"Sean Russell - The Swan's War 2 - Isle of Battle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Sean)

Alaan felt like a hunted beast paddling through the swamp with tall, armed men in
pursuit. Again he pulled himself into the reeds and forced himself through. The bulrush
stands were dense and stood high above his head, offering perfect cover. Another snake
slithered, frightened, into the reeds almost beneath his feet.

"Yes," he whispered, "I am a son of Wyrr. You should fear me." He came to another
channel but crouched down, having thought

he heard some sound above the singing of the frogs. For a moment

he stayed very still.

"If Welloh stuck him, he didn't get him anywhere that mattered," a voice said.тАЭ He's kept
on like a frightened hare."Three men came into view then, wading down the center of
the channel, swords drawn. Two archers followed behind.

"Oh, Welloh stuck him all right. The point of his blade was bloody. He'll slow down, by
and by, our whist; that's what I sayтАФ" "Keep your voices down!" another hissed. Two
more men brought up the rear, swords in hand.

Alaan let them pass by. Seven men he'd counted. There seemed to have been many
more than that. How did Hafydd slip so many into the ball?

When the troop of men were out of sight, Alaan paddled across the channel, slipping
through a narrow opening in the rushes. Something snagged his good ankle and he was
forced to stop and cut himself free. Tanglevine. He'd have to be more wary. The telltale
blossoms, blood red by day, closed at night and were difficult to see.

He slunk on, stopping now and then to listen for men above the sounds of the swamp.
He found a low island of soggy ground and lay down in the reeds. He'd rest here a bit,
but not long. Alaan knew



23

that if Hafydd was among these men, he'd be able to track him no matter how cunning
he was. Sorcerers had their means.
Taking out his dagger, Alaan slit his pant leg to above the knee. There was not much
blood from the wound, which was already swollen and terribly painful. He pulled some
rushes aside so the moonlight illuminated the injury. He'd had worseтАФmuch worseтАФ but
he'd been near the healing waters of the Wyrr then. He cut some fabric from his now
filthy costume and bound it over the wound. These stagnant waters were foul and not
healthful, but there was nothing he could do. Escape was suddenly much more difficult.
A man shouted off in the distance, too far away for the words to carry, but the tone was
clearтАФdesperation. Someone had met one of the swamp's serpents, or perhaps a swamp
cat. There were any number of dangerous beasts in this place.
Another call, in answer this time.
Hafydd, however, would survive. Beasts were wary of the children of WyrrтАФthey were