"Stan Nicholls - Orcs First Blood 03 - Warriors Of The Tempest" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nicholls Stan)

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They rode like harpies fresh out of hell.
Jup turned in his saddle and looked back at their pursuers. He reck-oned there were maybe a hundred of
them, outnumbering the Wolver-ines four or five to one. They wore black and were heavily armed, and the
length of the chase had done nothing to cool their fire.
Now the leading humans were near enough to spit at.
He glanced at Coilla, riding abreast of him at the band's rear. She leaned forward, head low, teeth resolutely
clenched, bunched hair flow-ing like rippled bay smoke. The angular, tattooed corporal's stripes pat-terning
her cheeks stressed her stern features.
Ahead of Coilla, sergeants Haskeer and Alfray galloped headlong, their foaming mounts' hooves pounding the
frigid turf, kicking up clods of mud. The rest of the orcs were spread out on either side, grim-faced, bent into
the lashing wind.
All eyes were on the distant shelter of Drogan Forest.
'They're gaining!'Jup bellowed.
If any but Coilla heard, they didn't show it.'Then don't waste breath!' she yelled, glaring at the dwarf.'Keep
moving!'
Her mind was still on the spectacle they had witnessed earlier, of Stryke unhorsed, then carried off by a war
dragon. They had to assume it was one of Jennesta's, and that he was lost.
Jup shouted again, puncturing her brief reverie. He had an arm thrust out, pointing toward her neglected left
side. She swung her head. A custodian had drawn parallel with her. His sword was raised and his horse was
about to barrel into hers.
'Shit!'Coilla snapped. She pulled hard on the reins, turning herselfaside. It got her clear and bought enough
time to unsheathe her ownblade.
The human pressed in. He was waving the weapon and roaring, his words obliterated by the thunder of the
chase. His first swing was wide, the blade tip hewing air just short of her calf. A rapid second stroke came
closer and higher, and would have cleaved her waist if she hadn't tilted from him.
That made Coilla mad.
She whipped round and sent out a stroke of her own. The man ducked and it cut a whistling arc inches above
his head. He returned a thrust meant for her chest, but Coilla blocked it, knocking aside his sword. He made
another pass, and another. She deflected both, their blades connecting with a jarring, steely clatter.
Hunters and hunted sped on, pell-mell. They entered a small ravine perhaps a dozen horses wide. The terrain
flashed by, a blur of green and brown. On the edge of her vision Coilla was aware of more humans crowding
the band.
She stretched out and swiped at her antagonist again. The stroke missed, and overreaching she almost
toppled. He countered. Their weapons clashed, edge to edge, metal ringing. Neither found an opening.
There was a fleeting respite as they realigned themselves and Coilla checked the way ahead. It was as well
she did. The forward riders were splitting to either side of a dead tree square in their path, flowing around it
like fast-running water against a huge ship's prow. She tugged the reins to the right, throwing her centre of
balance in the same direction. The horse swerved and skimmed past the trunk. For an instant she had sight
of the bark's scabrous grain. A skeletal branch raked her shoulder. Then she was clear.
Where Coilla passed to the tree's right, the human took a route to the left. But it was an obstacle for the rest
of his kind. Their greater numbers clogged at the bottleneck, and for a moment he was alone. Seton being rid
of him, Coilla steered his way. They recommenced then duel as the gully gave way to open plains.
Trading blows, she was aware of the decamping Wolverines, with Jup staring at her over his shoulder. At the
same time the main body of custodians, coming up behind, was renewing speed. Coilla settled on bold move.
She let go of her reins, giving the horse its head, and clasped her sword two-handed. Inviting a fall was a risky
ploy, but she took the gamble.
It paid off.
This time, putting all her strength and reach into the swing, theblade bit flesh. It made contact at the elbow