"David Gemmell - Druss 01 - Druss the Legend" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gemmel David)

which plunged into the bowman's throat, punching through the skin at the back
of his neck.
Another attacker ran forward, this time from Shadak's
right. With no time to notch a second arrow Shadak swung the bow, lashing it
across the man's face. As the attacker stumbled, Shadak dropped the bow and
drew his two short swords; with one sweeping blow he cut through the neck of
the fallen man. Two more attackers ran into view and he leapt to meet them.
Both men wore iron breastplates, their necks and heads protected by chain
mail, and they carried sabres.
'You'll not die easily, you bastard!' shouted the
first, a tall, wide-shouldered warrior. Then his eyes narrowed as he
recognised the swordsman facing him. Fear replaced battle lust - but he was
too close to Shadak to withdraw and made a clumsy lunge with his sabre. Shadak
parried the blade with ease, his second sword lancing forward into the man's
mouth and through the bones of his neck. As the swordsman died, the second
warrior backed away.
'We didn't know it was you, I swear!' he said, hands
trembling.
'Now you do,' said Shadak softly.
Without a word the man turned and ran back towards the
trees as Shadak sheathed his swords and moved to his bow. Notching an arrow,
he drew back on the string. The shaft flashed through the air to punch home
into the running man's thigh. He screamed and fell. As Shadak loped to where
he lay, the man rolled to his back, dropping his sword.
'For pity's sake don't kill me!' he pleaded.
'You had no pity back in Corialis,' said Shadak. 'But
tell me where Collan is heading and I'll let you live.' A wolf howled in the
distance, a lonely sound. It was answered by another, then another.
'There's a village . . . twenty miles south-east,'
said the man, his eyes fixed on the short sword in Shadak's hand. 'We scouted
it. Plenty of young women. Collan and Harib Ka plan to raid it for slaves,
then take them to Mashrapur.'
Shadak nodded. 'I believe you,' he said, at last.
'You're going to let me live, yes? You promised,' the
wounded man whimpered.
'I always keep my promises,' said Shadak, disgusted at
the man's weakness. Reaching down, he wrenched his shaft clear of the man's
leg. Blood gushed from the wound, and the injured warrior groaned. Shadak
wiped the arrow clean on the man's cloak, then stood and walked to the body of
the first man he had killed. Kneeling beside the corpse, he recovered his
arrow and then strode to where the raiders had tethered their horses. Mounting
the first, he led the others back down the trail to where his gelding waited.
Gathering the reins, he led the four mounts back out on to the trail.
'What about me?' shouted the wounded man.
Shadak turned in the saddle. 'Do your best to keep the
wolves away,' he advised. 'By dark they will have picked up the scent of
blood.'
'Leave me a horse! In the name of Mercy!'
'I am not a merciful man,' said Shadak.
And he rode on towards the south-east, and the distant