"Douglass, Sara - Axis Trilogy 1 - Battleaxe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Douglass Sara)

"No," Axis whispered, lost again in his nightmare — except that this time the darkness had lifted, and he could see his tormentor. "You are not my father," he croaked from a mouth gone dry and papery with fear. He was no longer capable of rational thought. The writhing, twisting tusked head held him entrapped.
Ogden and Veremund reached him. "Axis!" Veremund screamed, standing tall in the stirrups of his saddle to reach up to Axis' face and slap him as hard as he could. "That is not your father, simply a likeness of Gorgrael created from cloud and ice! Axis! Listen to me\ Do not listen to him — he speaks only lies!"
"I came to your mother like this," the voice said, long ropes of saliva twisted down from its tongue. "I came to your mother like this and she loved me as I am! Yes! She loved me! She writhed for me!"
Axis felt the evil presence of his dreams. Despair threatened to overwhelm him. There was nowhere to run. There was never anywhere to run.
"He won't listen to me!" Veremund turned to shout at Ogden. "What can we do? If he stays here he will die when that cloud rolls over him!"
Ogden thought frantically, then edged his donkey as close to Belaguez as he possibly could, stood as high in his stirrups as he dared and, eyes glowing, launched himself onto Belaguez's back, hauling himself up behind Axis. Belaguez plunged and danced at the unexpected weight, but Axis had him on such a tight rein that the stallion could do very little to dislodge the weight from his back.
"My boy," Ogden breathed into Axis' ear, "do you remember this tune?" He started to hum, a strange lilting tune that gained strength and thrived despite the howling wind. Axis blinked and turned his head slightly. Ogden continued humming, his voice becoming stronger with each phrase. Axis' eyes started to refocus and Ogden felt some of the tension draining out of his rigid muscles.
"Oh," Axis gasped, turning his eyes from the apparition of Gorgrael and hummed a few bars along with Ogden.
"Yes! Yes, that's it, m'boy. Sing! Sing with me!" Axis' voice grew stronger and Veremund finally recognised the tune. It was an ancient ward for protection that Icarii fathers sang to their babies while still in the womb. If Axis' father was of the line of Icarii Enchanters, then the ward of protection would be strong indeed. Very strong. It was the first gift Icarii fathers gave their sons, and, some said, the most valuable.
"Sing, Axis," Veremund whispered, tears in his eyes, "sing!"
And Axis did indeed sing, his voice now stronger than Ogden's, his eyes blazing in his face, the melody lilting above the wind. He took the melody beyond what Ogden had sung to him, adding new variations and creating strange new depths to the song. He sang words, alien words, rather than simply humming a melody. Now he was smiling, some distant memory resurfacing in his mind, and an expression of joy crossed his face. His voice was very beautiful and very moving.
Veremund gave a shout of triumph, and wheeled his donkey around so he could shake his fist at the head as it advanced towards them. "Did your father sing that to you, unloved one?" he screamed. "Did your father bother to sing that to you while you grew in your poor mother's womb? Did your father love you enough to sing to you?"
The head of Gorgrael gave a terrifying scream of rage, viciously swinging its tusks from side to side, and for a moment Veremund thought that he had only provoked it into a more dreadful display of power. But as the scream died the head started to dissolve, reforming into simple cloud again. But the storm still came on. And it was as angry and as deadly as previously.
Veremund swung back to Axis and Ogden, still clinging precariously to Belaguez's back. "Ogden! Axis! Ride now!"
Turning Belaguez's head for the Barrows, Axis gave the long-suffering stallion his head. "That was not my father!" he whispered to himself.
Veremund kicked his white donkey after Belaguez, but Ogden's riderless donkey outraced them all.
The Storm Few of the Axe-Wielders were aware of what was happening behind their backs, and Faraday, her mother and Timozel had completely missed it.
The first riders were now approaching the Barrows, but the storm was rapidly gaining on them. Already Axis, Ogden and Veremund were encased in heavy rain, their horses finding it harder and harder to keep their footing in the slippery mud churned up by the Axe-Wielders' mounts. The wind increased to gale force, screaming across the plains behind them, and Axis bent low over Belaguez's neck to give the horse as much assistance as possible. Ogden clung on grimly behind him. Because of the double weight that Belaguez carried, Veremund's donkey was able to keep pace. Ogdeii's white donkey had disappeared in the pelting rain.
As Timozel and Faraday approached the Barrows, Merlion and her maid close behind, Timozel grabbed the bridle of Faraday's horse and pulled it towards the shelter of one of the steep-walled Barrows. The rain was upon the Barrows now, streaming down from the sky in unnatural floods, driven by the brutal wind. Every rider was drenched to the skin whether they wore a heavy sealskin cloak or not. Men and horses scurried towards the most sheltered spots among the Barrows, and the air filled with the sounds of men shouting, horses neighing and the increasing fury of the storm as it swept over them.
Faraday pulled her horse to a halt and frantically looked about her. "Timozel!" she cried. "My mother?"
"Faraday, get off your horse. We've got to find some shelter. Now!" Timozel shouted as he slid off his bay gelding and stumbled across to Faraday.
But Faraday tugged at the reins of her exhausted horse, trying to kick it into the turmoil about her. "Mother?" she shouted, desperately searching. "Mother!"
Timozel reached up blindly, his eyes closed against the beating rain, fumbled for a moment with Faraday's soaked cloak, then seized her waist and hauled her unceremoniously off the horse.
"Timozel!" Faraday wailed, trying to twist out of his hands but overbalancing and falling to her knees in the mud. Her horse swerved back into the confusion of men and horses about them, causing Yr to leap from its back, feet and claws extended, wet fur standing in spikes all over her body. She landed squarely on the back of Timozel's head and neck.
"Ug!" grunted Timozel, collapsing on top of Faraday and pushing them both down into the ground.
Yr's leap undoubtedly saved all three of their lives. Just as Timozel collapsed on top of Faraday a great sheet of what appeared to be lightning speared through the sky, striking Faraday's horse as it turned to bolt into the storm.
Timozel rolled off Faraday and squinted through the rain. The horse lay completely still not four paces from them, its head shattered by a massive spear of thick ice. As Timozel gaped, unable to believe what he was seeing, more ice spears rained with vicious purpose from the sky; those men and horses still in the flat open spaces between the Barrows took the full impact of the dreadful deluge.
Timozel grabbed Faraday by the shoulders, pulling her half out of the mud. "Faraday! We've got to get out of here! Move!" He hauled her to her feet, Faraday having just enough time to grab Yr out of the mud as Timozel pulled her, hunched over as far as they could go, towards the lee of a Barrow about thirty paces distant. Dreadful
screams of those transfixed by the ice spears rang out about them.
They had taken about fifteen faltering paces, buffeted by men, horses and the wind and pelting rain, when the dying body of a headless horse struck Timozel squarely on the shoulder.
"No!" Timozel screamed, as he and Faraday were pushed to their knees in the mud again. Timozel tried to drag Faraday up, but she shrieked in complete horror and wrenched herself out of his hands before he could haul her to her feet.
Timozel saw Faraday's shocked face, and followed her eyes down. Lying on the ground, so close that Faraday's knees were touching the body, was the lifeless form of Merlion. A few paces away was the body of her maid, crushed under her horse. An ice spear had caught Lady Merlion in the back as she ran towards the Barrow, and now protruded in jagged red-tipped spikes from her belly and breast. The rain had washed most of the blood from her face and her lifeless eyes stared into the murderous heavens, the heavy rain drops making small indentations on the surface of her eyeballs before running like tears of sorrow down her pale cheeks.
Tearing his eyes away from the dreadful sight, Timozel groped for Faraday's shoulders. Artor save them! he thought numbly, for surely nothing else would. His lips moved but no sound came. Faraday's initial scream had weakened into a series of heart-rending wails, and now she dropped Yr, her hands patting ineffectually at Merlion s body as if it was somehow possible to put her back together again.
"Faraday. Faraday," Timozel mumbled feebly, "come, we've got to go."
Faraday did not hear a word he said, and Timozel began to cry himself, overcome by the dead and dying about him, his tears mingling with the rain streaming down his face. This was not how he envisioned death, warriors should die nobly on the battlefield, fighting a flesh and blood foe — not this terror that rained down from a demonic sky. He closed his eyes and rested his face on Faraday's shoulder, resigned to their imminent death.
"Now, now," a soft burred voice said. "Time to move, young man. No use staying here in this weather. Come, lovely lady, take my hand."
Timozel slowly lifted his head, twisting to look behind him. A roughly dressed peasant, long heavy staff in his hand, was leaning down and smiling into his eyes. He appeared totally unmoved by the carnage about him. He must be simple, thought Timozel vaguely. What was a peasant doing here in this nightmare?
I have died, Timozel decided. None of this can be happening. I have died and gone for my sins into the crazed pits of the AfterLife.
"No, no," the man said, his smile widening for a moment. '"Tis all happening, as true as the sun do rise every morning. Dreadful, dreadful, it is, that the Destroyer has reached this far. Too many of us here, there were, too enticing a target. Come, come, we must move. Don't know what his next trick might be."
Faraday's wails abated a little at the sight of him. "Jack," she whispered.
"Come, come," Jack repeated, gripping her hand, and now Timozel could sense some strain in his voice. As he pulled Faraday to her feet, Jack seized Timozel's arm and hauled him up as well. "Yr, you shall have to walk by yourself for a moment or two. If you stay close you should manage — the worst of the storm has passed."
The cat slunk close to Faraday's heels as Jack led them safely across the remaining ground to the side of the Barrow, stepping smoothly past the bodies of horses and men that littered their path. He kept up a soothing monologue about nothing in particular while they walked, calming both Faraday and Timozel. The ice spears had all but ceased and, while the wind and rain still beat at them, it now had the feel of a normal autumn gale rather than the supernatural force of a few minutes before. Jack stopped where several dozen men and one or two horses sheltered against the steepest part of the Barrow, and turned to Timozel.
"Young lord," he said deferentially, '"Tis better you wait here with your fellow Axe-Wielders. Wait for your Battle-Axe. Wait for his orders. He will tell you what to do. I will take the lovely lady a little further along the Barrow, where she can grieve for her mother in private. You can rest now . . . you have been true."
He had such a soothing voice and for a moment his words made complete sense to Timozel. He nodded his head in agreement and Jack led Faraday away along the Barrow wall.
Timozel shut his eyes, rubbing his eyebrows with his hand, head bowed. "Faraday," he muttered to himself. Surely he should stay with her, she was all alone now. He opened his eyes and lifted his head. Faraday and Jack, the white cat still with them, were almost to the very end of the Barrow. Where was he taking her? Fear and suspicion flared bright in Timozel's mind and he turned to walk towards them, his feet strangely heavy and sluggish. Faraday - he had to save her. Something had to be saved from this dreadful day.
Jack stopped Faraday at the very end of the Barrow. "Dear one," he said quietly to Faraday, one arm about her shoulders, his face close to hers. "Do you remember that you promised us to be true?"

Faraday nodded her head. She really didn't care at the moment what she had promised to anyone.
"Dear one," Jack repeated, knowing how deeply she had been wounded by the sight of her mother's torn body. "In the slaughter and chaos of Gorgrael's storm it might be possible for us to begin our journey to Borneheld here, at this moment. If you disappear among the Barrows, Axis will suppose you dead and not search for you. That would be best, dear one, that he supposes you dead for the while."
Tears ran down Faraday's cheeks. Jack stroked her cheek comfortingly, his fingers wiping away both tears and soft rain. "Do not worry, lovely lady. All will be well. But for the moment, Yr and I think it best that you leave. He is too distracted by you, and you will serve him better at Borneheld's side." "I understand," Faraday whispered. "My dear," Jack said softly. "Lay your hand upon my staff, it will keep you safe. Yr, my shoulders, if you please."