amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第84部分

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ied　to　whip　free　of　the　one　on　his　tail　and　kick　off　the　third　which　had　bitten　into　the　fold　of　his　flesh　between　rib　cage　and　hip；　to　buck　against　the　others　racing　in　from　the　thick　shrubs　that　bordered　the　river。　Feline　jaws　clamped　harder；　determined　to　retain　their　hold。
　　Then　others　used　Golanth's　body　as　stairs　to　attack　Zaranth；　talons　outstretched；　heads　angled　to　sink　fangs　in　whatever　flesh　they　could　reach。
　　F'lessan　moved　so　quickly　that；　in　throwing　the　blanket　from　his　legs；　he　entangled　Tai　in　its　folds。　Springing　forward　and　then　vaulting　over　Zaranth's　hindquarters；　he　launched　himself　at　the　nearest　feline；　brandishing　the　knife　a　rider　always　carried；　though　it　was　a　blade　that　was　shorter　than　the　fangs　of　the　nearest　beast。　Zaranth；　too；　reared；　sending　the　one　attacking　her　head　spinning　through　the　air。
　　These　are　NOT　trundlebugs；　Zaranth　cried。　THROW　them　away！
　　Golanth　had　torn　the　one　off　his　face　with　one　forepaw；　but　it　turned　in　midair；　legs　at　full　stretch；　and　its　right　front　paw　raked　down　F'lessan's　back。　Its　momentum　took　it　to　the　ground　where　it　instantly　gathered　and　leaped　toward　the　rider。　F'lessan　ducked；　plunged　his　knife　into　the　chest　of　the　beast；　and　rolled　away；　the　feline　snarling　with　rage　and　trying　to　get　rid　of　the　knife　lodged　in　it。　F'lessan　grabbed　a　loose　rock　and；　with　it　as　a　weapon；　ran　to　help　his　dragon；　despite　the　blood　flowing　from　the　claw　marks　on　his　back。
　　Trapped　on　one　side　by　the　terrace；　Golanth　had　no　way　to　unfurl　his　right　wing。　With　his　rider　in　peril；　he　would　not　go　between　where　he　could　have　shed　the　felines　in　the　great　black　cold。　Nor；　in　such　close　quarters；　for　fear　of　searing　their　beloved　riders；　could　either　dragon　summon　residual　flame　to　deter　their　attackers。　One　feline　was　attempting　to　shred　Golanth's　left　inner　wing　sail　and　others；　sinking　talons　deeply　into　tough　dragon　hide；　climbed　all　over　him。
　　Not　just　over　Golanth；　Tai　realized；　frantic　to　get　free　of　the　blanket。　Tawny　bodies　were　flinging　themselves　at　Zaranth　as　well　but　didn't　seem　able　to　do　more　than　leave　long　bleeding　furrows。　The　beast　biting　the　soft　part　of　Golanth's　flank　was　flung　into　the　river　where　it　sank　instantly。　Zaranth　howled；　shaking　her　head　as　if　ridding　it　of　a　burden；　kicking　out　with　a　hind　leg　though　Tai　saw　nothing　but　a　darker　green　liquid　oozing　down　the　green　leg。　A　tawny　streak　came　at　her　from　behind　and　disappeared。　The　one　trying　to　run　up　Golanth's　back　was　suddenly　in　midair；　all　limbs　spread　as　if　something　had　picked　it　up　by　the　belly　and　punched　it　violently　away。　The　one　with　jaws　sunk　into　Golanth's　left　hind　leg　was　similarly　torn　from　him。　Ripping　at　the　blanket；　Tai　got　to　her　feet；　clutching　it　in　one　hand；　wishing　it　had　been　any　sort　of　a　hard…edged　weapon；　wondering　how　she　could　get　to　F'lessan　who　now　had　two　large　felines　circling　him。　Blood　poured　down　his　back。
　　The　next　thing　she　knew；　she　was　beside　F'lessan；　the　blanket　billowing　in　the　air　behind　her　from　the　force　of　her　arrival。　Cracking　the　blanket　like　a　beast　whip；　she　hit　the　face　of　one　of　the　felines　who　retreated；　snarling；　before　she　flung　the　blanket　over　the　next　one；　catching　the　folds　on　its　claws。　F'lessan　pushed　her　down　and　the　second　beast　leaped　on　him。　During　the　split　second　before　the　animal　reached　him；　Tai　could　only　think　one　thing：　I've　lost　him！　I've　lost　him！
　　Suddenly　the　air　was　full　of　dragons；　wings　spread；　and　flame　spouting　from　their　mouths。　Tai　was　horrified　lest　the　dragon　fire　sear　them。　Human　flesh　would　shrivel…that　powerful　fire　could　char　through　dragon　flesh。
　　WATCH　ME！　Zaranth's　voice　was　like　a　thunder　in　the　innermost　part　of　Tai's　skull。　FLING　THEM！　was　answered　by　even　more　powerful　external　shrieks。　Beset　by　fear　and　terror；　by　the　horror　of　losing　F'lessan　and　Golanth；　she　was　utterly　unable　to　absorb　the　strange　things　that　were　happening。　Why　was　Zaranth　telling　the　other　dragons　to　watch　her；　to　fling　them？　Zaranth　never　hurt　the　trundlebugs　she　moved！　Now　felines　were　spinning　through　the　air　without　dragons　touching　them。　Why　had　that　one　exploded　into　fragments？
　　Abruptly　the　creature　struggling　out　of　the　blanket　at　Tai's　feet　was　no　longer　there；　just　the　blanket　sinking　emptily　to　the　ground。　The　predator　who　had　been　positioning　its　hind　legs　to　disembowel　F'lessan　was　gone。　Badly　wounded；　F'lessan　turned　toward　Golanth；　his　body　stretching　out；　yearning；　but　unable　to　rise　and　go　to　the　bronze。　Over　the　sound　of　dragon　and　feline　roars　and　snarls；　Tai　could　hear　him　calling　Golanth's　name！
　　Tai　staggered　to　F'lessan；　to　help　him　to　reach　Golanth；　staggered　again　as　her　eyes　were　blurred。　Or　was　it　because　her　legs　buckled　under　her？
　　That　was　when　she　saw　the　predators　launching　themselves…all　four　at　full　stretch…from　the　terrace　on　which　she　and　F'lessan　had　been　sleeping。　They　must　have　crept　around　behind；　concealed　in　the　thick　vegetation。　Zaranth　lifted　her　torso　at　precisely　the　right　moment…as　if　she'd　seen　them　from　one　facet　of　her　red　whirling　eyes…and　reacted。　Three　crashed　into　her　body　and　were　deflected　away。　The　fourth　was　still　in　midair：　it　would　land　right　on　Golanth's　shoulders；　by　the　last　neck　ridge；　where　there　was　nothing　to　protect　the　dragon's　spine。　If　jaws　or　talons　connected；　a　single　tear　could　end　Golanth's　life。
　　NO！　NO！　Later　Tai　would　wonder　why　her　throat　was　raw。　She　knew　she　pointed；　unable　to　do　more　than　that；　aghast　at　what　would　happen　if　that　predator　made　it　to　Golanth's　back。　The　bronze　dragon　would　die！　F'lessan　would　die！　She　would　die！　〃NO！　NO！　NO！〃　She'd　lose　them　both！　A　blur　of　gold　across　bronze。
　　TIME　IT！　cried　Golanth。
　　That　shriek　seemed　to　course　along　her　bones；　in　her　blood　until　her　body　trembled　violently；　and　her　head　seemed　ready　to　burst。　Certainly　her　heart　did。　A　huge　blur　of　gold　again　rippled　across　bronze。　She　had　one　second　to　see　its　claws　hooking　briefly　into　Golanth's　withers；　tearing　strips　away。　Then　the　feline　burst　into　pieces；　gore；　entrails；　shards　of　bone　and　pieces　of　hide　splattering　as　far　away　as　she　stood；　across　F'lessan's　inert；　bloodied　body。　She　saw　Golanth　staggering。　Golanth　dying？　F'lessan　would　surely　wish　to　die；　too！
　　She　dropped　to　her　knees；　bereft　with　the　realization；　staring　at　the　green　ichor　staining　Golanth's　body。　He　was　still　swaying　with　the　impact；　his　left　eye　oozing　a　green　mixed　with　red　beast　blood。　Yet　he　wasn't　falling。　Did　a　dragon　fall　down　dead？　Too　shocked　in　that　moment　to　go　between！　Somehow　the　predator　had　missed　the　vital　spot。　Golanth's　head　was　hanging；　canting　to　the　left　to　favor　the　damaged　eye。　Could　she　cushion　his　fall？　She　couldn't　even　get　her　knees　to　work。
　　Then　there　were　only　dragons　hovering！　Bewildered　she　gazed　up　at　the　wrathful　semicircle　hovering；　wing　tip　to　tip；　just　above　the　uppermost　terrace：　huge　golden　Ramoth；　Arwith；　Mnementh；　Monarth；　Gadareth；　Hem；　Path；　Ruth；　and　other　dragons　she　did　not　recognize。　She　stared　at　Zaranth；　stretched　high　on　her　hindquarters；　wings　spread　glistening　with　smears　of　ichor…Tai　felt　the　pain　in　her　green's　mind。　As　one；　the　dragons　stretched　their　heads　and　bugled　in　fierce　triumph　at　something　she　did　not　understand。
　　They　live！　A　chorus　assured　her　with　such　conviction　that　the　devastated　Tai　collapsed；　wondering　and　grieving　at　that　response；　crawling　toward　F'lessan　before　she　lost　consciousness。
　　She　drifted　in　and　out；　aware　of　men　and　women；　conversing　in　urgent　whispers；　of　the　coolness　of　numbweed　easing　the　pain　in　her　legs　and　other　parts　of　her　that　had　just　started　to　be　sore。
　　〃No；　leave　him　here　until　he's　been　seen　by　Oldive　as　well　as　Wyzall。〃
　　〃Then　the　green　won't　leave。　But　we　should　move　her　rider。〃
　　〃It's　not　far　to　a　proper　bed　in　Honshu　after　all。〃
　　〃How　many　dragons　will　we　need　to　shift　him？　He　cannot　be　dumped　on　bare　rock；　you　know！〃
　　〃Do　we　need　all　these　people　here？〃　Tai　recognized　the　Benden　Weyrwoman's　caustic　tones。　〃At　least　the　dragons　have　the　good　sense　to　stay　out　of　the　way　until　they're　needed。〃
　　When　they　lifted　her；　to　bandage　her　clawed　legs；　pain　roused　her。
　　〃No；　no；　Tai；　don't　thrash　about。