Read Online The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend by David Gemmell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Gemmell
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unearthly scream tore through the silence of the night, followed by the thunder of hooves. Harib swung to see forty terrified horses galloping toward the camp. One of the men holding the hunter turned also, his grip slackening. Shadak surged upright, head-butting the raider, who staggered back. The second man, seeing the stampeding horses closing fast, released his hold and ran for the safety of the wagons. Harib Ka drew his saber and leapt at Shadak, but the first of the horses cannoned into him, spinning him from his feet. Shadak spun on his heel to face the terrified beasts and began to wave his arms. The maddened horses swerved around him and galloped on through the camp. Some men, still wrapped in their blankets, were trampled underfoot. Others tried to halt the charging beasts. Shadak ran back to Harib’s tent and found his swords. Then he stepped out into the night. All was chaos.
The fires had been scattered by pounding hooves, and several corpses were lying on the open ground. Some twenty of the horses had been halted and calmed; the others were running on through the woods, pursued by many of the warriors.
A second scream sounded, and despite his years of experience in warfare and battle, Shadak was astonished by what followed.
Alone, the young woodsman had attacked the camp. The awesome axe shone silver in the moonlight, slashing and cleaving into the surprised warriors. Several took up swords and ran at him; they died in moments.
But he could not survive. Shadak saw the raiders group together, a dozen men spread out in a semicircle around the black-garbed giant, Harib Ka among them. The hunter, his two short swords drawn, ran toward them yelling the battle cry of theLancers. “Ayiaa! Ayiaa!” At that moment arrows flashed from the woods. One took a raider in the throat, a second glanced from a helm to plunge home into an unprotected shoulder. Combined with the sudden battle cry, the attack made the raiders pause, many of them backing away and scanning the tree line. At that moment, Druss charged the enemy center, cutting to left and right. The raiders fell back before him, several tumbling to the ground, tripping over their fellows. The mighty blood-smeared axe cleaved into them, rising and falling with a merciless rhythm.
Just as Shadak reached them, the raiders broke and fled. More arrows sailed after them.
Harib Ka ran for one of the horses, grabbing its mane and vaulting to its bare back. The animal reared, but he held on. Shadak hurled his right-hand sword, which lanced into Harib’s shoulder. The Ventrian sagged, then fell to the ground as the horse galloped away.
“Druss!” shouted Shadak. “Druss!” The axeman was pursuing the fleeing raiders, but he stopped at the edge of the trees and swung back. Harib Ka was on his knees, trying to pull the brasshilted sword from his body.
The axeman stalked back to where Shadak was waiting. He was blood-drenched and his eyes glittered. “Where is she?” he asked the hunter.
“Collan took her to Mashrapur; they left at dusk.”
Two women emerged from the trees, carrying bows and quivers of arrows. “Who are they?” asked Shadak.
“The tanner’s daughters. They did a lot of hunting for the village. I gave them the bows the sentries had with them.”
The tallest of the women approached Druss. “They are fleeing into the night. I don’t think they’ll come back now. You want us to follow them?”
“No, bring the others down and gather the horses.” The axeman turned toward the kneeling figure of Harib Ka. “Who is this?” Druss asked Shadak.
“One of the leaders.”
Without a word, Druss cleaved the axe through Harib’s neck. “Not any more,” he observed.
“Indeed not,” agreed Shadak, stepping to the still quivering corpse and pulling free his sword. He gazed around the clearing and counted the bodies. “Nineteen. By all the gods, Druss, I can’t believe you did that!”
“Some were trampled by the horses I stampeded, others
The fires had been scattered by pounding hooves, and several corpses were lying on the open ground. Some twenty of the horses had been halted and calmed; the others were running on through the woods, pursued by many of the warriors.
A second scream sounded, and despite his years of experience in warfare and battle, Shadak was astonished by what followed.
Alone, the young woodsman had attacked the camp. The awesome axe shone silver in the moonlight, slashing and cleaving into the surprised warriors. Several took up swords and ran at him; they died in moments.
But he could not survive. Shadak saw the raiders group together, a dozen men spread out in a semicircle around the black-garbed giant, Harib Ka among them. The hunter, his two short swords drawn, ran toward them yelling the battle cry of theLancers. “Ayiaa! Ayiaa!” At that moment arrows flashed from the woods. One took a raider in the throat, a second glanced from a helm to plunge home into an unprotected shoulder. Combined with the sudden battle cry, the attack made the raiders pause, many of them backing away and scanning the tree line. At that moment, Druss charged the enemy center, cutting to left and right. The raiders fell back before him, several tumbling to the ground, tripping over their fellows. The mighty blood-smeared axe cleaved into them, rising and falling with a merciless rhythm.
Just as Shadak reached them, the raiders broke and fled. More arrows sailed after them.
Harib Ka ran for one of the horses, grabbing its mane and vaulting to its bare back. The animal reared, but he held on. Shadak hurled his right-hand sword, which lanced into Harib’s shoulder. The Ventrian sagged, then fell to the ground as the horse galloped away.
“Druss!” shouted Shadak. “Druss!” The axeman was pursuing the fleeing raiders, but he stopped at the edge of the trees and swung back. Harib Ka was on his knees, trying to pull the brasshilted sword from his body.
The axeman stalked back to where Shadak was waiting. He was blood-drenched and his eyes glittered. “Where is she?” he asked the hunter.
“Collan took her to Mashrapur; they left at dusk.”
Two women emerged from the trees, carrying bows and quivers of arrows. “Who are they?” asked Shadak.
“The tanner’s daughters. They did a lot of hunting for the village. I gave them the bows the sentries had with them.”
The tallest of the women approached Druss. “They are fleeing into the night. I don’t think they’ll come back now. You want us to follow them?”
“No, bring the others down and gather the horses.” The axeman turned toward the kneeling figure of Harib Ka. “Who is this?” Druss asked Shadak.
“One of the leaders.”
Without a word, Druss cleaved the axe through Harib’s neck. “Not any more,” he observed.
“Indeed not,” agreed Shadak, stepping to the still quivering corpse and pulling free his sword. He gazed around the clearing and counted the bodies. “Nineteen. By all the gods, Druss, I can’t believe you did that!”
“Some were trampled by the horses I stampeded, others
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