"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - Dragons Of Summer Flame" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

"More like blood," said his comrade. "Think of it as wading in the blood of our enemies, the enemies of our queen.
Do you see anything?"
"No," the other replied. He waved his hand without looking back, heard the sound of men leaping into the water,
their harsh laughter and conversation in their uncouth, guttural language.
One of the knights turned around. "Bring that boat to shore," he said unnecessarily, for the men had already picked
up the heavy boat, were running with it through the shallow water. Grinning, they dumped the boat on the sand beach
and looked to the knight for further orders.
He mopped his forehead, marveled at their strength and-not for the first time-thanked Queen Takhisis that these
barbarians were on their side. The brutes, they were known as. Not the true name of their race. That name-their name
for themselves-was unpronounceable, and so the knights who led the barbarians had begun calling them the
shortened version: brutes.
The name suited the barbarians well. They came from the east, from a continent that few people on Ansalon knew
existed. Every one of the men stood well over six feet; some were as tall as seven. Their bodies were as bulky and
muscular as humans,

I

but their movements were as swift and graceful as elves. Their ears were pointed like those of the elves, but their
faces were heavily bearded like humans or dwarves. They were as strong as dwarves, and loved battle as well as
dwarves. They fought fiercely, were loyal to those who commanded them, and-out-side of a few grotesque
customs, such as cutting off various parts of the body of a dead enemy to keep as trophies-the brutes were ideal
foot soldiers.
"Let the captain know we've arrived safely and that we've encountered no resistance," said the knight to his
comrade. "We'll leave a couple of men here with the boat, move inland." The other knight nodded. Taking a red silk
pennant from his belt, he unfurled it, held it above his head, and waved it slowly three times. An answering flutter
of red could be seen coming from the enormous black dragon-prowed ship anchored some distance away. This was
a scouting mission, not an invasion. Orders had been quite clear on that point.
The knights sent out their patrols, dispatching some to range up and down the beach, sending others farther
inland, where towering hills of chalk-white rock-barren of vegetation-rose from the trees like cat claws to tear at
the sky. Breaks in the rock led to the island's interior. The ship had sailed around the island; now they knew it
was not large. Their patrols would be back soon.
This done, the two knights moved thankfully to the meager shadow cast by a squat and misshapen tree. Two of
the brutes stood guard. The knights remained wary, watchful, even as they rested. Searing themselves, they
drank sparingly of the fresh water they'd brought with them. One of them grimaced. "The damn stuff's hot."
"You left the waterskin sitting in the sun. Of course it's hot." "Where the devil was I supposed to put it? There was no
shade on that cursed boat. I don't think there's any shade left in the whole blasted world. I don't like this place at all. I
get a j queer feeling about this island, like it's magicked or something." "I know what you mean," agreed his
comrade somberly. He kept glancing about, back into the trees, up and down the beach. All he could see were the
brutes, and they were certainly not bothered by any ominous feelings. But then they were barbar-ians. "We were
warned not to come here, you know."
"What?" The other knight looked astonished. "I didn't know. Who told you that?"
"Brightblade. He had it from Lord Ariakan himself."

DnaqoNS of summgu Flaiue
 "Brightblade should know. He's on Ariakan's staff, though I
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hear he's asked to be transferred to a fighting talon. Plus Ariakan's his sponsor." The knight appeared nervous,
asked softly, "Such information's not secret, is it?"