"Gardner F. Fox - Kothar 01 - Kothar Barbarian Swordsman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fox Gardner F)

men of an earlier day. One such warrior was Kothar, cast up by the sea in
the northlands of his world, a sellsword and a mercenary, a wencher after
the women of his day, a freebooter and a thief, at times, whose sword
Frostfire was a magic sword.

This is his saga…
From a fragment of—
THE LORD HISTORIES OF
SATORAM MANDAMOR
 THE SWORD OF THE
SORCERER
Chapter One
The blood lay red upon his dented mail shirt and spotted his yellow hair
in ghastly fashion. It ran wetly, redly, from the worn sleeve of his leather
hacqueton to drop upon his big hand and ooze across the pommel of his
shattered sword. It stained his fur kilt and riding boots and dripped
steadily with every step he took.

Kothar staggered from the field of battle where men lay staring
sightlessly up at the darkening sky, rigid now in death, and where other
men were gasping out their lives. He alone of the loyal Foreign Guard was
still alive, he alone still held a sword in his hand, though it was a broken
one. And behind him, men were coming fast to finish off the youthful
guards commander.

He was a big, brawny youth. His shock of yellow hair framed a face
burned brown by desert suns and polar winds. Under his smooth hide
giant muscles rippled, and normally he walked with the springy gait of a
man whose body was in perfect fighting trim. A broad leather belt fitted
his lean waist, from which hung an empty scabbard. Now that belt was
red with blood.

Kothar was a barbarian out of the northern world of Cumberia. He was
a sellsword, a mercenary whose life was given over to the god of war, that
he might have food for his belly and a pillow at times for his head. There
was no fear in him as he jogged along, he was afraid of no living man—or
woman, for that matter— though he did admit to a kind of queasiness
when magic, witches and warlocks were involved.

And a witch had given Lord Markoth the victory this day.

Rage was a rumble in his thickly thewed throat. Red Lori, the witch!
Aie, she was lovely, with her long red hair and slanted green eyes, her body
all white flesh and perfumed skin. Kothar had never seen a woman who
made him know he was a man as Red Lori did, with her slim white legs
and swinging hips.
 But she was a witch!

Gossip said she would be queen in Commoral when Elfa died. Her
sorceries had given Markoth the victory this day and as a reward she