Read Online Greek Series 02 - Dark Prince by David Gemmell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Gemmell
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anticipated, and instinctively he knew the stallion's intent. He would gallop towards the timbers and then swing his flanks to crash against the wood, smashing the bones of Parmenion's leg to shards, crippling the Spartan for life. Parmenion had only one hope - to leap clear -
but if he did so the stallion would turn on him.
Seeing the danger the youngster Orsin clambered over the fence and leapt into the paddock, shouting at the top of his voice and waving his coiled rope around his head. The move disconcerted the stallion, who swerved and found himself running head-first at the timbers.
'Sweet Zeus, he'll kill us both!' thought Parmenion as Titan thundered towards the wooden wall.
But at the last moment Titan bunched his muscles, sailing high in the air, clearing the fence with ease and galloping across the hills. The horse herd grazing there scattered before him. Never had Parmenion known such speed, the wind screaming in his ears, the ground moving by below him like a green blur.
'Turn, my beauty!' he yelled. 'Turn and show me your strength.' As if the stallion understood him he swung wide and thundered back towards the pasture.
Mothac and Croni were pulling open the gate, but perversely Titan swerved once more, galloping straight at the highest point of the fence.
'Sweet Hera be with me!' prayed the Spartan, for here the highest bar of the fence was almost seven feet high. The stallion slowed, bunched his muscles and leapt, rear hooves clattering against the wood.
As Titan landed Parmenion swung his right leg clear and jumped to the ground. Immediately the stallion turned on him, rearing above him with hooves lashing down. The Spartan rolled and came up running, diving between the fence bars and landing head-first in a patch of churned earth. The Thessalians roared with laughter as Parmenion staggered to his feet.
'I think,' said the Spartan, with a grin, 'he may take a little breaking yet. But what a horse!'
'Look out!' yelled Croni. Titan charged the fence once more, leaping it without breaking stride. Parmenion dived out of the way, but the stallion swung, seeking him out. When Croni ran forward with his rope, Titan saw him and swerved towards the Thessalian, his huge shoulder crashing into the little man and punching him from his feet.
Before anyone could move Titan reared above the Thessalian, his front hooves hammering down into Croni's face.
The skull dissolved, the head collapsing in a sickening spray of blood and brains. Orsin managed to get a rope over the stallion, but twice more the hooves smashed down into the limp body on the grass. Titan felt the noose settle on his neck and jerked hard, tugging Orsin from his feet. Ignoring the boy he thundered towards Parmenion. The Spartan threw himself to his left but, as if anticipating the move, Titan reared high, his blood-spattered hooves plunging down. Parmenion dived again, this time to his right, his back striking a fence-post. Titan loomed above him.
Suddenly the stallion's neck arched back, an arrow jutting from his skull.
'No!' screamed Parmenion. 'No!' But a second shaft buried itself deep in Titan's flank, piercing the heart. The stallion sank to his knees, then toppled to his side.
Parmenion rose on unsteady legs, staring down at the dead colossus. Then he swung to see Mothac lay aside the bow.
'He was a demon,' the Theban said softly. 'No question.'
'I could have tamed him,' said Parmenion, his voice cold with rage.
'You would have been dead, lord,' put in the boy Orsin. 'As dead as my uncle, Croni. And, by all the gods, you rode him. And greatly.'
'There will never be his like again,' Parmenion whispered.
'There is the foal,' said Orsin. 'He will be bigger than his sire.'
Movement by Titan's dead eye caught Parmenion's attention. Thick white maggots were crawling from under the lid and slithering down the horse's face, like obscene tears. 'There are your demons,' said Parmenion. 'His brain must have been alive with them. Gods, they
but if he did so the stallion would turn on him.
Seeing the danger the youngster Orsin clambered over the fence and leapt into the paddock, shouting at the top of his voice and waving his coiled rope around his head. The move disconcerted the stallion, who swerved and found himself running head-first at the timbers.
'Sweet Zeus, he'll kill us both!' thought Parmenion as Titan thundered towards the wooden wall.
But at the last moment Titan bunched his muscles, sailing high in the air, clearing the fence with ease and galloping across the hills. The horse herd grazing there scattered before him. Never had Parmenion known such speed, the wind screaming in his ears, the ground moving by below him like a green blur.
'Turn, my beauty!' he yelled. 'Turn and show me your strength.' As if the stallion understood him he swung wide and thundered back towards the pasture.
Mothac and Croni were pulling open the gate, but perversely Titan swerved once more, galloping straight at the highest point of the fence.
'Sweet Hera be with me!' prayed the Spartan, for here the highest bar of the fence was almost seven feet high. The stallion slowed, bunched his muscles and leapt, rear hooves clattering against the wood.
As Titan landed Parmenion swung his right leg clear and jumped to the ground. Immediately the stallion turned on him, rearing above him with hooves lashing down. The Spartan rolled and came up running, diving between the fence bars and landing head-first in a patch of churned earth. The Thessalians roared with laughter as Parmenion staggered to his feet.
'I think,' said the Spartan, with a grin, 'he may take a little breaking yet. But what a horse!'
'Look out!' yelled Croni. Titan charged the fence once more, leaping it without breaking stride. Parmenion dived out of the way, but the stallion swung, seeking him out. When Croni ran forward with his rope, Titan saw him and swerved towards the Thessalian, his huge shoulder crashing into the little man and punching him from his feet.
Before anyone could move Titan reared above the Thessalian, his front hooves hammering down into Croni's face.
The skull dissolved, the head collapsing in a sickening spray of blood and brains. Orsin managed to get a rope over the stallion, but twice more the hooves smashed down into the limp body on the grass. Titan felt the noose settle on his neck and jerked hard, tugging Orsin from his feet. Ignoring the boy he thundered towards Parmenion. The Spartan threw himself to his left but, as if anticipating the move, Titan reared high, his blood-spattered hooves plunging down. Parmenion dived again, this time to his right, his back striking a fence-post. Titan loomed above him.
Suddenly the stallion's neck arched back, an arrow jutting from his skull.
'No!' screamed Parmenion. 'No!' But a second shaft buried itself deep in Titan's flank, piercing the heart. The stallion sank to his knees, then toppled to his side.
Parmenion rose on unsteady legs, staring down at the dead colossus. Then he swung to see Mothac lay aside the bow.
'He was a demon,' the Theban said softly. 'No question.'
'I could have tamed him,' said Parmenion, his voice cold with rage.
'You would have been dead, lord,' put in the boy Orsin. 'As dead as my uncle, Croni. And, by all the gods, you rode him. And greatly.'
'There will never be his like again,' Parmenion whispered.
'There is the foal,' said Orsin. 'He will be bigger than his sire.'
Movement by Titan's dead eye caught Parmenion's attention. Thick white maggots were crawling from under the lid and slithering down the horse's face, like obscene tears. 'There are your demons,' said Parmenion. 'His brain must have been alive with them. Gods, they
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