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

would groan and give, wrenching and tearing as she fell.
Stepping back he scanned the ground along the line of
the fall. A movement caught his eye, and he saw a small child with golden hair
sitting beneath a bush, a rag doll in her hand. 'Kiris!' bellowed Druss.'If
you are not out of there by the time I count to three I'll tear off your leg
and beat you to death with the wet end! One! Two!'
The child's mouth dropped open, her eyes widening.
Dropping her rag doll she scrambled clear of the bush and ran crying from the
forest. Druss shook his head and walked forward to retrieve the doll, tucking
it into his wide belt. He felt the eyes of the others on him, and guessed what
they were thinking: Druss the Brute, Druss the Cruel - that's how they saw
him. And maybe they were right.
Ignoring them, he walked back to the tree and hefted
his axe.
Only two weeks before he had been felling a tall
beech, and had been called away with the work almost completed. When he
returned it was to find Kiris sitting in the topmost branches with her doll,
as always, beside her.
'Come down,' he had coaxed. The tree is about to
fall.'
'Won't,' said Kiris. 'We like it here. We can see for
ever.'
Druss had looked around, for once hoping that some of
the village girls were close by. But there was no one. He examined the huge
cleft in the trunk, a sudden wind could cause the trunk to topple. 'Come down,
there's a good girl. You'll be hurt if the tree falls.'
'Why should it fall?'
'Because I've been hitting it with my axe. Now come
down.'
'All right,' she said, then started to climb down. The
tree suddenly tilted and Kiris screamed and clung to a branch. Druss's mouth
was dry.
'Quickly now,' he said. Kiris said nothing, nor did
she move. Druss swore and, setting his foot to a low knot, levered himself up
to the first branch. Slowly and with great care he climbed the half-felled
tree, higher and higher towards the child.
At last he reached her. 'Put your arms around my
neck,' he commanded. She did so, and he began the climb down.
Half-way to the ground Druss felt the tree shudder -
and snap. Leaping clear he hugged the child to him, then hit the ground,
landing awkwardly with his left shoulder slamming into the soft earth.
Shielded by his bulk, Kiris was unhurt, but Druss groaned as he rose.
'Are you hurt?' asked Kiris.
Druss's pale eyes swung on the child. 'If I catch you
near my trees again, I shall feed you to the wolves!' he roared. 'Now begone!'
She had sprinted away as if her dress was on fire. Chuckling at the memory
now, he hefted his axe and thundered the blade into the beech. A great groan
came from the tree, a wrenching, tearing sound that drowned out the nearby
thudding of hatchets and the sawing of boughs.
The beech toppled, twisting as it fell. Druss turned