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

joint of the custodian's sword arm, hacking deep. Blood jetted. Crying out, he dropped his weapon and
clamped the wound. Coilla's follow-up struck his chest, shattering bone, freeing a copious ruby gush. He
swayed, head rolling. She made to strike again.
There was no need. The bridle slipped from the wounded human's fist. For a second he bumped along
insensibly, a mere passenger, carried like a rag doll by his racing horse. Then he fell. A confusion of askew
limbs and tangled clothing, he hit the ground tumbling.
Before he came to rest, the custodian vanguard rode over him. Some went down in the collision and were
trampled in their turn. A chaotic scrum of screaming men and horses formed.
Coilla snatched her flailing reins and spurred onward, several rider-less mounts in her wake.
She reached the tail end of the fleeing band to find Jup hanging back for her. As they rode on together the
enemy regrouped behind them.
'They're not gonna quit,' Jup decided.
'Do they ever?' She surveyed the land ahead. It was turning boggy. 'And this isn't running country,' she added.
'We're not thinking.'
'Eh?'
'We can't lead 'em to Drogan.'
Coilla frowned. 'No,' she agreed, her gaze flicking to the tree line. 'Bad way of repaying Keppatawn.'
'Right.'
'What, then?'
'Comeon, Coilla.'
'Shit.'
'Got another plan?'
She eyed the mob of humans. They were closing. 'No,' she sighed. 'Let's do it.'
Urging her horse, she put on a burst. Jup followed. They weaved through the ranks of grunts to the band's
head, where Alfray and Haskeer were leading the charge. The marshy footing was checking prog-ress, yet
still the pace smarted Coilla's eyes.
'Not the forest!' she called across.'Not to the forest!'
Alfray understood. 'A stand?' he shouted back, hefting the band's streaming war banner.
It was Jup who answered. 'What else?' he bawled.
'Stand, yes!' Haskeer chimed in. 'Orcs don't run!We fight!'
That was enough for Coilla. She curbed her mount. The others took her cue and reined in. At their hind the
custodians were coming up rapidly.
Wheeling about, she boomed,'Stand fast! We're meeting 'em!'
It wasn't her place to command. As the highest-ranking officers Jup or Haskeer should have given the order.
But nobody was thinking of formalities.
'Spread out!'Jup barked.'Make a line!'
With the enemy almost on them, the troop swiftly obeyed. They produced slingshots, throwing knives, short
spears and bows, though in spears and bows they were miserably equipped, having no more than four of
each among them. Snub blades and shot were more plentiful.
The custodians were baying as they swept in. Individual faces could be made out, twisted with bloodlust.
Their horses' steaming breath was visible. The earth rumbled.
'Steady!'Alfray cautioned.
Then they were a rock's lob from the orc line.
'Now!'Jup yelled.
The band loosed its meagre armoury. Arrows were fired, spears soared, clusters of stones flew.
There was a moment of chaos as the humans braked. Several were tossed from their horses by the sudden
halt. Others were felled by ar-rows and stinging shot. Here and there, shields went up.
Retaliation was swift, if ragged. A few arrows winged back, several spears sailed over; but from their
sparseness it seemed the custodians were as badly supplied as the Wolverines. Where they had them, orcs
raised their own shields. Projectiles rattled off them.