boulder.
"Run, boys! Into the mountains!" yelled Yarpen Zigrin with a shout which drowned out the howling Nischuka, still crushed by his horse.
Beards blowing in the wind, the dwarves ran towards the rocks at an amazing speed for their short legs. The dragon did not pursue them. He sat quietly and looked around. Nischuka thrashed and yelled under the weight of his horse. Boholt was lying motionless. Ripper limped back to the shelter of the rocks, walking sideways like a crab.
"It's incredible," murmured Dorregaray. "Incredible..."
"Hey!" Jaskier pulled so hard on his bonds, the wagon shook. "What's that? There! Look!"
They saw a big cloud of dust on the side of the eastern ravine, soon followed by a tumult of shouting, rattle and clatter. The dragon raised its head to look.
Three big wagons carrying armed men came out onto the plain. They scattered to encircle the dragon.
"Bloody hell! It's the militia and guilds of Holopole! " cried Jaskier. "They succeeded in bypassing the river Braa! Yes, it's them! Look, there's Kozojed at the head!"
The dragon lowered its head to gently push the small, greyish, chirping creature towards the wagon. It then struck the ground with its tail, roaring loudly, before launching itself like a speeding arrow to meet the inhabitants of Holopole.
"What's that small thing moving in the grass over there, Geralt?" Yennefer asked.
"It's what the dragon protected," replied the witcher. "It was just recently hatched in a cavern in the northern ravine. It's the offspring of the female dragon poisoned by Kozojed."
The baby reptile, stumbling and hugging the ground with its rounded belly, came up to the wagon with a halting step. It chirped, stood on its hind legs and unfurled its wings. It suddenly went to snuggle up against the sorceress. Yennefer sighed deeply, looking puzzled.
"He likes you," murmured Geralt.
"He may be young, but he's no idiot," added Jaskier, fidgeting enthusiastically in spite of his bonds. "Look where he lays his little head. I'd like to be in his place, damn it. Hey! Little one! You should run away. This is Yennefer, the bane of dragons! And witchers! At least of one witcher in particular..."
"Shut up, Jaskier," shouted Dorregaray. "Look at what's happening on the ground over there! They're going to catch it! Plague upon on all of them!"
The wagons of the inhabitants of Holopole, rumbling like chariots, rushed at the attacking dragon.
"Hack it to pieces," shouted Kozojed hanging on the driver's shoulders. "Hack it to pieces until it's dead, my friends! Don't hold back!"
In a single leap, the dragon evaded the first wagon, but found itself trapped between the two following, from whence a big double fisherman's net, tied with ropes, was thrown over him. The entangled dragon fell, struggling, then curled into a ball before lashing out its legs. The net ripped sharply, torn to pieces. The first wagon, which had now managed to turn around, threw another net, immobilizing it completely. The other two wagons made a u-turn and charged the dragon once again, rattling and bouncing over the potholes in the ground.
"You are caught in the net, carp!" yelled Kozojed. "We're not going to delay gutting you!"
The dragon roared, fire billowing out into the sky with clouds of smoke. The Holopole militiamen jumped down from their wagons and rushed towards it. The dragon roared once again, a desperate, resounding call.
An answer came up from the northern canyon in the form of a piercing war cry.
At a full on gallop, their blonde braids flitting in the wind and blades flashing, there suddenly appeared from the ravine...
"The Zerricanians!" cried the witcher, struggling to free himself from his bonds.
"Oh, shit!" exclaimed Jaskier. "Geralt, do you know what this means?"
The Zerricanians cut through the mass of militiamen like a hot knife in through butter, leaving in their wake heaps of slashed bodies. They dismounted from their horses before running flat out towards the imprisoned
"Run, boys! Into the mountains!" yelled Yarpen Zigrin with a shout which drowned out the howling Nischuka, still crushed by his horse.
Beards blowing in the wind, the dwarves ran towards the rocks at an amazing speed for their short legs. The dragon did not pursue them. He sat quietly and looked around. Nischuka thrashed and yelled under the weight of his horse. Boholt was lying motionless. Ripper limped back to the shelter of the rocks, walking sideways like a crab.
"It's incredible," murmured Dorregaray. "Incredible..."
"Hey!" Jaskier pulled so hard on his bonds, the wagon shook. "What's that? There! Look!"
They saw a big cloud of dust on the side of the eastern ravine, soon followed by a tumult of shouting, rattle and clatter. The dragon raised its head to look.
Three big wagons carrying armed men came out onto the plain. They scattered to encircle the dragon.
"Bloody hell! It's the militia and guilds of Holopole! " cried Jaskier. "They succeeded in bypassing the river Braa! Yes, it's them! Look, there's Kozojed at the head!"
The dragon lowered its head to gently push the small, greyish, chirping creature towards the wagon. It then struck the ground with its tail, roaring loudly, before launching itself like a speeding arrow to meet the inhabitants of Holopole.
"What's that small thing moving in the grass over there, Geralt?" Yennefer asked.
"It's what the dragon protected," replied the witcher. "It was just recently hatched in a cavern in the northern ravine. It's the offspring of the female dragon poisoned by Kozojed."
The baby reptile, stumbling and hugging the ground with its rounded belly, came up to the wagon with a halting step. It chirped, stood on its hind legs and unfurled its wings. It suddenly went to snuggle up against the sorceress. Yennefer sighed deeply, looking puzzled.
"He likes you," murmured Geralt.
"He may be young, but he's no idiot," added Jaskier, fidgeting enthusiastically in spite of his bonds. "Look where he lays his little head. I'd like to be in his place, damn it. Hey! Little one! You should run away. This is Yennefer, the bane of dragons! And witchers! At least of one witcher in particular..."
"Shut up, Jaskier," shouted Dorregaray. "Look at what's happening on the ground over there! They're going to catch it! Plague upon on all of them!"
The wagons of the inhabitants of Holopole, rumbling like chariots, rushed at the attacking dragon.
"Hack it to pieces," shouted Kozojed hanging on the driver's shoulders. "Hack it to pieces until it's dead, my friends! Don't hold back!"
In a single leap, the dragon evaded the first wagon, but found itself trapped between the two following, from whence a big double fisherman's net, tied with ropes, was thrown over him. The entangled dragon fell, struggling, then curled into a ball before lashing out its legs. The net ripped sharply, torn to pieces. The first wagon, which had now managed to turn around, threw another net, immobilizing it completely. The other two wagons made a u-turn and charged the dragon once again, rattling and bouncing over the potholes in the ground.
"You are caught in the net, carp!" yelled Kozojed. "We're not going to delay gutting you!"
The dragon roared, fire billowing out into the sky with clouds of smoke. The Holopole militiamen jumped down from their wagons and rushed towards it. The dragon roared once again, a desperate, resounding call.
An answer came up from the northern canyon in the form of a piercing war cry.
At a full on gallop, their blonde braids flitting in the wind and blades flashing, there suddenly appeared from the ravine...
"The Zerricanians!" cried the witcher, struggling to free himself from his bonds.
"Oh, shit!" exclaimed Jaskier. "Geralt, do you know what this means?"
The Zerricanians cut through the mass of militiamen like a hot knife in through butter, leaving in their wake heaps of slashed bodies. They dismounted from their horses before running flat out towards the imprisoned
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