"Huff, Tanya - Wizard 1 - Child Of The Grove 1.1 Txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Huff Tanya)

ing. In the meantime, what difference did it make if a few more peasants died. "The cavalry stays here... " He paused and his smile grew mocking. "... to protect the king. "
As though animated by the sound of his title, the king suddenly pulled himself erect, satin robes rustling like dead leaves. He leaned forward, pinning Lord Elan with his fevered gaze. "How many?"
"Sire?"
Bony fingers crabbed along the broad wooden arms of the throne. "How many have died?"
Hope flared in the old lord's face and he leaned forward as well. If the king could be made to care... "Hundreds, Sire, thousands even. "
"Thousands... "He sank back into the cushions, his expression almost beatific. "Thousands. And they all died for me. "
"All for you, " the king's counselor agreed, and only Lord Elan heard the laughter in his voice.
"There are just too damned many of them!" Rutgar pulled off his helm and slicked back his dripping hair. "They've no need to kill us, we'll die of exhaustion killing them. "
Rael snorted and dropped down beside his armsman on the felled tree that served as bench, table, and occasionally surgery. "At least it's over for today. " He dropped his own helm and began to worry at the straps of his greaves. After a moment, Rutgar slapped away his hands and began to work at them himself.
"They'll jam if you twist them like that, " he muttered, "and I'll be the one who replaces the straps if we have to cut you free. "
"Highness. "
Rael looked up and managed a weary smile. "My Lord Belkar. "
"I thought I should warn you that as prince and heir, you'll be taking the council tonight. "
"I'll what?" Rael pulled his leg from Rutgar's grasp and stood. "Has something happened to Father?"

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"Your father, " Belkar paused, and his voice became decidedly acerbic, "the king, has ridden out with a patrol to prevent us being flanked by the enemy. "
"Father has?"
"Yes. "
"But that's crazy. "
"So I told him, Highness. "
"The king can't just go riding off with patrols in the dead of night! Did he take his Guard?"
"I believe some members of his Guard rode with the patrol, yes. "
"What if he gets killed out there, miles from anywhere?"
"I asked him that question myself. "
"And he said?"
"He was tired of strategy and tactics. "
"That's it?"
Belkar's lips twitched. "Except for some personal and unsavory comments about nursemaiding directed at myself, yes, that was it. "
"Oh, that's just great. " Rael stepped past Belkar. Stopped. Returned. And threw himself back down on the tree. He had a sudden vision of what his father's reaction would be if he took the Elite out after him. "Just great, " he repeated and thrust his leg back into Rutgar's reach.
Now this is more like it, Raen thought, lips pulled back from his teeth, his eyes shining beneath his plain iron helm. He lifted his sword and flicked the point left. The nearest member of the patrol, a shadow against the broken shadows of the forest, nodded and passed it on, then the line moved forward.
They could hear the Melacians coming toward them-had been able to hear them for some time.
Ten, maybe twenty yards and we'll be right on top of them. Raen ducked under a low branch and hoped his men were not advancing with the same amount of noise as the Melacians.
The Ardhan line advanced, three feet, four, then a

58 Tanya Huff
bellow of astonishment filled the night, closely followed by the clash of steel on steel. While the Melacians dealt with the idea of an enemy patrol where no patrol should be, the Ardhans overcame their own surprise and attacked.
How in Chaos did they get so close! Raen blocked a spear with his shield, slashed low to take another man in the knees and dodged a blow that would have removed his head had it connected. He slid around a tree, taking an instant to ram his shield edge into the downed man's throat, and bellowed the Ardhan war-cry. The rest of the Ardhan patrol picked it up and the woods rang. Dark adapted eyes could tell friend from foe, armor differed enough that the silhouettes were unmistakable, but there was no sense taking chances. Besides, the King of Ardhan preferred a noisy fight.
So I'm old. Raen grinned as a Melacian fell, screaming at his feet. But I haven't lost it yet.
The flash of blue light at his gut attracted his attention seconds before the pain hit. He glanced down to see a spear point, glowing eerily sapphire, pressed up against his breastplate just under his navel. Time slowed as the point, and the light, poked through the steel plate and into his belly. He grunted, the pain so intense it closed his throat, preventing a scream, and his sword dropped from spasming fingers.
The head of the spearman hit the ground beside his sword, still wearing the astonished expression with which it had greeted the blue light.
"Sire!"
As the spear was snatched away the pain lessened, becoming more a normal agony. His back braced against a tree, Raen managed to stay standing and find his voice. He tried to sound reassuring, but the words came out a powerless husking whisper. "Not as bad as it looks. " His probing fingers discovered this was the truth. His breastplate was holed but the wound beneath it was through skin and muscle only, nothing vital. He dragged his cloak forward, ripped off a strip

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a handspan wide and shoved the ball of fabric up under his armor.
"Sire, your breastplate... "
"Was obviously badly forged. " He bent and retrieved his sword, teeth gritted against the wave of dizziness. "Well, come on. " He forced his treacherous voice closer to normality. "There're more of them out here. "
"But Sire... "
Raen's eyes did not glow with the power of other worlds, as did his son's, but the worldly power they held was quite sufficient.