Vanishing Tower - Michael Moorcock [38]
Knowing nothing of Theleb K'aarna's plan Rackhir was plainly not too worried by the appearance of the beggar rabble which was as poorly armed as those Elric and Moonglum had fought in Nadsokor.
"We must ride through their army to reach Rackhir now," Moonglum said.
Elric nodded but he made no move. He was watching the distant hill where Theleb K'aarna continued his incantation, hoping that he might guess what kind of aid the sorcerer was summoning.
A moment later Elric yelled and spurred his horse down the hill at a gallop. Moonglum was almost as startled as the beggars as he followed his friend into the thick of the ragged horde, slashing this way and that with the longest of his swords.
Elric's Stormbringer emitted black radiance as it carved a bloody path through the beggar army, leaving in its wake a mess of dismembered bodies, entrails and dead, horrified eyes.
Moonglum's horse was splashed with blood to the shoulder and it snorted and balked at following the white-skinned demon with the howling black blade, but Moonglum, afraid that the beggar ranks would close, forced it on until at last they were both riding towards the caravan and someone was yelling Elric's name.
It was Rackhir the Red Archer, clothed in scarlet from head to foot, with a red bone bow in his hand and a red quiver of crimson-fletched arrows on his back. On his head was a scarlet skull cap decorated with a single scarlet feather. His face was weather-beaten and all but fleshless. He had fought with Elric before the Fall of Imrryr and together they had discovered the Black Swords. Rackhir had gone on to seek Tanelorn and find it at last.
Elric had not seen Rackhir since then. Now he noted an enviable look of peace in the archer's eyes. Rackhir had once been a Warrior Priest in the Eastlands, serving Chaos, but now he served nothing but his tranquil Tanelorn.
"Elric! Have you come to help us send Urish and his beggars back to where they came from?" Rackhir was laughing, evidently pleased to see his old friend. "And Moonglum! When did you two meet? I have not seen thee since I left the Eastlands!"
Moonglum grinned. "Much has come to pass since those days, Rackhir."
Rackhir rubbed at his aquiline nose. "Aye—so I've heard."
Elric dismounted swiftly. "No time for reminiscence now, Rackhir. You're in greater danger than you know."
"What? When did the beggar rabble of Nadsokor offer anything to fear? Look how poorly armed they are!"
"They have a sorcerer with them—Theleb K'aarna of Pan Tang. See—that's him on yonder hill."
Rackhir frowned. "Sorcery. These days I've little guard against that. How good is the sorcerer, do you know?"
"He is one of the most powerful in Pan Tang."
"And the wizards of Pan Tang almost equal your folk, Elric, in their skills."
"I fear he more than equals me at present, for my Actorios Ring has been stolen from me by Urish."
Rackhir looked strangely at Elric, noting something in the albino's face which he had evidently not seen there when they last parted. "Well," he said, "we shall have to defend ourselves as best we can. . . ."
"If you cut loose your horses so that all your folk could be mounted we might be able to escape before Theleb K'aarna invokes whatever supernatural aid it is he seeks." Elric nodded as the giant, Brut of Lashmar, rode up grinning at him. Brut had been a hero in Lashmar before he had disgraced himself.
Rackhir shook his head. "Tanelorn needs the provisions we carry."
"Look," said Moonglum quietly.
On the hill where Theleb K'aarna had been standing there had now appeared a billowing cloud of redness, like blood in clear water.
"He is successful." Rackhir murmured. "Brut! Let all be mounted. We've no time to prepare further defences, but we'll have the advantage of being on horseback when they attack."
Brut thundered off, yelling at the men of Tanelorn. They began to unharness the wagon horses and ready their weapons.
The cloud of redness above was beginning to disperse and out of it shapes