"Karl Edward Wagner - Kane 01 - Darkness Weaves" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wagner Karl Edward)

of a bitch back for me on a suicide mission. By Tloluvin, the bastards really want me!"

He laughed bitterly. "One consolation, though. The Combine wouldn't have tried a stunt like this unless
they're desperate. My guess is their soldiers at this end haven't had time to prepare for us yet."

"If they need time, we're giving them enough with stalling on our asses hem," Imel snapped. "We've like a
mile to cover before we can leave the road. So let's get out of here!"

"Right--only this is going to be tense," Kane warned. "Maybe we'll be in the clear once we leave the
road--but this dumb fool's friends are almost certainly waiting for us before then. So we'll have to take
things slow and careful until then, or they'll get us all like they did Essen. Just pray to your gods that we
can get past them before reinforcements arrive.

"So don't panic and run into something--spread out a little and watch close! Fortunately the trees are
thinning out some, so there's not as much cover for them--but look sharp for anything that doesn't fit!"

They moved on slowly, feeling the gnawing terror of hunted creatures. Each moment they expected to
hear the deadly hiss of an arrow. Never could a man be certain if he would draw a second breath before
a hidden archer sealed his death. Muscles twitched under the painful strain. Flesh crawled in anticipation
of an iron-fanged bite. Each shadow held a dozen crouching soldiers.

It was a very well-hidden ambush. Kane rode into it with almost no warning. However, the Combine
soldiers were a little too widely dispersed, and too eager to strike. In the darkness and confusion, they
were uncertain as to the number of Kane's men, perhaps. As it was, they failed to use their cover to
maximum advantage and struck prematurely before their trap could close.

The tense silence of the night was abruptly slashed as the ambushers' arrows stabbed through the
Pellinite ranks.

One arrow skidded across the top of Kane's shoulder, deflected by the chain mail he wore. "Split off
into the woods!" he roared, thankful that someone had overrated his archery skill in attempting a difficult
head shot. "Surround them and force the bastards into the road!" Kane thought it unlikely that his handful
of men could surround anyone, but the attackers didn't know that.

One of his band was hit in the thigh, but otherwise the volley had somehow left them unscathed. Arrows
shivered past them in the darkness as they instinctively sought cover. Desperately Kane spurred his
mount from the road, bellowing for the others to follow.

Weaving rapidly through the trees, they crashed into the Combine cavalry patrol. Kane felt a surge of
relief as he judged the soldiers numbered less than ten, with only a few armed with bows. No wonder
their old-maid's caution--this was only a vanguard of the larger force Kane was certain must be moving
toward them. The surprise of Kane's break for the sea after months of inaction, while it was generally
assumed he must have fled or been killed--and not knowing the size of Kane's band--worked against the
Combine patrol. Now, battle cries ringing, the cavalrymen galloped headlong from their ambush to meet
their enemy hand-to-hand.

"Keep them apart! Don't let them form a charge!" yelled Kane, still not daring to, believe that the main
body of cavalry was yet to enter the combat. He lunged to parry the slash of the first soldier to meet him.
Furiously they traded blows--the long curved blade of the cavalryman dancing nimbly back from Kane's
massive broadsword. Then Kane hewed one mighty stroke against the other's saber that drove down the