Gemmell, David – Dark Moon

Tarantio saddled him and hooked his rucksack over the pommel. ‘I’ll be on my way. But before I go, tell me why my reaction irritated you? What did you expect of me, Browyn?’

‘You know what I like about the young?’ countered the old man. ‘Their passion for life, and their ability to see beyond the mundane. They don’t look at the world and see what can’t be done. They try to do it. Often they are arrogant, and their ideas fall from the sky like weary birds. But they try, Tarantio.’

‘And you judge me unworthy because I fail to see the point to a ship on a mountain?’

‘No, no, no! I do not judge you unworthy,’ insisted Browyn. ‘You are a good man, and you risked yourself to save me. And it is not your reaction to the boat that depresses me; it is your reaction to life itself. God’s teeth, man, if the young can’t change the world, who can?’

Tarantio felt his anger rise as he looked into the man’s earnest grey eyes. ‘You have known me for a few hours,

Browyn. You do not know me. You have no idea of who I am, and what I am capable of.’

In that moment Dace awoke and Browyn stepped back, the colour draining from his face. Tarantio’s soul shimmered and changed, separating. To the left now was the face of corpse grey, with the shock of white spiky hair. Browyn looked into the yellow slitted eyes and blinked nervously.

‘I do not want to die,’ he heard himself say, fear making his voice tremble.

‘What are you talking about? I wouldn’t kill you.’

‘He sees me,’ said Dace. ‘Is that not true, old man?’

‘I see you,’ admitted Browyn.

Tarantio stood for a moment, stunned. ‘You . . . can see Dace? Truly?’

‘Yes. It is a talent I have, for seeing souls. It has helped me in my life .. . knowing who to trust. Don’t kill me, Tarantio. I will tell no-one.’

‘What do I look like, old man? Am I handsome?’

‘Yes. Very handsome.’

‘I can hardly believe it … he does exist then,’ said Tarantio. ‘I am not insane.’ He walked to a carved bench of oak built around the bole of a beech tree and sat down. Browyn stood where he was. Tarantio beckoned him over. ‘Have you ever seen a man with two souls before?’ he asked.

‘Once only. He was standing on a scaffold with a rope around his neck.’

‘Do you have any idea how this happened to me … to us?’

‘None. Will you spare me, Tarantio? I am near death anyway.’

‘Sweet Heaven, Browyn! Will you stop this? I have no intention of harming you in any way. Why would I?’

‘Not you . . . but him. Dace wants me dead. Ask him.’

‘He knows, Chio. He must die. I will make it quick and painless.’

‘No. There is no need. No danger. And would you really know joy by killing a harmless old man?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘He lied to me. Said I was handsome. I am ugly, Chio. I could see my reflection in his eyes’

Tarantio felt Dace swelling inside his mind, trying to force a path to the world, but Tarantio fought back. ‘Curse you!’ screamed Dace. ‘Let me out!’

‘No,’ said Tarantio, aloud.

‘One day, Chio. One day I will find a way to set myself free.’

‘But not today, brother.’ He glanced at Browyn and gave a weary smile. ‘You are safe, old man. However, I had best be on my way.’

‘It is a shame the Eldarin are gone,’ said Browyn, as Tarantio stepped into the saddle. ‘I think their magic could have helped you both.’

‘We need no help. We are – if not happy – then mostly content. Dace is not all bad, Browyn. I sense the good in him sometimes.’

Browyn said nothing. Nor did he wave as Tarantio heeled the gelding and rode from the clearing.

Tarantio rode down into the valley, and once on flat, open ground, gave the gelding his head. The horse thundered across the valley floor, and Tarantio felt the sheer joy in the animal as it sped across the grassland in a mile-eating gallop. After some minutes he allowed the horse to slow to a walk. Then he dismounted and examined the beast

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162

Leave a Reply 0

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *