"Brian Jacques - Redwall 08 - The Outcast Of Redwall" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jacques Brian)

each other, communicating in silence. Then the badger held still as the hawk's
beak went to work. With short, savage movements, Skarlath tore into the
rawhide muzzle strips that bound the badger until they were ripped to shreds.
The badger clenched and unclenched his teeth, testing his jaws; then bowing
his great gold-striped head

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Brian Jacques

he devoured the rawhide hobbles that bound his paws, chewing and swallowing
the strips in his hunger. They were both free!

"Come, friend, we go, escape, get away!" said Skarlath, keeping his voice to a
hoarse whisper.

But the badger acted as if he had not heard his companion. Fierce anger burned
in his eyes. Stretching his powerful young limbs, the badger seized a bough of
the hornbeam and snapped it from the tree with a single wrench. Smashing the
bough against the tree trunk, he broke it in two; then, casting aside the thin
end, he gripped the heavier piece with both paws. It was about half his own
height, thicker at one end than the other, like some huge rough club. Roaring
out his challenge, he charged the unwary vermin around the fire.

"Eeulaliaaaaaa!"

The camp came to life instantly. Two vermin fell under the club as the badger
threw himself at Swartt. Before the ferret had half drawn his sword, the
badger's club thudded hard against his foe's six-clawed paw. Swartt screeched
and fell back injured, yelling to his creatures, "Stop him! Kill him!"

Skarlath saw the badger disappear under a crowd of vermin as they tried to
bring him down, and he hurtled in, ripping and stabbing with beak and talons.
Though the badger was weighted by foebeasts, none could fell him. He stood
like a mighty young oak, flailing the club, his deep-throated war cry ringing
through the forest.

"Eeulaliaaaaa!"
Skarlath decided then that his friend was totally mad. The vermin numbers
would tell soon and the badger would be brought down to be slain. Fighting his
way through, the kestrel landed upon the badger's shoulder and cried into his
ear, "Come away or we'll both be killed. Escape!"

The badger struggled to the fire's edge and, using his club, he scattered the
blazing logs into the ranks of his enemies.

Outcast of Redwall

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