"Kim Hunter - [The Red Pavillions 03] - Scabard's Song v1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hunter Kim - [The Red Pavillions 03] - Scabard's Song)

СI have the scabbard Ч she needs her blade.Т
СI know how she feels. I was a bit in that way myself, yesterday evening. Anyway, I thought to ask around, for a sword-finder. And IТve been told that the best one is amongst the dog-people.Т
Soldier went up on his elbows. СThe dog-people!Т
СWhy so alarmed, my husband?Т
СThe dog-people Ч in fact all the beast-people tribes, but especially the dog-people Ч have been sworn enemies of Guthrumites since the dawn of life on this world.Т
СThey have? Why especially the dog-headed people?Т
СBecause Ч because . . .Т He stood up and stroked her hair, looking into her eyes. СBecause one of them Ч well, he attacked and Ч and assaulted you. I killed him, later. I decapitated him with a sword and held his severed head up to ridicule before the armies of the beast-people. They despise all Guthrumites, but they hate me with a vengeance. If I went into their territory . . .Т
СI see,Т she said. СWhat if I were to go for you?Т
СNo Ч you fought well in the battle the other day, but you are not going to do my work for me.Т He made his decision. СI shall go in, with Golgath and Spagg, if theyТll come.Т
СIsnТt Golgath the brother of General Kaff ?Т
СYes, but I am more a brother to him than his own kin Ч he hates Kaff as much as I do.Т
СNever underestimate the power of fraternity, husband.Т
СIТll try to remember that, wife.Т
Golgath, when he was approached by Soldier, instantly agreed to accompany the general into the dog-head region north of Falyum. Spagg grumbled, asked whether Soldier thought he was mad, argued when Soldier put the case to him, then when Soldier felt he had persuaded enough, finally agreed to manage the pack horses and the cooking. The three mounted men set off in the early dawn. They were riding to the land of dragons, snake-people, horse-people, wolf-people and other such creatures. It was an area where the gods had mixed human features with those of beasts, mostly a human body with an animalТs head on its shoulders, and real people were not welcome there. The dog-heads had been amongst the hordes that Soldier and his army had recently crushed under the walls of Zamerkand.
They stopped the first night in the cave of an old warrener, a hunter of rabbits, who sold the meat for the pot and the skins for hats. The old man lived naked as a wild creature, with only his thick, long, greasy grey hair forming a cloak around his body to keep him warm at night. He gave his guests a black-toothed grin before inviting them into the cave.
СOld yellow dragonТs cave, eh,Т he explained. The walls were blackened by smutty fires. СNot many of Сem about nowadays. You can see where they used to sharpen their claws, on this piece of gneiss here. Eh? Eh? Wily old bastards, the yellows. Smoke you with their nostrils, so they would.Т
СIТve killed a few dragons in my time,Т boasted Spagg to the old man. СYou canТt tell me about dragons.Т
СBetcha ainТt killed a witch, eh? Eh?Т
СWitches? I chaw Сem up and spit Сem out. How about you?Т
Golgath rolled his eyes at Soldier, as if to say, weТve got a pair of them here.
СYep. Killed a witch once. Spurlggrot her name was, eh? Chopped her head off when she trapped me in a net made oТ gorse. The head bit me then rolled down a rabbit hole. I got sick, oТ course, and I burned the body in a fit of pique. That left her head loose, to roam the underground tunnels of rabbits, moles and the like. Lords and peasants out huntinТ in this district will tell you they hear her calling, from deep underground. ItТs said that warreners like myself sometimes get their hands bit, savagely, when they reach down into rabbit holes. Once you get witch-bit, you swell up like a black bladder and burst, if you donТt get magic help. NothinТ worse than a witch-bite for turninТ you rotten as last yearТs plums.Т
СI take it you ainТt been bitten again?Т asked Spagg, impressed in spite of himself.
СIТm the one killed her,Т said the old man, proudly. СShe canТt touch me no more. ItТs like some diseases. Once youТve had Сem, you canТt catch Сem twice. IТve already been witch-bit once.Т
СAnd so on, and so forth,Т murmured Golgath, unrolling his blanket. He yawned, before saying, СNow where did I put that bragging stick?Т
СUp yer arse,Т snapped the old man, before turning the spitted rabbit over the fire.
They slept the night in the cave with the old man, then continued their journey. It was true that in the old days they would have met with many dragons on this route north: yellow, red and green. But now there were so very few. There were rumours of an albino great-dragon, which roamed the Unknown Region to the north-west of the marshes beyond Falyum, but these were unconfirmed. The wingspan of a great-dragon was a hundred yards. They could chase you until you dropped, and their front legs were small and dainty, so they could get their claws into any crevice. The appetite of a great-dragon was voracious, bones, flesh and all, so if you saw one, you didnТt usually live to tell of it.
The next day, and the next, they continued north-eastward, into the country of the dog-heads, until they sighted their first beast-person. Once they had been seen, of course, they knew it was only a matter of time before they would be attacked. Sure enough, they were halfway across a plain when a hunting pack of twelve dog-people spotted them and came charging up in a cloud of dust, barking and yelping and waving their spears. It appeared they believed the three men to be ignorant of where they were, until Soldier unfurled the truce-standard, which was blue and white. Even the dog-heads recognised this flag and to a certain extent respected it Ч at least until they heard what strangers wanted, then they killed and ate them.
СWhat do you want in my country, blue-eyes?Т growled the dog-head leader. СYou will go on to my lance and be cut?Т
It was not an invitation, this latter question, it was a threat.
СI come to see the dog-warrior called Wo,Т said Soldier, Сthe sword-finder. My wife the Princess Layana of Zamerkand told me he is the best in the business. I need him to help me find a sword.Т
The dog-headТs mouth fell open, revealing his rows of fangs. His tongue lolled out as his hairy face took on an expression of incredulity. Then his expression hardened.
СYou be the blue-eyed Soldier, general of Carthagans, slayer of the noble and dogly Vau, of our canine-peopled nation.Т
SoldierТs blue eyes were unique in a world of creatures with only brown eyes and he was thus ever known by their colour.
СVau?Т Soldier spat the word. СMay he rot in his grave without his head. Vau was anything but noble. He was infamous. He assaulted my wife Ч tore her face with his teeth, scarring from brow to jaw down one side. His head was a cheap return for such treatment.Т
СYou admit to kill Vau?Т
СI would do it again, twice over, and laugh.Т
The alpha dog-head looked round at his fellows, his tongue lolling out in amusement. They stared back at him and yelped, averting their eyes from their leader, as submissive members of the pack are wont to do.
СWe has got the Soldier! Killer of our persons!Т
Soldier drew his sword, as did Golgath. Spagg nervously armed himself with a pair of daggers, one in each hand.
СYou might kill one of us,Т Soldier said to the dog-head, Сbut you will all die, every one. You have seen me fight the terrible Vau. You have seen me wreak slaughter on your packs in battle. Golgath here, the brother of my most bitter enemy, General Kaff, is as good a fighter as I am. Spagg there will mop up any wounded or weak among you. Now, do we get to see Wo, or do we chop each other to bits?Т
The alpha dog-warrior closed one eye, as if in thought, then wheeled his horse and said, СYou follow.Т He went charging off, yelping like a puppy, with his pack following after. Soldier and the other two followed at a more leisurely pace, keeping their guides in sight. Eventually they were led into a valley which was thronging with dog-people. Spagg was absolutely terrified and now regretted joining Soldier and Golgath.
The dozen or so in the hunting pack went charging around, yelping and barking, until the three men were surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of dog-heads, all with hostile eyes. Jaws were snapping and the air was hot with the musty breath of hounds. Their hairless bodies, as pale as SoldierТs own, seemed incongruous beneath the canine heads. They really were nightmare creatures, with their tall, hairy ears, their drooling mouths full of sharp teeth, and their strong, wiry human bodies.
СWhat now?Т cried Soldier, determined to show no fear to these creatures, who thrived on tearing cringing curs to pieces. СWill the warrior Wo, fmder-of-lost-swords, come forth to speak?Т
A tall, willowy creature stepped from the mass.
СI be Wo,Т he said. СWhat will you with Wo?Т
СI am Soldier, Commander-in-Chief of the Carthagan army. I seek a named sword, which has been lost to me for many years.Т
СWhy will you with Wo? I am enemy of Soldier. All these,Т his arm swept over the glaring dog-heads, Сare big enemy of Soldier. You be moon-struck to come here amongst us. You kill many dog-people with you sword. You take head of noble and princely Vau. We tear you to pieces, now you come into our den. I eat you eyes. I eat you liver. I eat you heart.Т
A great howling followed this speech and some of the younger dog-warriors went scampering around on their knuckles, like real dogs, yelping at the tops of their voices.
СThat so?Т said Soldier, ready for this eventuality. He swung himself down off his horse. СWell, I challenge you all to single combat. You cannot refuse. It is one of your unwritten laws that you must accept.Т
СWhat?Т cried Wo, stepping back with a surprised look on his face. СWhat you say?Т