"Sharon Green - The Woman Who Rides Like a Man" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

Otherwise it won't last through its first battle!
She turned Moonlight as the giant circled her on his nimble pony. With a kick
of
her heels she urged the gold mare forward, slashing at her opponent. She was
a
knight of Tortall, and not to be toyed with!
She used every chance to break through his guard. He blocked her time after
time, grinning in-furiatingly.
Alanna drew back, breathing hard and fighting to keep her control. Now the
giant
returned the attack, and she blinked sweat from her eyes: she could not
afford
to make a mistake now! His tactics were different from those of the mounted
knights she had fought before; she didn't know what to expect.
Suddenly the midday sun was directly in her eyesтАФhe had maneuvered her just
for
this. Only at the last second did she glimpse his sword descending on her.
She
brought Lightning up hard, slamming her blade hilt-to-hilt with the giant's
sword. There was a ring of clashing metal, and the downward sweep of the
crystal
edge was stopped.
Then Lightning broke, sheared off near the hilt.
Moonlight darted away, taking Alanna out of the hillman's range. Her mistress
stared at the hilt she still gripped. Lightning had been her sword ever since
she had been considered fit to carry one. How could she fight without it in
her
hand?
Coming out of her daze, Alanna fumbled for her axe. She was trembling with
rage;
it took all her self-control to keep from losing her temper completely and
making a fatal mistake. Axe in hand, she charged the hillman with a yell. She
didn't hear the warning cries of the other hillmen, or Coram's gleeful whoop;
she heard only the wheezing of the giant's pony and her own choked breath.
She
swung, swearing as the hillman ducked and pulled out of her range. She was
closing with him again when he yelled, seeing something behind her. To her
fury,
he whirled his pony and fled, calling to the few men he had left. Alanna
spurred
after him.
"Come back, coward!" she cried.
The giant turned to laugh and shake his sword at her. His voice was choked
off
as a black arrow sprouted in his chest. More arrows struck down the hillmen;
only two escaped. They rode for all they were worth, pursued by five
white-robed
tribesmen.
A Bazhir, his white burnoose tied with a scarlet cord, rode toward Alanna as
she