Waylander

Informationen zum Autor David Gemmell Klappentext All of Waylander's instincts had screamed at him to spurn the contract from Kaem the cruel, the killer of nations. But he had ignored them. He had made his kill. And even as he went to collect his gold, he knew that he had been betrayed. Now the Dark Brotherhood and the hounds of chaos were hunting him, even as Kaem's armies waged war on the Drenai lands, intent on killing every man, woman, and child. The Drenai soldiers were doomed to ultimate defeat, and chaos would soon reign. Then a strange old man told Waylander that the only way to turn the tide of battle would be for Waylander himself to retrieve the legendary Armor of Bronze from its hiding place deep within a shadow-haunted land. He would be hunted. He was certain to fail. But he must try, the old man commanded--commanded in the name of his son, the king, who had been slain by an assassin... Waylander was the most unlikely of heroes--for he was a traitor, the Slayer who had killed the king...1   THEY HAD BEGUN to torture the priest when the stranger stepped from the shadows of the trees.   “You stole my horse,” he said quietly. The five men spun around. Beyond them the young priest sagged against the ropes that held him, raising his head to squint through swollen eyes at the newcomer. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, and a black leather cloak was drawn about him.   “Where is my horse?” he asked.   “Who is to say? A horse is a horse, and the owner is the man who rides him,” answered Dectas. When the stranger had first spoken, Dectas had felt the thrill of fear course through him, expecting to find several men armed and ready. But now, as he scanned the trees in the gathering dusk, he knew the man was alone. Alone and mad. The priest had proved but sorry sport, gritting his teeth against the pain and offering neither curse nor plea. But this one would sing his song of pain long into the night.   “Fetch the horse,” said the man, a note of boredom in his deep voice.   “Take him!” ordered Dectas, and swords sang into the air as the five men attacked. Swiftly the newcomer swept his cloak over one shoulder and lifted his right arm. A black bolt tore into the chest of the nearest man; a second entered the belly of a burly warrior with upraised sword. The stranger dropped the small double crossbow and lightly leapt back. One of his attackers was dead, and a second knelt clutching the bolt in his belly.   The newcomer loosened the thong that held his cloak, allowing it to fall to the ground behind him. From twin sheaths he produced two black-bladed knives.   “Fetch the horse!” he ordered.   The remaining two hesitated, glancing to Dectas for guidance. Black blades hissed through the air, and both men dropped without a sound.   Dectas was alone.   “You can have the horse,” he said, biting his lip and backing toward the trees. The man shook his head.   “Too late,” he answered softly.   Dectas turned and sprinted for the trees, but a sharp blow in the back caused him to lose balance, and his face plowed the soft earth. Pushing his hands beneath him, he struggled to rise. Had the newcomer thrown a rock? he wondered. Weakness flowed through him, and he slumped to the ground … the earth was soft as a feather bed and sweet-smelling like lavender. His leg twitched.   The newcomer recovered his cloak and brushed the dirt from its folds before fastening the thongs at the shoulder. Then he recovered his three knives, wiping them clean on the clothes of the dead. Lastly he collected his bolts, dispatching the wounded man with a swift knife cut across the throat. He picked up his crossbow and checked the mechanism for dirt before clipping it to his broad black belt. Without a backward glance he strode to the horses.   “Wait!” called the priest. “Release me. Please!”   The man ...

Produktdetails

• Autoren: David Gemmell
• Verlag: Del Rey
• Sprache: Englisch
• Produktform: Taschenbuch
• Erschienen: 27.09.1995
• EAN: 9780345379078
• ISBN: 978-0-345-37907-8
• Seiten: 320
• Abmessung: 106 mm x 175 mm x 20 mm
• Thema: Belletristik > Science Fiction, Fantasy