Bones of the Dragon - Margaret Weis [205]
“I’m not cold.” Wulfe sat down beside him. “Did you see? Your draugr’s guiding the ship.”
Skylan snorted. “Go tell your ghost tales to Erdmun,” he muttered, clasping his arms around his chest, trying to make himself comfortable. The draugr had not visited him since the night before the storm. He had hoped he was rid of her.
“But she is,” Wulfe insisted. “See for yourself.”
Skylan sighed, and just to shut the boy up, he raised himself onto one elbow and looked to the front of the ship.
The draugr stood beside the spiritbone, her hand on the dragon’s carved neck, just as Skylan remembered seeing Draya on the day of her death.
The dragon’s eyes shone red in the mists. Draya’s face shimmered white. Skylan shuddered.
“Where is she taking us?”
“I don’t know,” Wulfe said. “I asked the oceanaids where we were, but they won’t tell me. They jeer at me and say we’re cursed.”
“We are not cursed,” Skylan said wrathfully, and he raised his voice for all to hear him—all, including his dead wife. “We are not cursed! Torval brought us safely through the storm. He has us in his care. He will bring us home.”
He glared at Wulfe. “Go put some clothes on!”
Skylan threw himself back down on the deck. He shut his eyes, squeezed them tight, so that they would not fly open and stare at the draugr.
“Skylan,” said a gentle voice. “May I talk to you?”
“What do you want?” Skylan asked harshly. He did not have to open his eyes. The voice was like a sword slicing through his gut.
“I know you can never forgive me, Skylan,” Aylaen said. “I understand, though it makes me sad, for you are my friend, my brother—”
Skylan’s eyes flared open. Aylaen flinched at the raw pain she saw there. She reached out her hand.
“Don’t,” he said, his fury burning.
Aylaen let her hand fall. “I know you can never forgive me,” she repeated, “but I hope you can forgive Garn—”
“Why do you love him?” Skylan demanded.
“Why do you love him?” Aylaen countered.
“I’m asking you,” he said sullenly.
Aylaen smiled. “I’ll tell you why you love Garn. You love him because he is wise and good and kind. You love him because his courage is not a banner that he waves in your face. His courage gives him the strength to do grubbing work in the fields day after day. His courage is patient and gentle with Norgaard when he is twisted up in pain. His courage led him to dive into the sea during the storm to try to save a man he didn’t even know. You love him for all those reasons, Skylan. And that is why I love him.”
Skylan grabbed hold of her, held her tightly. “But I want you to love me!”
“You have always had everything you wanted in life, Skylan,” Aylaen said, gently and sadly. “But not this time.”
“Freilis take you, then! Freilis take you both!”
Skylan shoved her away and lay back down. He closed his eyes, did not look at her. He sensed her lingering for a moment, hoping he would relent. Skylan would never do that. His aching heart, his bitter jealousy, his wounded pride twisted around inside him like a nest of baby vipers. He knew he should cut off their heads, for the longer he nursed them, the stronger and more powerful and more poisonous they would become. He could not help himself, however. He fed the snakes the milk of hatred.
“Skylan!” Erdmun was shaking him. “Skylan, wake up!”
“I’m awake,” Skylan mumbled, trying to crawl out of the hole of deep sleep. “What is it?” He sat up, yawning and scratching at the beard sprouting on his chin. He hated going without shaving. It made him feel unclean.
“I sighted land,” said Erdmun, who had been standing lookout.
Skylan was on his feet, awake in an instant. He looked swiftly and uneasily in the direction of the dragon’s head and breathed a sigh of relief to see that the draugr was gone. The mists were gone, as well. A red slit on the horizon presaged the sun, whose light was already spreading a pinkish glow in the sky.
“Wake the others,” said Skylan.
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” said Erdmun. “Not yet.”
Skylan cast him a frowning glance. “Why not?”
Erdmun pointed.
Two immense rock formations jutted up out of the water.