"They met the Picts," answered Balthus briefly, and the woman sobbed in horror.

They were scarcely out of sight of the cabin when some distance behind them quavered a long high-pitched yell (они едва оказались вне видимости от дома = едва дом пропал из виду, когда = как на некотором расстоянии позади них завибрировал долгий пронзительный вопль).

"A wolf!" exclaimed one of the women (волк! — воскликнула одна из женщин).

"A painted wolf with an ax in his hand," muttered Balthus (раскрашенный волк с топором в /его/ руке, — пробормотал Балтус). "Go (идите / вперед)! Rouse the other settlers along the road and take them with you (поднимайте других поселенцев по дороге и уводите их с собой). I'll scout along behind (я разведаю сзади / прикрою)."

scarcely [ˈskɑ:slɪ], quaver [ˈkweɪvə], scout [skaut]

They were scarcely out of sight of the cabin when some distance behind them quavered a long high-pitched yell.

"A wolf!" exclaimed one of the women.

"A painted wolf with an ax in his hand," muttered Balthus. "Go! Rouse the other settlers along the road and take them with you. I'll scout along behind."

Without a word the old woman herded her charges ahead of her (без слов старуха погнала своих подопечных впереди себя). As they faded into the darkness, Balthus could see the pale-ovals that were the faces of the children twisted back over their shoulders to stare toward him (когда они растаяли во тьме, Балтус мог видеть бледные овалы, которые были лицами детей, обернувшихся через плечо, /чтобы/ посмотреть в его сторону: «к нему»). He remembered his own people on the Tauran and a moment's giddy sickness swam over him (он вспомнил своих родных: «его собственных людей» в Тауране, и секундная головокружительная тошнота нахлынула на него). With momentary weakness he groaned and sank down in the road (от кратковременной слабости он охнул и опустился на дорогу), his muscular arm fell over Slasher's massive neck and he felt the dog's warm moist tongue touch his face (его мускулистая рука упала через = охватила массивную шею Задиры, и он почувствовал, /как/ теплый влажный язык пса коснулся его лица).

remember [rɪˈmembə], giddy [ˈɡɪdɪ], muscular [ˈmʌskjulə]

Without a word the old woman herded her charges ahead of her. As they faded into the darkness, Balthus could see the pale-ovals that were the faces of the children twisted back over their shoulders to stare toward him. He remembered his own people on the Tauran and a moment's giddy sickness swam over him. With momentary weakness he groaned and sank down in the road, his muscular arm fell over Slasher's massive neck and he felt the dog's warm moist tongue touch his face.