Duke Elric - Michael Moorcock [26]
“Only we—only that being—could battle Agak and Gagak in anything resembling their own terms,” said Erekose. “Other means would not have been successful, no other creature could have the particular qualities, the enormous power needed to slay such strange sorcerers.”
“So it seems,” said Elric, and he would talk no more of it.
“Hopefully,” said Corum, “you will forget this experience as you forgot—or will forget—the other.”
Elric offered him a hard stare. “Hopefully, brother,” he said.
Erekose's chuckle was ironic. “Who could recall that?” And he, too, said no more.
Ashnar the Lynx, who had ceased his gigglings as he watched the fire, shrieked suddenly and broke away from the main party. He ran towards the flickering column and then veered away, disappearing among the ruins and the shadows.
Otto Blendker gave Elric a questioning stare, but Elric shook his head. “Why follow him? What can we do for him?” He looked down at Hown Serpent-tamer. He had particularly liked the man in the sea-green armour. He shrugged.
When they moved on, they left the curled body of Hown Serpent-tamer where it lay, helping only Brut of Lashmar across the rubble and down to the shore.
Soon they saw the white mist ahead and knew they neared the sea, though the ship was not in sight.
At the edge of the mist both Hawkmoon and Erekose paused.
“I will not rejoin the ship,” said Hawkmoon. “I feel I've served my passage now. If I can find Tanelorn, this, I suspect, is where I must look.”
“My own feelings.” Erekose nodded his head.
Elric looked at Corum. Corum smiled. “I have already found Tanelorn. I go back to the ship in the hope that soon it will deposit me upon a more familiar shore.”
“That is my hope,” said Elric. His arm still supported Brut of Lashmar.
Brut whispered, “What was it? What happened to us?”
Elric increased his grip upon the warrior's shoulder. “Nothing,” he said.
Then, as Elric tried to lead Brut into the mist, the blond warrior stepped back, breaking free. “I will stay,” he said. He moved away from Elric. “I am sorry.”
Elric was puzzled. “Brut?”
“I am sorry,” Brut said again. “I fear you. I fear that ship.”
Elric made to follow the warrior, but Corum put a hard silver hand upon his shoulder. “Comrade, let us be gone from this place.” His smile was bleak. “It is what is back there that I fear more than the ship.”
They stared over the ruins. In the distance they could see the remains of the fire and there were two shadows there now, the shadows of Gagak and Agak as they had first appeared to them.
Elric drew a cold breath of air. “With that I agree,” he told Corum.
Otto Blendker was the only warrior who chose to return to the ship with them. “If that is Tanelorn, it is not, after all, the place I sought,” he said.
Soon they were waist-deep in the water. They saw again the outlines of the Dark Ship; they saw the captain leaning on the rail, his arm raised as if in salute to someone or something upon the island.
“Captain,” called Corum, “we come aboard.”
“You are welcome,” said the captain. “Yes, you are welcome.” The blind face turned towards them as Elric reached out for the rope ladder. “Would you care to sail for a while into the silent places, the restful places?”
“I think so,” said Elric. He paused, halfway up the ladder, and he touched his head. “I have many wounds.”
He reached the rail and with his own cool hands the captain helped him over. “They will heal, Elric.”
Elric moved closer to the mast. He leaned against it and watched the silent crew as they unfurled the sail. Corum and Otto Blendker came aboard. Elric listened to the sharp sound of the anchor as it was drawn up. The ship swayed a little.
Otto Blendker looked at Elric, then at the captain, then he turned and went into his cabin, saying nothing at all as he closed the door.
The sail filled, the ship began to move. The captain reached out and found Elric's arm. He took Corum's arm, too, and led them towards his cabin. “The wine,” he said. “It will heal all the wounds.”
At the door of the captain's cabin Elric paused. “And does the wine have