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

trapped between the eastern spur they had just crossed and the Grimwall
Mountains on the western side. The slope rose up to the west and into the
flanks of the Quadran: Rdvenor, Aggarath, Ghatan, and Uchan. These four
mountains were known to Man as Stormhelm, Grimspire, Loftcrag, and Greytower,
and to Elves as Coron, Aevor, Chagor, and Gralon. Each held stone of a
different hue: ruddy Stormhelm, sable Grimspire, azurine Loftcrag, ashen
Greytower. Beneath this quartet of mighty peaks was delved Kraggen-cor, and
cupped within their embrace was a wide, cambered valley: the Pitch. When the
slant came into view, the company paused, and
THE 6REQA PATH 7
the Dwarves eagerly crowded forward- to see down into the land. With a wide
sweep of hand, Lord Kian gestured at the great acclivity hemmed by the
mountains. "There lies the land the Dwarves call Baralan," he said to Perry,
"and the Elves name Falanith; it is the Pitch." Kian then pointed toward the
upward end of the long slant. "And up there at the far brim and looking down
upon this slope is our next goal: Dawn-Gate. On the morrow we march to the
portal, in sunlight. But now evening draws nigh, and we must camp away from
this path, for its sign shows that heavy-shod feet have marched by recently:
Yrm boot, I think. It would not do to be discovered by a chance patrol."
The Seven moved out of the path and to the cover of a thicket in a swale on
the slope. The Sun had dropped beyond the mountains, and they made camp in the
deep shadows of the peaks.
That night, early in Kian's watch. Perry was awakened by Delk to see Bane's
blade-jewel flickering again with a cobalt gleam. As before, Perry slipped the
blade into its sheath so that the blue light would not be seen by the enemy.
Periodically he would shield it with a cupped hand and draw it an inch or two,
then slide it back into the scabbard to hide its luminance. This time the
light slowly grew to a strong blue flame that ran along the blade, and they
heard heavy boots stamping up the path, and armor jingling. The waxing Moon
was over half full, and the companions watched as a large company of
maggot-folk tramped up the path and passed in the night. And within his bosom
Perry's heart hammered as if it were a caged bird wild to escape.
Slowly the flame subsided as the danger marched away, until it was but a faint
glimmer. Slowly, too, did Perry return to calmness, and then only by pushing
aside all thought of maggot-folk and sinking deep within his memories of Woody
Hollow and The Root and the sound of Holly quietly humming as she tended her
flower garden.
Twice more that night the flame flickered lightly within the jewel of the
Elven-blade, but the Seven saw no other Spawn.
The next morning, in early sunlight, the Squad started on the last leg of
their overland journey. They came down out of the hillspur and headed west up
the long Pitch. As the Seven
8
DEMMI5 L McKIERHAM
moved onto the slope, the margins became steeper on the sides of the valley,
and here and there they were covered with runs of birch and fir trees; and
heather and furze grew on the land. Down below, the comrades could see a
sparkling stream dashing down out of the vale: it was the Quadrill, a river
fed by many mountain streams to grow wide on its run through Darda Gallon,
where it was joined by the Cellener and the Rothro to flow onward and come at