"Michael A. Stackpole - Dragon Crown Saga 3 - When Dragons Rage" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stackpole Michael A)

could Crow be Hawkins?тАЭ
тАЬBecause he was too trusting. The basic story is true. Hawkins accompanied Lord
Norrington, your grandfather, and Leigh Norrington, your father, on the last war against
Chytrine. That was a quarter century ago. Along the way your father found a terrible sword,
Temmer. It made him invincible in battle, though not invulnerable. The price the wielder paid
was that he would lose his last battle.
тАЬThat last battle came at Fortress Draconis. Chytrine had one ancient sullanciri тАФ an
undead hoargoun. You saw some of the frost giants at Svoin, though this one had been
dead long before I was born. It used fear the way a skunk uses stink. The warriors who faced
it broke and ran, your father among them. Only two men stood to oppose it.тАЭ
Will looked up. тАЬAt that interior gate?тАЭ
Resolute nodded solemnly. тАЬYour father had run, and Scrainwood with him. Hawkins ran,
too, but his fear was for your father. He found him, took Temmer from him, and slew the
sullanciriтАШтАЩ
тАЬReally?тАЭ The young thief frowned. тАЬI never heard that.тАЭ
тАЬThose who were there knew it, but many had been so fear-mad they seldom wanted to
think about that whole battle.тАЭ
тАЬYou said two men stood against it. The other was Princess AlexiaтАЩs father, wasnтАЩt it?тАЭ
The Vorquelf nodded. тАЬYou saw the plaza at Fortress Draconis. You saw where he died.
Hawkins couldnтАЩt save him, but he saved many others. Because of that, he was selected to
go north with your grandfather and King Augustus, to chase after ChytrineтАЩs retreating army.
When Chytrine split off from the army, Hawkins was allowed to join the band heading after
her.тАЭ
тАЬOf course; he had Temmer.тАЭ
тАЬNo. Temmer was shattered killing the sullanciriтАЭ The VorquelfтАЩs head turned toward the
sword with the keystone pommel. тАЬThat is Tsamoc, and the sword Hawkins carried as he
went after Chytrine.тАЭ
Will nodded. HeтАЩd seen Crow use the sword in battle. It had a glowing, opalescent gem
set in the bladeтАЩs forte. The sword had enough magick in it to been using it at the time.
тАЬThat band of heroes knew they were off on a suicide mission, but they went anyway.
Only it turned out to be worse than that, for Chytrine trapped them. She slew some, hurt
others badly, but turned all to her will. She made them into her new sullanciri , since the old
ones had been slain. And she tortured Hawkins, physically and mentally. She offered to
make him her consort, to give him all of the Southlands if he would lead her troops.
тАЬHawkins refused and survived her attempt to kill him. He came south and reported to the
crowned heads what Chytrine had told him: that the children of that day would never live to
see their own children mature. She vowed to invade again, and everyone knew her threat
was a potent one.тАЭ
Will frowned. тАЬBut if things are as you say, then Hawkins did nothing wrong. Why does
Scrainwood want him dead?тАЭ
тАЬScrainwoodтАЩs hatred for Hawkins runs deep. Scrainwood wanted Temmer for himself.
He wanted to be a hero, but instead he proved a coward. Hawkins knew it. But, more
importantly, the kings and queens faced a problem. Okrannel had fallen to Chytrine, and that
scared a lot of people. They knew that if ChytrineтАЩs threats were made common knowledge,
there would be panic. People would revolt. The safety people craved would mean their sons
and daughters would be sent off to die fighting for Okrannel. It was the same reasoning they
have used when they refuse to liberate my homeland, Vorquellyn. Hawkins had to be
destroyed so he would never be believed.тАЭ
ResoluteтАЩs chin came up. тАЬIn Yslin, in Fortress Gryps, HawkinsтАЩ father stripped him of his
mask. His father told him he had no son named Tarrant. It wasnтАЩt quite then that Crow was