[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Baver took time to holster his gun -- he needed both hands to ride at a gallop
-- then turned his horse and rode.
He d gone less than a hundred meters when he saw Hans coming back. Go! Baver
shouted. Nils said ride! Then he was past the young Northman, who hesitated
a moment, then turned and followed, catching up and staying close behind.
Behind the thudding of their own horses hooves, Baver could hear others
following now, and suddenly Hans s horse screamed. The sound added speed to
Baver s, and there was Achikh, sitting his horse behind a great boulder, bow
in hand and arrow nocked as Baver galloped past.
Without thinking, Baver drew back his reins.
His horse stopped more quickly than he d expected, and he ended up on its
neck, clutching. Dropping to the ground, he knelt behind a thick-boled pine.
There was a shout, then another, as Kalmuls poured into sight not forty meters
off. One plunged from the saddle, an arrow in his chest. The others reined in
their horses and drew their swords. With both hands Baver leveled his pistol,
the way he d done on the range in training, but more quickly. And fired. The
round banged loudly, and one of the Kalmuls half fell, losing his sword,
clutching at shoulder or neck.
Changing targets, Baver shot at another, and with the sound, this man fell
backward, sliding off his horse s rump, one foot hanging for a moment in a
stirrup. The others hesitated for just a moment, then Achikh sent an arrow
into another, and he too went down.
The other two turned their horses and charged back the way they d come.
Baver stood watching after them, immobilized by the realization that he had
killed -- at least wounded -- four human beings. And felt no shock or guilt at
it! He wasn t quite sure how to take this latter fact.
Two high soaring ravens had watched the chase with interest. Beneath their
individual awareness, ravens have something of a hive intelligence. Thus they
knew, from the experience of others, that men pursuing men often means death
to men and horses, and food for ravens. They are scavengers who find their
food by sight, not scent, and have superb vision. They are also very curious,
noticing the incidental as well as the important. They were aware, for
instance, that one of the humans was exceptionally large and had unusual hair,
with long, straw-colored braids.
Even their sharp eyes couldn t make out what went on beneath the thicker
growth of pines, but they heard an unusual booming sound that repeated, heard
a horse scream, and another. Men and horses drew up in the opening, then two
turned back to where their horses could begin picking their way up the steep
slope. After a minute s hesitation, the other horses charged on into the
forest growth.
The great black birds began to circle downward to investigate more closely,
croaking loudly in their deep harsh voices.
Finally they perched in the top of a pine, peering down between the branches.
There were bodies on the ground, of men and horses. Another human stood on the
trail with arrow nocked and ready, watching the big, yellow-haired man climb
the slope above. He shot just one arrow; it rattled and fell among the dense
young pines on the slope. Then the bowman settled back to watch and wait.
There were more booms farther along the ravine.
The watching ravens continued to call.
Another, near the edge of hearing, passed the report on, both the simple cry
and the mental imagery beneath it. Except for the fallen men and horses
Page 54
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
though, it meant little to the birds.
A few minutes later, the Kalmul riders who d ridden on, came back to where
they d first been ambushed. By now dusk was definitely settling, and the
refugee on the slope was lost to their sight among rocks and trees. They
counseled briefly, then called to those who d climbed their horses to the
ridgetop to cut off the refugee s escape. There was a moment s exchange of
shouts, then they all started back the way they d come, back to their cohorts
who d been told off to collect the pack horses and remounts. They d lost nine [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
Baver took time to holster his gun -- he needed both hands to ride at a gallop
-- then turned his horse and rode.
He d gone less than a hundred meters when he saw Hans coming back. Go! Baver
shouted. Nils said ride! Then he was past the young Northman, who hesitated
a moment, then turned and followed, catching up and staying close behind.
Behind the thudding of their own horses hooves, Baver could hear others
following now, and suddenly Hans s horse screamed. The sound added speed to
Baver s, and there was Achikh, sitting his horse behind a great boulder, bow
in hand and arrow nocked as Baver galloped past.
Without thinking, Baver drew back his reins.
His horse stopped more quickly than he d expected, and he ended up on its
neck, clutching. Dropping to the ground, he knelt behind a thick-boled pine.
There was a shout, then another, as Kalmuls poured into sight not forty meters
off. One plunged from the saddle, an arrow in his chest. The others reined in
their horses and drew their swords. With both hands Baver leveled his pistol,
the way he d done on the range in training, but more quickly. And fired. The
round banged loudly, and one of the Kalmuls half fell, losing his sword,
clutching at shoulder or neck.
Changing targets, Baver shot at another, and with the sound, this man fell
backward, sliding off his horse s rump, one foot hanging for a moment in a
stirrup. The others hesitated for just a moment, then Achikh sent an arrow
into another, and he too went down.
The other two turned their horses and charged back the way they d come.
Baver stood watching after them, immobilized by the realization that he had
killed -- at least wounded -- four human beings. And felt no shock or guilt at
it! He wasn t quite sure how to take this latter fact.
Two high soaring ravens had watched the chase with interest. Beneath their
individual awareness, ravens have something of a hive intelligence. Thus they
knew, from the experience of others, that men pursuing men often means death
to men and horses, and food for ravens. They are scavengers who find their
food by sight, not scent, and have superb vision. They are also very curious,
noticing the incidental as well as the important. They were aware, for
instance, that one of the humans was exceptionally large and had unusual hair,
with long, straw-colored braids.
Even their sharp eyes couldn t make out what went on beneath the thicker
growth of pines, but they heard an unusual booming sound that repeated, heard
a horse scream, and another. Men and horses drew up in the opening, then two
turned back to where their horses could begin picking their way up the steep
slope. After a minute s hesitation, the other horses charged on into the
forest growth.
The great black birds began to circle downward to investigate more closely,
croaking loudly in their deep harsh voices.
Finally they perched in the top of a pine, peering down between the branches.
There were bodies on the ground, of men and horses. Another human stood on the
trail with arrow nocked and ready, watching the big, yellow-haired man climb
the slope above. He shot just one arrow; it rattled and fell among the dense
young pines on the slope. Then the bowman settled back to watch and wait.
There were more booms farther along the ravine.
The watching ravens continued to call.
Another, near the edge of hearing, passed the report on, both the simple cry
and the mental imagery beneath it. Except for the fallen men and horses
Page 54
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
though, it meant little to the birds.
A few minutes later, the Kalmul riders who d ridden on, came back to where
they d first been ambushed. By now dusk was definitely settling, and the
refugee on the slope was lost to their sight among rocks and trees. They
counseled briefly, then called to those who d climbed their horses to the
ridgetop to cut off the refugee s escape. There was a moment s exchange of
shouts, then they all started back the way they d come, back to their cohorts
who d been told off to collect the pack horses and remounts. They d lost nine [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]