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Naked Empire :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 476 из 495The babies were mostly sound asleep in their mothers' arms, but some of them startedto cry. The mothers desperately tried to rock and cuddle them into silence. Kahlan hoped that it was a common enough sound that it wouldn't draw the attention of the soldiers.
"Wait here," Richard whispered to Kahlan. "Keep everyone up here until we get the gate open."
With Cara right behind him, Richard slipped carefully down the steps and started across the open yard. When one of the babies suddenly began bawling, soldiers came out of a building to see what was going on. They spotted Richard and Kahlan. The soldiers yelled, sounding an alarm.
Kahlan heard the distinctive ring of steel as Richard drew his sword.
Men rushed out of some of the doors, heading Richard and Cara off. Being used to dealing with these people, the men rushing toward Richard apparently weren't greatly concerned about violence. They were wrong, and fell as soon as they got close enough for Richard to strike. Some Richard took down as he ran; others Cara caught as they tried to come in from the side.
The screams of some of the men as they fell woke the whole encampment.
Men rushed out of barracks below, pulling on their trousers and shirts, dragging weapon belts behind.
In the faint starlight, Kahlan spotted Richard by the dropgate. He took a mighty swing. Sparks showered across the wall as the sword shattered one of the heavy chains holding up the gate. Richard ran to the other side, to cut the other chain. Two men caught up to him there. In one fluid movement, Richard cut them both down.
As Cara dropped other men who were rushing in at Richard, he swung the sword again. White-hot fragments of steel filled the air along with the ringing sound of metal shattering. The gate groaned and slowly started to fall outward. Richard heaved his weight against it and it picked up speed.
With a resounding crash, it came down, raising clouds of dust.
A great cry rose up as men outside, wielding swords, axes, and battle maces, charged in across the broken bridge and into the fortification. The soldiers rushed to meet the invasion and there was a great clash of weapons and men.
Kahlan saw, then, that soldiers were racing up the stairway on the opposite side of the balcony.
"Come on!" Kahlan yelled to the women. "We have to get out now!"
Holding the rail to keep her balance, Kahlan raced down the steps, all the women pouring down behind her, a number carrying screaming babies.
Richard ran to meet her at the bottom. He tossed her a short sword with a leather-wound grip.
"Wait here," Richard whispered to Kahlan. "Keep everyone up here until we get the gate open."
With Cara right behind him, Richard slipped carefully down the steps and started across the open yard. When one of the babies suddenly began bawling, soldiers came out of a building to see what was going on. They spotted Richard and Kahlan. The soldiers yelled, sounding an alarm.
Kahlan heard the distinctive ring of steel as Richard drew his sword.
Men rushed out of some of the doors, heading Richard and Cara off. Being used to dealing with these people, the men rushing toward Richard apparently weren't greatly concerned about violence. They were wrong, and fell as soon as they got close enough for Richard to strike. Some Richard took down as he ran; others Cara caught as they tried to come in from the side.
The screams of some of the men as they fell woke the whole encampment.
Men rushed out of barracks below, pulling on their trousers and shirts, dragging weapon belts behind.
In the faint starlight, Kahlan spotted Richard by the dropgate. He took a mighty swing. Sparks showered across the wall as the sword shattered one of the heavy chains holding up the gate. Richard ran to the other side, to cut the other chain. Two men caught up to him there. In one fluid movement, Richard cut them both down.
As Cara dropped other men who were rushing in at Richard, he swung the sword again. White-hot fragments of steel filled the air along with the ringing sound of metal shattering. The gate groaned and slowly started to fall outward. Richard heaved his weight against it and it picked up speed.
With a resounding crash, it came down, raising clouds of dust.
A great cry rose up as men outside, wielding swords, axes, and battle maces, charged in across the broken bridge and into the fortification. The soldiers rushed to meet the invasion and there was a great clash of weapons and men.
Kahlan saw, then, that soldiers were racing up the stairway on the opposite side of the balcony.
"Come on!" Kahlan yelled to the women. "We have to get out now!"
Holding the rail to keep her balance, Kahlan raced down the steps, all the women pouring down behind her, a number carrying screaming babies.
Richard ran to meet her at the bottom. He tossed her a short sword with a leather-wound grip.