"Dennis L. McKiernan - The Silver Call 2 - The Brega Path" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKiernan Dennis L)

toward Darda Gallon—away from the chosen coppice—and that any returning forces
would come from that way too. Hence, well before daylight faded, the Seven
were comfortably ensconced among the whin and pine, hidden from prying eyes. .
As they lay in the evergreens, Perry became aware of the distant gurge of a
great churn of tumbling water, and when he asked about it, Delk replied, "It
is Durek's Wheel, the Vorvor." But the Dwarf did not say on, for night had
fallen upon the Spawn-laden land, and they spoke no more.
10
DEHM15 L McKIERMAM
Darkness overspread the valley, and shortly they saw H16k-~ led Rucks, bearing
torches, issue out of the gate. And once again Perry's heart quickened its
pace. Amid the clangor of armor and weaponry, a force was assembled, and then
it marched away to the east along the old, broken road. Sentries were left
guarding the portai, and guttering torchlight shone forth out of the cavern.
And for an hour or two the only movement was that of Ruck guards shuffling
around or slouching beside the entrance.
The silvery Moon overhead cast a pale radiance down into the valley and upon
the mountainsides. By its light the companions continued to watch the
entrance.
A time passed, and then, tramping up out of the vale, came a company of
Spaunen bearing bales of unknown goods; whether they carried meat, grain,
bolts of cloth, or other kinds of loot and plunder, the Seven could not tell,
for they were too far removed from the Gate to see the nature of the freight.
The Rucken company bore the burdens into the cavern, disappearing from view.
Another long while passed, and Perry fell asleep watching. When he was
awakened, several hours had elapsed, for the Moon had set beyond the
mountains. The buccan had been roused by Ursor and cautioned to quietness; a
squad of torch-bearing maggot-folk had marched out of the gate and had turned
north! They were coming toward the hiding place!
In ragged ranks, the maggot-folk tramped right at the pine grove; and the
Seven flattened themselves, peering from concealment, hardly daring to
breathe. Carefully, quietly, all but Perry took a weapon in hand, preparing
for battle. The Warrow found his palms were wet with tension, and he wiped his
hand on his breeks ere taking hold of his sword. But though Perry grasped
Bane's hilt, he did not draw the long-knife, for he knew its werelight blazed,
hidden by the scabbard. And the comrades lay in wait as the Spawn came onward.
Closer drew the maggot-foik, and now Perry could hear them speaking, but he
could not make out what was being said; they were still too far away. As they
came on, he found that although he could discern the individual voices and
words, he could not understand their meaning at all; the words were harsh,
somehow foul-sounding, as if made up of acrimonious snarls and discordant
curses and grating oaths.
THE SREGA PATH
11
There were guttural growls and slobbering drool sounds. The Spawn were
speaking in Siuk, an argot first spoken by the Hloks; but long ago in Neddra,
Gyphon had declared it a common language for ail of Spawndom.
Perry shuddered at the sound of this festering tongue, but otherwise lay still
as the Rucks tramped along an unseen path, only to turn and march past the
grove and away to the north, toward the Quadran Run.