The Worm Ouroboros by Eric Rücker Eddison (e book reader online .TXT) 📖
- Author: Eric Rücker Eddison
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light seen save the levin-brand, and the campfires before Owlswick,
and the light of revelry within. So that the Demons camped before the
castle were not ware of those fifteen ships that put out from
Scaramsey on that wild sea and landed two or three miles to the
southward by the great bluff on Thremnir’s Heugh. Nor were they ware
at all of them that landed from the ships: fifteen or sixteen hundred
men-at-arms with Heming of Witchland and his young brother Cargo for
their leaders. And the ships rowed back to Scaramsey through the loud
storm and fury of the weather, all save one that foundered in Bothrey
Sound.
But on the morn, when the tempest was abated, might all behold the
putting forth of fourteen ships of war from Scaramsey, every ship of
them laden with men-at-arms. They had passage swiftly over the firth,
and came ahand two miles south of Owlswick. And the ships stood off
again from the land, but the army marshalled for battle on the meads
above Mingarn Hope.
Now Lord Spitfire let draw up his men and moved out southward from the
lines before Owlswick. When they were come within some half mile’s
distance of the Witchland army, so that they might see clearly their
russet kirtles and their shields and body-armour of bronze, and the
dull glint of their sword-blades and the heads of their spears, Volle,
that rode by Spitfire, spake and said, “Markest thou him, O Spitfire,
that rideth back and forth before their battle, marshalling them? So
ever rode Corinius; and well mayst thou know him even afar off by his
showiness and jaunting carriage. Yet see a great wonder now: for who
ever heard tell of this young hotspur giving back from the fight? And
now, or ever we be gotten within spear-shot–”
“By the bright eye of day,” cried Spitfire, “‘tis so! Will he baulk me
quite of a battle? I’ll loose a handful of horse upon them to delay
their haste ere they be flown beyond sight and finding.”
Therewith he gave command to his horsemen to ride forth upon the enemy.
And they rode forth with Astar of Rettray, that was brother-in-law to
Lord Zigg, for their leader. But the Witchland horse met them by the
shallows of Aron Pow and held them in the shallows while Corinius with
his main army won across the river. And when the main body of the Demons
were come up and the passage forced, the Witchlanders were gotten clean
away across the water-meadows to the pass betwixt the shore and the
steeps of Thremnir’s Heugh.
Then said Spitfire, “They stay not to form even i’ the narrow way
‘twixt the sea and the Heugh. And that were their safety, if they had
but the heart to turn and stand us.” And he shouted with a great shout
upon his men to charge the enemy, and suffer not a Witch to overlive
that slaughter.
So the footmen caught hold of the stirrup-leathers of the horsemen,
and running and riding they poured into the narrow pass; and ever was
Spitfire foremost among his men, hewing to left and to right among the
press, riding on that whelming battletide that seemed to bear him on
to triumph.
But now on a sudden was he, who with but twelve hundred men had so
hotly followed fifteen hundred into the strait passage under
Thremnir’s Heugh, made ware too late that he must have to do with
three thousand: Corinius rallying his folk and turning like a wolf in
the pass, while Corund’s sons, that had landed as aforesaid in the
storm in the mirk of night, swept down with their battalions from the
wooded slopes behind the Heugh. In such wise that Spitfire wist not
sooner of any foreshadowing of disaster than of disaster’s self: the
thunder of the blow in flank and front and rear.
Then befell great manslaying between the sea-cliffs and the sea. The
Demons, taken at that advantage, were like a man tripped in mid-stride
by a rope across the way. By the sore onset of the Witches they were
driven down into the shallows of the sea, and the spume of the sea was
red with blood. And the Lord Corinius, now that he had done with
feigned retreat, fared through the battle like a stream of
unquenchable wildfire, that none might sustain his strokes that were
about him.
Now was Spitfire’s horse slain under him with a spear-thrust, as
riding fetlock-deep in the yielding sand he rallied his men to fling
back Heming. But Bremery of Shaws brought him another horse, and so
mightily went he forth against the Witches that the sons of Corund
were fain to give back before his onslaught, and that wing of the
Witchland army was pressed back against the broken ground below the
Heugh. Yet was that of little avail, for Corinius brake through from
the north, thrusting the Demons with great slaughter back from the
sea, so that they were penned betwixt him and Heming. Therewith
Spitfire turned with some picked companies against Corinius; and well
it seemed for awhile that a great force of the Witches must be whelmed
or drowned in the salt waves. And Corinius himself stood now in great
peril of his life, for his horse was bogued in the soft sands and
might not win free for all his plunging.
In that nick of time came Spitfire through the stour, with a band of
Demons about him, slaying as he came. He shouted with a terrible
voice, “O Corinius, hateful to me and mine as are the gates of Hell,
now will I kill thee, and thy dead carcase shall fatten the sweet
meads of Owlswick.”
Corinius answered him, “Bloody Spitfire, last of three whelps, for thy
brothers are by now dead and rotten, I shall give thee a choke-pear.”
Therewith Spitfire shot a twirl-spear at him. It missed the man but
smote the great horse in the shoulder so that he plunged and fell in a
heap, hurt to the death. But the Lord Corinius lighting nimbly on his
feet caught Spitfire’s horse by the bridle rein and smote it on the
muzzle, even as he rode at him, so that the horse reared up and
swerved. Spitfire made a great blow at him with an axe, but it came
slantwise on the helmet ridge and glented aside in air. Then Corinius
thrust up under Spitfire’s shield with his sword, and the point
entered the big muscle of the arm near the armpit, and glancing
against the bone tore up through the muscles of the shoulder. And that
was a great wound.
Nevertheless Spitfire slacked not from the fight, but smote at him
again, thinking to have hewn off his arm the hand whereof still
clutched the bridle-rein. Corinius caught the axe on his shield, but
his fingers loosed the rein, and almost he fell to earth under that
mighty stroke, and the good bronze shield was dented and battered in.
Now with the loosing of the reins was Spitfire’s horse plunged
forward, carrying him past Corinius toward the sea. But he turned and
hailed him, crying, “Get thee an horse. For I count it unworthy to
fight with thee bearing this advantage over thee, I a-horseback and
thou on foot.”
Corinius cried out and answered, “Come down from thine horse then, and
meet me foot to foot. And know it, my pretty throstle-cock, that I am
king in Demonland, which dignity I hold of the King of Kings, Gorice
of Witchland, mine only overlord. Meet it is that I show thee in
combat singular, that vauntest thyself greatest among the rebels yet
left alive in this my kingdom, how much greater is my might than
thine.”
“These be great and thumping words,” said Spitfire. “I shall thrust
them down thy throat again.”
Therewith he made as if to light down from his horse; but as he strove
to light down, a mist went before his eyes and he reeled in his
saddle. His men rushed in betwixt him and Corinius, and the captain of
his bodyguard bare him up, saying, “You are hurt, my lord. You must
not fight no more with Corinius, for your highness is unmeet for
fighting and may not stand alone.”
So they that were about him bare up great Spitfire. And the mellay
that was stayed while those lords dealt together in single combat
brake forth afresh in that place. But all the while had furious war
swung and ravened below Thremnir’s Heugh, and wondrous was the valour
of the Demons; for many hundred were slain or wounded to the death,
and but a small force were they that yet remained to bear up the
battle against the Witches.
Now those that were with Spitfire departed with him in the secretest
manner that they could out of the fight, wrapping about him a watchet-coloured cloak to hide his shining armour. They stanched the blood
that ran from the great wound in his shoulder and bound it up
carefully, and carried him a-horseback by Volle’s command into
Tremmerdale by secret mountain paths up to a desolate corrie east of
Sterry Gap, under the great scree-shoot that flanks the precipices of
the south summit of Dina. A long time he lay there senseless, like to
one dead. For many hurts had he taken in the unequal fight, and
greatly was he bruised and battered, but worst of all was the sore
hurt Corinius gave him ere they parted betwixt the limits of land and
sea.
And when night was fallen and all the ways were darkened, came the
Lord Volle with a few companions utterly wearied to that lonely
corrie. The night was still and cloudless, and the maiden moon walked
high heaven, blackening the shadows of the great peaks that were like
sharks’ teeth against the night. Spitfire lay on a bed of ling and
cloaks in the lee of a great boulder. Ghastly pale was his face in the
silver moonlight.
Volle leaned upon his spear looking earnestly upon him. They asked him
tidings. And Volle answered, “All lost,” and still looked upon
Spitfire.
They said, “My lord, we have stanched the blood and bound up the
wound, but his lordship abideth yet senseless. And greatly we fear for
his life, lest this great hurt yet prove his bane-sore.”
Volle kneeled beside him on the cold sharp stones and tended him as a
mother might her sick child, applying to the wound leaves of black
horehound and millefoil and other healing simples, and giving him to
drink out of a flask of precious wine of Arshalmar, ripened for an age
in the deep cellars below Krothering. So that in a while Spitfire
opened his eyes and said, “Draw back the curtains of the bed, for ‘tis
many a day since I woke up in Owlswick. Or is it night indeed? How
went the fight, then?”
His eyes stared at the naked rocks and the naked sky beyond them. Then
with a great groan he lifted himself on his right elbow. Volle put a
strong arm about him, saying, “Drink the good wine, and have patience.
There be great doings toward.”
Spitfire stared round him awhile, then said violently, “Shall we be
foxes and fugitive men to dwell in holes o’ the hollow mountain side?
So the bright day is done, ha? Then off with these trammels.” And he
fell a-tearing at the bandage on his wounds.
But Voile prevented him with strong hands, saying, “Bethink thee how
on thee alone, O glorious Spitfire, and on thy wise heart and valiant
soul that delighteth in furious war, resteth all
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