"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - Legends 03 - Test Of The Twins" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

Dragonlance
Legends 3

TEST of the TWINS

MARGARET WEIS AND TRACY
HICKMAN
"Shush!" Caramon hissed and went on reading from Astinus's Chronicles. "'The bronze dragon he
rode, having no magical protection, died at Soth's command, forcing Tanis Half-Elven to fight the
death knight on foot. Lord Soth dismounted to meet his opponent according to the Laws of Combat
as set forth by the Knights of Solamnia, these laws binding the death knight still, even though he
had long since passed beyond their jurisdiction, Tanis Half-Elven fought bravely but was no match
for Lord Soth. He fell, mortally wounded, the death knight's sword in his chest-"'
"No!" Tas gasped. "No! We can't let Tanis die!" Reaching up, he tugged on Caramon's arm. "Let's
go! There's still time! We can find him and warn him-"
"I can't, Tas," Caramon said quietly. "I've got to go to the Tower. I can sense Raistlin's presence
drawing closer to me. I don't have time, Tas."
"You can't mean that! We cant just let Tanis die!" Tas whispered, staring at Caramon, wide-eyed.
"No, Tas, we can't," said Caramon, regarding the kender gravely. "You're going to save him."


Book 1

The Hammer of the Gods

Like sharp steel, the clarion call of a trumpet split the autumn air as the armies of the dwarves of
Thorbardin rode down into the Plains of Dergoth to meet their foe-their kinsmen. Centuries of
hatred and misunderstanding between the hill dwarves and their mountain cousins poured red upon
the plains that day. Victory became meaningless-an objective no one sought. To avenge wrongs
committed long ago by grandfathers long since dead was the aim of both sides. To kill and kill and
kill again-this was the Dwarfgate War.
True to his word, the dwarven hero, Kharas, fought for his King Beneath the Mountain. Clean-
shaven, his beard sacrificed to shame that he must fight those he called kin, Kharas was at the
vanguard of the army, weeping even as he killed. But as he fought, he suddenly came to see that the
word victory had become twisted to mean annihilation. He saw the standards of both armies fall,
lying trampled and forgotten upon the bloody plain as the madness of revenge engulfed both armies
in a fearsome red wave. And when he saw that no matter who won there would be no victor,
Kharas threw down his Hammer-the Hammer forged with the help of Reorx, god of the dwarves-
and left the field.
Many were the voices that shrieked "coward." If Kharas heard, he paid them no heed. He knew his
worth in his own heart, he knew it better than any. Wiping the bitter tears from his eyes, washing
the blood of his kinsmen from his hands, Kharas searched among the dead until he found the bodies
of King Duncan's two beloved sons. Throwing the hacked and mutilated corpses of the young
dwarves over the back of a horse, Kharas left the Plains of Dergoth, returning to Thorbardin with
his burden.
Kharas rode far, but not far enough to escape the sound of hoarse voices crying for revenge, the
clash of steel, the screams of the dying. He did not look back. He had the feeling he would hear
those voices to the end of his days.
The dwarven hero was just riding into the first foothills of the Kharolis Mountains when he heard
an eerie rumbling sound begin. Kharas's horse shied nervously. The dwarf checked it and stopped