"Beverly Henderson - Stormcrow and The Deer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Henderson Beverly)

walls, surrounding the Queen.
 "My Lady," he smiled at her, then looked down. "Your Majesty," his
voice dripped with hatred, "You had best get your men in here with you,
so we can close the gates and prepare for the Kahn. Lord Crow's only
desire of you is that you hold the Kahn’s army here for one day. I hope
your men are up to it!" She snarled, "Damn him! Fine, we'll fight his battle
for him. I will not see the Kahn sitting on my throne!" Whirling her horse,
she rode out to her waiting army.
Phillip turned to her, smiling. "You rule here, my Lady, but allow me to
take care of these small matters of diplomacy. You have done a beautiful
task, one for many ballads to come! Rest now. I will send Mari and Abby
to your rooms, with some hot food."
Stumbling, she let him help her down the stairs. With one look back at
the Queen's army marching on the castle - No longer to destroy it, but to
use it for their own safety, and the safety of the kingdom - she leaned on
his arm for support as he guided her towards her room, the renewed
hustle of the keep a welcome warmth after the loneliness of the last two
days.
Phillip walked the battlements in the pre-dawn light, looking out over
the many campfires of the horde, sure that the pits of hell had this same
appearance. It had been one hell of a day. Waking up this morn, after the
long day of getting his and the Queen's armies prepared, only to watch the
Kahn's army pour into the valley like water rushing from a broken bowl.
Rushing to the Lady Bambi's room only to find her gone! Preparing the
defense.
The Horde knew nothing about proper siege warfare. They just tossed
their ladders up and began climbing again and again and again. They had
men to waste. He did not.
Around midday, they rest, supposedly to take a meal, and he began to
assess the damages. Half his and the Queen's men gone, one of the three
field-arrow catapults broken beyond repair, and Abby and Mari gone! He
assumed they went after the Lady Bambi. He sent two silent messages to
the gods of war - One hoping those three ladies were okay, and another
praying Lord Crow would show soon!
The afternoon wore on, worse and worse. Some fell magic poured into
the keep. A fireball of some size destroyed the other two catapults and the
men who operated them. Without the rain of arrows, except from his
small group of archers, the Horde came on with a vengeance, and slowly
began to break through. He rushed around, supporting his men, trying to
fill every breach. Then, late afternoon, he looked over and saw the Horde
pouring over the east wall - No one there to stop them. He cried loudly,
warning his small army.
Then he saw her.
The Queen, alone, her armor glistening in the setting sun, her sword
flashing through flesh, as she stood, filling the breach alone! He ran, a few
men with him, as fast as he could, trying to see through the sweat and
smoke. When he got there, he and the men with him were able to drive the
Horde back.
As the sun dropped below the horizon and the Horde retreated before
the demons of night could destroy them for making war during their time,