"David Gemmel - Troy 02 - Shield of Thunder" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gemmel David)

She had not told him of the gulls. He would only scoff. Seagulls were stupid birds, he would say. They
have no place in prophecy.
But she had dreamed of a colossal flock of gulls that blotted out the sun like a black wind rising,
turning the midday sky to night.
And that wind brought death and the end of worlds.

The young warrior Kalliades sat in the mouth of the cave, a dark cloak wrapped around his slim frame,
his sword heavy in his hand. He scanned the arid hillside and the fields beyond. There was no one in
sight. Glancing back into the gloom of the cave, he saw the injured woman lying on her side, her knees
drawn up, the red cloak of Banokles covering her. She seemed to be sleeping.
Bright moonlight speared through a break in the clouds. Kalliades could see her more clearly now. Her
yellow hair was long, and her pale face was bruised and swollen, smeared with drying blood.
The night breeze was cold, and Kalliades shivered. From the high cave he could see the distant sea,
reflected stars glittering on the water. So far from home, he thought.
The vivid red scar on his right cheek was itching, and he idly scratched it. The last of many wounds. In
the quiet of the night he remembered the battles and the skirmishes that had seen sword and dagger
blades pierce his flesh. Arrows and spears had cut him. Stones shot from slings had dazed him. A blow
to the left shoulder from a club had left him with a joint that ached in the winter rains. At twenty-five
he was a ten-year veteran and carried the scars to prove it.
тАЬIтАЩm going to light a fire,тАЭ his huge comrade said, moving out of the shadows. In the moonlight
BanoklesтАЩ blond hair and full beard shone like silver. Blood had spattered over his breastplate, dark
spots on the bright bronze disks fastened to the heavy leather undershirt.
Kalliades turned toward the powerful warrior. тАЬA fire will be seen,тАЭ he said quietly. тАЬThey will come
for us.тАЭ
тАЬThey will come for us anyway. Might as well be now, while IтАЩm still angry.тАЭ
тАЬYou have no reason to be angry at them,тАЭ Kalliades pointed out wearily.
тАЬIтАЩm not. IтАЩm angry with you. The woman meant nothing to us.тАЭ
тАЬI know.тАЭ
тАЬAnd itтАЩs not as if we saved her for long. ThereтАЩs no way off this island. WeтАЩll likely be dead by noon
tomorrow.тАЭ
тАЬI know that, too.тАЭ
Banokles said nothing more for a while. He moved alongside Kalliades and glared out at the night.
тАЬI thought you were going to light a fire,тАЭ Kalliades said.
тАЬDonтАЩt have the patience,тАЭ Banokles grumbled, scratching at his thick beard. тАЬAlways end up cutting
my fingers on the flints.тАЭ He shivered. тАЬCold for this time of year,тАЭ he added.
тАЬYou wouldnтАЩt be so cold if you hadnтАЩt covered the woman who means nothing to us with your cloak.
Go and gather some dead wood. IтАЩll start the fire.тАЭ Kalliades moved away from the cave mouth, took
some dried bark from the pouch at his side, and shredded it. Then, with smooth strokes, he struck flint
stones together, sending showers of sparks into the bark. It took some time, but finally a tiny plume of
smoke showed. Dropping to his belly, Kalliades blew gentle breaths over the tinder. A flame sprang
up. Banokles returned, dropping a pile of sticks and branches to the ground.
тАЬSee anything?тАЭ Kalliades asked him.
тАЬNo. TheyтАЩll come after sunrise, I expect.тАЭ
The two young men sat in silence for a while, enjoying the warmth from the small fire.
тАЬSo,тАЭ Banokles said at last, тАЬare you going to tell me why we killed four of our comrades?тАЭ
тАЬThey werenтАЩt our comrades. We were just sailing with them.тАЭ
тАЬYou know what I mean.тАЭ
тАЬThey were going to kill her, Banokles.тАЭ
тАЬI know that, too. I was there. What did that have to do with us?тАЭ
Kalliades did not reply, but he glanced once more at the sleeping woman.