"Sara Douglass - The Axis Trilogy 2 - Enchanter" - читать интересную книгу автора (Douglass Sara)

a powerful force. The original column of five thousand he had led from
Gorkenfort had been swelled by the refugees from Ichtar. As sorry as these
refugees were now, they could work and some could be trained to fight. There
wefe also troops still stationed in Achar that Borneheld could command. There
was still a cohort of five hundred Axe-Wielders guarding the Brother-Leader at
the Tower of the Seneschal. All these could be his. And, if those soft chimes
meant what he hoped they did, he would also have the Ravensbundmen.
Uncouth savages to be sure, but they had both spears and horses. If they could
stick an enemy in the gut then they would be useful. Finally, there were the
resources of the Corolean Empire to the south of Achar. If that simpering fool of
a King, Priam, hadn't yet thought about arranging a military alliance with the
Coroleans then Borneheld would make sure that he soon would.
Suddenly a stationary horseman loomed out of the mist and Borneheld
barked an order to halt. He sat for a moment and looked at the inscrutable
Ravensbundman's face. It was even more intricately tattooed in blue and black
than most of his race. Dizzying whorls and spirals covered not only his cheeks,
but his forehead and chin as well - although, strangely, there was a circular area
right in the centre of his forehead that remained naked and untattooed. As with
all his race, the savage had tiny chips of blue glass and miniature bells threaded
through his myriad greasy black braids. Even his mount - ugly, stunted, yellow-
furred nag that it was — had glass and bells woven into its mane and tail.
Uncivilised savages. Still, if they could kill they might yet serve a purpose.
Ho'Demi let the Duke stare at him a moment, then spoke, demonstrating a
fluent command of the Acharite language. "Duke Borneheld. Gorgrael has taken
my land and murdered my people. He drives his Ghostmen south. The
Ravensbundmen live only to defeat Gorgrael. If you fight against Gorgrael then
we will stand by your side."
Borneheld narrowed his eyes at the barbarian. "I do fight Gorgrael. But if
you want to fight with me then you will place yourself and your people under my
command."
Ho'Demi wondered at the implicit threat in Borneheld's tone, but it did not
perturb him. He nodded. "Agreed."
"Good." Borneheld peered into the mists behind the Ravensbundman, trying
to see how many men-he had with him. "How many will you bring to my
command?"
"Of the twenty thousand in my camp, eleven thousand can fight."
"You have done well to choose my cause," Borneheld said quietly. "Together
we will make our stand here at Jervois Landing against whichever of our enemies
attack first. This time, / will prevail."
Talon Spike
Four weeks after StarDrifter tore the crossed axes from his breast, Axis —
BattleAxe no longer — sat in his favourite spot on Talon Spike letting the wind
ruffle through his blond hair and beard. Every few days Axis found he had to
spend time alone, to lose himself in contemplation of these beautiful northern
alps rather than in the intricacies of the magical Star Dance, Icarii society and his
new life.
From his eyrie perch on the rock ledge Axis gazed at the blue-white glacier a
thousand paces below, crashing a path through the lesser Icescarp Alps beyond
Talon Spike to calve its massive icebergs into the Iskruel Ocean. One month ago
the bergs in the Iskruel Ocean would simply have been flecks at the edge of his