"John Marco - Tyrants and Kings 1 - The Jackal of Nar" - читать интересную книгу автора (Marco John)

mucus. Lucyler cried out. He dropped to one knee and swung his curved
blade in a blazing arc. Richius stumbled backward, falling off the deck into the
trench below. He felt the shock of pain as his armor was driven into his back
and rib cage. The head with the arrow splashed into the mud beside him.
Quickly Richius got to his feet and dashed to the nearest ladder. But before
he could place his foot on a rung another scream stopped him. He looked left
and saw a wolf on top of Kally. The beast had knocked the cannoneer into the
trench. Already Dinadin had leapt into the ditch after it, smashing his bow
against the wolf's head. Yet it wasn't the sight of Kally being savaged that
frightened Richius; it was the sight of the unmanned cannon. The wolf had
toppled the cannon from its base so that the weapon pointed skyward,
spewing flame upward like a huge orange fountain. And though he was no
longer on the deck to see it, Richius knew the wolves had already sensed the
hole in the Narens' defenses.
"Dinadin!" Richius shouted. "Get the cannon!" Dinadin glanced at Richius,
a horrified expression on his face. Kally was still alive.
"Get the bloody cannon!" Richius repeated, his voice cracking. He was sure
Dinadin could hear him, even over the roar of the fallen weapon. Yet Dinadin
ignored him, continuing instead to land blow after useless blow on the wolf.
When at last Richius reached them he pushed Dinadin aside and brought his
sword down upon the creature's neck. There was a spray of blood as the
head fell forward, held to the torso by a hinge of skin. The wolf fell upon
Kally, lifeless. Kally too was still. Richius turned and glared at Dinadin. The
young man stared back at him, his face twisted in confusion. Richius grabbed
Dinadin's breastplate and shook him.
"What's wrong with you?" he screamed, ignoring the storm of sparks
coming down and biting them like bee stings. "You heard me ordering you to
the cannon!"
Dinadin said nothing. Tears ran down his face, leaving clean rivulets on his
sooty skin. Richius stopped shaking him. "Dinadin?" Dinadin was silent.
"Come on, Dinadin. We have to get the cannon." At last Dinadin's eyes
flared to life. He pulled away from Richius, roaring, "To hell with your
cannon! What did you want me to do, leave him to die?"
"God's death!" cursed Richius, pushing past Dinadin. "The cannon is more
important! You know that." He stooped to avoid the flames and grabbed for
the weapon, shielding his face with his forearm.
"Richius, stop!"
The voice was Lucyler's. Richius released the cannon at once, unable to
loose the jammed trigger. The Triin was waving at him frantically.
"All right, let's get out of here," said Richius, turning away from the cannon.
"The trench is lost." Dinadin looked helpless. "Richius..." "Forget it," Richius
snapped, waving for Dinadin to follow. Lucyler jumped into the trench ahead
of them.
"Too many," the Triin called out. "And the warriors are coming."
"Signal the second trench to cover our retreat," Richius called back.
"Dinadin, get everyone out of here."
At the other end of the trench, Crodin was struggling to hold back the
onslaught of wolves and warriors with his cannon. When Richius barked
retreat, Crodin beamed with relief. Richius and Lucyler made their way to him,
climbing onto the deck beside him and his lineman, Ellis. All around them men