Elric to Rescue Tanelorn - Michael Moorcock [185]
While the people of Eerin island were willing to drink at his expense, teach him their language and debate his ideas until much of his remaining gold was exhausted, he met no-one who knew any more than did he. Now his silver, too, was running low. With the hasty departure for the mainland of his last merchant master, Rackhir could find no further work for an itinerant archer. The priests of Eerin being already over-employed, he had decided to retrace his journey, on a fresh-bought horse. He would see if he could hire a boat to take him back to the general area of ocean where he had first encountered the seabear.
There was now a further complication. In the last village where he had stopped, others had seen his money when his tired fingers had fumbled his belt. Next day, he quickly became aware of being followed by six or seven wolfsheads who clearly intended to enrich themselves at his expense. Thus, rather than shelter when the storm came up, he had ridden into its teeth, anxious to put distance between himself and the ruffians. He had enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing them pull back, over in the far valley as he had neared the dense, dark green wood. At the last moment he had instinctively skirted those old, heavy trees, feeling eyes upon him. Had it been his imagination, or had the trees themselves seemed to be watching? Only now he felt he could afford to rest a little.
Pushing open the heavy side door of the tavern, Ronan found himself in a familiar enough place, with rough-hewn benches and tables at which sat a handful of farmers who, for reasons best known to themselves, had armed themselves with old swords and felling axes. When they saw him they became visibly relaxed and greeted him pleasantly enough. He ordered ale and meat in his strange, lilting accent. To their questions he gave them the answer he had learned satisfied them most readily.
“I’m from France,” he explained, “lately in the service of the O’Dowd, who trades between here and there.”
“And what brings ye to Ballycogub?” one red-faced cowman wanted to know. “Since ye’re the wrong side of the water for England and so too for France?”
“I was followed by robbers, though I’ve precious little to steal. Seeking to escape them, I lost my bearings. Now I’m heading coast-wards to find a boat.”
“Ah, then ye’ll want to head east,” growled the landlord, putting down before him a mug of porter and a plate of coarse bread and half-raw meat. “But be careful, for English reivers plague the waters between here and that damned godless land. Ye’ll serve yerself well if ye take a ship that travels with a fleet. What’s more, there’s the Roaming Forest to fear. Will ye be staying with us for the night, sir?”
Rackhir shook his head, incurious about any fearsome forest. All country people feared dense trees, which their superstitions populated with every kind of imp and demon. He did not wish to spend a night at the inn because the more speed he made, the less chance there would be of any pursuing thieves catching him. “I’ll rest for a few hours here,” he said, “and give my horse time to recover himself, then I’ll be riding on.”
“This is not the best time of the year for that, sir.” The landlord glanced at the other shifty-eyed customers. “Which is why we are all gathered here to wait until it’s safe to travel again.”
“What’s the danger?” Narrowing his eyes, for he suspected them of wanting him to stay so that they could rob him in his sleep, he sipped on his ale-pot.
“Did ye pass by a forest on the way to our valley?” Another farmer turned troubled features towards him.
“I skirted it. I know outlaws prefer the deeps of a wood for their hiding places. I took the high road, but I passed near it. I think that’s where I lost the would-be thieves pursuing me.”
“Ah, well, that’s as maybe, my master.” The landlord gestured with his rag. “We call that forest Huntingwood.”
“What do you hunt there?”
“It’s not what’s hunted among those trees but what the trees and their creatures hunt,” declared the cattle-herder. “For these are the nights when