The Oak and the Ram - 04 (3 page)

‘ 'I will need an excellent disguise," mused Corum, who privately felt he was doomed to fail in this quest, but who also felt that he must attempt it if only to show his respect for these people.

' 'I hope I can suggest one," said King Fiachadh, and his massive bulk began to rise as he stood up.' 'Is my chest where I asked it to be put, brother?"

King Mannach also rose, smoothing back his white hair. Corum remembered that not long since his hair had also had red in it. But that was before the Fhoi Myore had come. And King Mannach's beard was almost white now, too. Still he was a handsome man, standing almost as tall as broad-shouldered Fiachadh, the gold collar of his kingship around his firm throat. King Mannach pointed to a corner behind their seats. "There," he said. "There is the chest."

And King Fiachadh went to the corner and picked up the heavy chest by its golden handles and, carrying the chest to the table, with a grunt he put it down. Then from a pouch at his waist he took some keys and unlocked five strong locks. Then he paused, his piercing blue eyes staring at Corum. And he said something mysterious: "You are not a traitor, Corum, now."

"I am not," said Corum. "Not now."

"I trust a reformed traitor more than I trust myself," said King Fiachadh, grinning cheerfully as he opened the lid. But he opened the chest in such a way that Corum could not see the contents.

King Fiachadh reached into the chest and carefully began to draw something out. "There," he said. "The last of the Treasures of Caer Llud."

And Corum wondered if the King of the Tuha-na-Manannan were still joking, for King Fiachadh was displaying in both hands a rather tattered robe; a robe such as the poorest of peasants might be too fastidious to wear. A robe which was so patched, torn, and faded that it was impossible to tell the original color.

Holding it almost gingerly and yet tenderly, as if in awe of the old robe, King Fiachadh offered it to Corum.

"This is your disguise," said King Fiachadh.

THE THIRD CHAPTER

CORUM ACCEPTS A GIFT

"Did some hero wear it once?" Corum asked. It was the only explanation for the reverence with which King Fiachadh handled the tattered robe.

"Aye, a hero has worn it, according to our legends, during the first fights with the Fhoi Myore." King Fiachadh seemed puzzled by Corum's question. "It is often called just 'The Mantle,' but sometimes it is called Arianrod's Cloak—so that strictly speaking it is a heroine's mantle, for Arianrod was a female Sidhi, of great fame and much loved by the Mabden."

"And so you treasure it," said Corum. "And well you might. . ."

Medhbh was laughing, for she knew what he thought. "You come close to condescending to us, Sir Silverhand," she said. "Do you think King Fiachadh a fool?" "Far from it, but
..."

"If you knew our legends you would understand the power of that much-worn mantle. Arianrod used it for many great feats before she herself was slain by some Fhoi Myore during the last great battle between the Sidhi and the Cold Folk. Some say she slew a whole army of Fhoi Myore singlehanded while wearing that cloak."

"It makes the wearer invulnerable?"

' 'Not exactly,'' said King Fiachadh, still proffering the mantle to Corum. "Will you accept it, Prince Corum?"

"Gladly will I accept a gift from your hand, King Fiachadh," said Corum, remembering his manners, and he reached out and took the cloak gently, in his fleshly hand and his hand of gleaming silver.

And both hands vanished at the wrists so that it seemed he was again crippled, though this time twice-crippled. Yet he could feel his fleshly hand and feel the texture of the cloth with his fingers, for all that the mantle had made his hands disappear.

"It does work, then/' said King Fiachadh in tones of great satisfaction. ‘ 'I am glad you accepted it with hesitation, Sir Sidhi. ‘'

Corum began to understand. He drew his fleshly hand away from under the cloak and there was his hand again!

"A mantle of invisibility?"

' 'Aye,'' said Medhbh in awe.' 'The same mantle used by Gyfech to enter the bedchamber of Ben while her father slept across the door. That mantle was much prized, even amongst the Sidhi."

Corum said: "I believe I know how it must work. It comes from another plane. Just as Hy-Breasail is part of another world, so is this mantle. It shifts the wearer into another plane, just as the Vadhagh could once move from plane to plane and remain aware of activities on different planes
..."

They knew not of what he spoke, but they were too delighted to question him. He laughed. ' 'Brought from the Sidhi plane, it has no true existence here. Yet why will it not work for Mabden?"

' 'It will not always work for Sidhi,' ‘ said King Fiachadh.' 'There are some—Mabden or others—possessed of a sixth sense which makes them aware of you even when you are invisible to all others. Very few possess this sixth sense so that you may wear the mantle without detection most of the time. However, someone whose sixth sense is well-developed will see you just as I see you now."

"And this is the disguise I must use to go to the Tower of the High King?" Corum said, handling the cloak with care and equally as much reverence as had King Fiachadh, marveling as its folds hid first one portion and then another of his anatomy.' 'Yes, it is a good disguise." He smiled. "There is none better." He handed the mantle back to the King. "Best keep it safely in its chest until it is needed."

And when the chest was locked with all five keys, Corum sank back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "Now," he said, "there is much to be planned."

So it was late before Corum and Medhbh lay together, in their wide, low bed, looking out through the windows at the summer moon.

"It was prophesied," said Medhbh sleepily, "that Cremm Croich should go upon three quests, face three great dangers, make three strong friendships
..."

"Prophesied where?"

"In the old legends."

"You have not mentioned this before."

"There seemed no point. Legends are vague. You are not what the legends led us to expect, after all." She smiled quietly.

He returned her smile. "Well, then, I begin the second quest tomorrow."

"And you will be gone long from my side," said Medhbh.

"That is my fate, I fear. I came for duty, not for love, sweet Medhbh. The love must be enjoyed while it does not interfere with duty."

"You could be killed could you not? For all you are an elfin lord?"

"Aye, killed by sword, or poison. I could even fall from my horse and break my neck!"

"Do not mock my fears, Corum."

"I am sorry." He rose on one elbow and looked into her lovely eyes. He bent and kissed her lips. "I am sorry, Medhbh."

He rode a red horse, such as he had ridden when he first came to Cremmsmound. Its coat shone in the early morning sunshine. From beyond the walls of Caer Mahlod came the sound of bird song.

He wore all his ceremonial fighting gear, the ancient gear of the Vadhagh. He wore a shirt of blue samite and his breeks were doeskin. He wore a peaked, conical silver helm with his runic name set into it (the runes were indecipherable to the Mabden) and he wore his byrnie, a layer of silver upon a layer of brass. He wore all save his Scarlet Robe, his Name-robe, for that he had traded to the Wizard Calatin at the place he knew as Moidel’s Mount. Upon the horse was a mantle of yellow velvet and harness and saddle were of crimson leather with designs picked out in white.

For weapons Corum took a lance, an axe, a sword and a dirk. The lance was tall, its shaft strengthened with gleaming brass, its head of polished iron. The axe was double-headed, plain and long-hafted, also bound with bands of brass. The sword hung in a scabbard matching the horse's harness and its hilt was dressed in leather, bound with fine gold and silver wire, with a heavy round pommel of bronze. The dirk had been made by the same craftsman and matched the sword.

^‘
‘
Who could mistake you for anything but a demigod,'' said King Fiachadh approvingly.

Prince Corum made a small smile and clutched his reins in his silver hand. He reached with his other hand to adjust the plain war-board which hung behind his saddle over one of the panniers containing as well as his provisions a tightly rolled fur cape which he would need as he advanced into Fhoi Myore lands. The other cape, the Sidhi Cloak, that of Arianrod, he had rolled and wrapped about his waist. Tucked into this were the gauntlets he would wear later, to protect one hand from the cold and to disguise the other so that he would not be easily recognized by any enemy.

Medhbh tossed back her long red hair and came forward to kiss his fleshly hand, looking up at him with eyes that were both proud and troubled. "Have care with your life, Corum," she murmured. "Preserve it if you can, for all of us will need you even when this quest is over."

"I shall not throw my life away," he promised. "Life has become good for me, Medhbh. But neither do I fear death at this moment." He wiped sweat from his forehead. All his gear made him hot beneath the sun which was already blazing down, but he knew he would not be warmed for long. He adjusted the embroidered eye-patch over the blind socket. He touched her gently upon her brown arm. "I shall come back to you," he promised.

King Mannach folded his arms across his chest and cleared his throat. "Bring Amergin to us, Prince Corum. Bring our High King with you."

"Only if Amergin is with me will I come back to Caer Mahlod. And if I cannot bring him, then I will make every effort to send him to you, King Mannach."

"This is a great quest, this quest," said King Mannach. "Farewell, Corum."

"Farewell, Corum," said Fiachadh the red-bearded, putting a large strong hand upon the Vadhagh's knee. "Good luck in this."

"Farewell, Corum," said Medhbh, and her voice was now as steady as her gaze.

Then Corum kicked at the flanks of his red horse and he went from them.

It was with a calm mind that Corum rode from Caer Mahlod, across the gentle hills, into the deep, cool forest, going East to Caer Llud, listening to the birds, the rush of the little shining streams over old rocks, the whisper of the oaks and the elms.

Not once did Corum look back; not once did he feel a pang of regret, nor grieve or know fear or reluctance concerning his quest, for he knew that he fulfilled his destiny and that he represented a great ideal. He was, at that moment, content.

Such contentment was rare, thought Corum, for one destined to take part in the eternal struggle. Perhaps because he did not fight against his destiny this time; because he accepted his duty, he was rewarded with this peculiar peace of mind. He began to wonder if he would find peace only by accepting his fate. It would be a strange paradox—tranquility attained in strife.

By the evening the sky had begun to grow gray, and heavy clouds could be seen in the horizon towards the East.

THE FOURTH CHAPTER

A WORLD FULL OF DEATH

Shivering, Corum pulled the heavy fur cloak around his shoulders and drew the hood over his helmeted head. Then he drove his fleshly hand deep into the fur-lined gauntlet he held ready and covered his silver hand with the other gauntlet. He stamped out the remains of his fire and looked this way and that across the landscape, his breath billowing white in the air. The sky was a hard, flat blue and it was sunless, for it was not yet true dawn. The land was almost featureless and the ground was dead, black, with a coating of pale frost. Here and there a stark, leafless tree stood out. In the distance was a line of snow-topped hills, as black as the ground. Corum sniffed the wind.

It was a dead wind.

The only scent on the wind was that of the killing frost. This part of the land was so desolate that it was evident the Cold Folk had spent some time here. Perhaps this was where they had camped before moving against Caer Mahlod in their war with that city.

Now Corum heard the sound he thought he had heard before. This sound had caused him to spring up from his fire and disperse the smoke. The sound of hoofbeats. He looked to the southeast. There was a place where the ground rose and obscured his view. It was from beyond the rise that the hoofbeats were coming.

And now Corum heard another sound.

The faint baying of hounds.

The only hounds he might expect to hear in these parts were the devil hounds of Kerenos.

He ran to his red horse, who was showing signs of nervousness, and mounted himself in his saddle, shaking his lance free from its scabbard and laying it across his pommel. He leaned forward and patted his horse's neck to calm the beast. He turned the horse toward the rise, ready to meet the danger.