that darn white flag gone? Oh, well."We've
come to lead your people to safety. We have a refuge in the ridge, down by that glade."

The kobold shook his head, hoping to clear it and not succeeding. "Herr General Hinzelmann is
wounded. I command." He looked about, dismayed. "Die Flederm├дuse . . ."

"Yes, they'll be back soon. So let's get underground and worry about the details later, Colonel . . ."

He drew himself up, patted the neck of his exhausted marten. "H├╢deken. So-called for my little hat,
wherever it is." He bowed.
 There's something incredibly appealing about such dignity in the face of disaster. And that mustache!
"You'll need a new cap. That one's been haberdashed to pieces. Let's go."