"Shirley Meier & S. M. Stirling - Fifth Millenium 05 - Shadow's Son" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meier Shirley)

merchant, obviously untrained in warтАФespecially one whoтАЩd give good pricesтАФand heтАЩd be able to take
his time once heтАЩd got there. He didnтАЩt expect to be able to make an attempt to truth-drug them before
that; heтАЩd heard about ShkaiтАЩra FarshotтАЩs mount and its night-senses. What sort of person, let alone
woman, would own a Ri? Not a good idea to tangle with that in the dark. But in the army, thereтАЩd be
more people around for camouflage, and the beast, because of its penchant for horsemeat, would have to
be kept apart from the main camp. Besides, I can make a little money from the army too, which IтАЩm
fikken well going to need ...


IV
From the Pages, Machine-Scribed News-Chronicle of the City of Arko, 16th Day of the First
Month Vernal, 55th to the Last Year of the Present Age (front page):
MASSIVE LOSSES INFLICTED UPON YEOLIS AGAIN
 In a brilliantly executed fighting retreat, General Perisalas Kem, Aitzas, inflicted huge losses on Yeoli
barbarians near the city of Tinga-e, at the tragic expense of his own life.
тАЬWe found it strategically advantageous to occupy higher ground outside the city after the battle,тАЭ an
aide of Perisalas stated. тАЬIn terms of casualties we were by far the victors. We are not certain how many
of the enemy were slain, but the streets were ankle-deep in blood.тАЭ
The conquest of Yeola-e has moved into its latter, most difficult stages, sources say, requiring a
strategy of тАЬattrition rather than advancementтАЭ: to wear the enemy down through inflicting losses. Hence
the recent series of strategic withdrawals, which Generals Perisalas and Abatzas Kallen, Aitzas, now
retired, have shown particular excellence in instigating.
Our hearts and prayers fight for our valiant heroes engaged in the divine work of conquering
barbarism in all benighted lands.

тАЬHow long is it since the Yeolis took Tinga-e back?тАЭ Megan asked Tema, a local girl going into the
market in town, and accompanying them because she loved horses. Brat, Megan thought.
тАЬOh, tsaht was late last fall,тАЭ she said in her bad Yeoli-accented Enchian. тАЬWassa complete rout.
Blood ankle-deep, all over tseh city. Was great.тАЭ
Megan gathered the reins tighter and said, in her sweetest voice, тАЬQuiet down, you sickly, vicious,
stupid nasty-tempered walking pile of dog-food. Sooo, soooohhh, calm down, mash-for-brains.тАЭ She
tried to mimic ShkaiтАЩraтАЩs tone. The beast swivelled its ears back and nodded forward, dragging the reins
loose. It knew. It couldnтАЩt stand her, either.
She looked back at ShkaiтАЩra on Hotblood, a few hundred paces behind. The Ri carried his
wedge-shaped head lower than a horse would, silver-white forelock falling down between his green,
forward-looking eyes, the eyes of a hunting carnivore. His black-on-black striped hide was glossy from
having had to eat more cereals than he liked lately. He yawned, showing his tearing fangs. She hoped the
wind wouldnтАЩt change; one whiff of the Ri and this herd of Aeniri horses would become totally
uncontrollable. Instead of half uncontrollable, as they were now.
Fifty, theyтАЩd bought, which also meant finding six more people who both wanted to join the Yeoli
army and herd on the way there for board, not to mention two herd-dogs. And ShkaiтАЩraтАЩs mountтАЩs
favorite meat happened to be horse, of which every horse from near Ri country with a sense of smell was
aware. At least with all the mounts to switch, they could move fast. All armies were horse-hungry. It
would finance the trip.
She dropped behind the herd and waited for ShkaiтАЩra to catch up; her horse was Yeoli, didnтАЩt truly
understand what a Ri was and so was only somewhat dangerously nervous near it. Against the sore
places on her rear, dust had worked its way into the folds of cloth; her calves and thighs screamed. If I
could still grip with my legs, IтАЩd be fine. As it is, those muscles just will not work. HotbloodтАЩs paws
hit the dust of the road with a shduf-puff sound, softer than a horseтАЩs hoof. She makes riding look so
fish-gutted easy ...