Hugturágis had in Prince Groiznath a much more pleasant passenger on his back than Prámiz had been. The Prince accepted a kerchief from Slungandi to cover his nose and mouth against the stench, then seated himself behind the Drumster on the monster’s capacious back, and they took off into the night. There was light from the stars, and by them Slungandi navigated. He had provided a suitable holder for the great Sword, which Groiznath was proudly wearing at his side. Slungandi said:
Prudence counsels, Prince peacebringer
That Kapgar Kûm we come not near.
To the far northward we fly this night.
A house masterless I mean to find.
To this Groiznath assented. Then he prayed Slungandi to relate to him all the events of the time during which he had been enchanted in the form of a gulbân. Slungandi narrated to him a selection of the events of the recent past, keeping some important items back. When he had heard him, the Prince said:
Well thou hast done, doughty Drumster
To keep Gantzor from the grasp of Kapgar.
Who now can draw Dreygan’s weapon?
Night-lord Negobith? I deny his right.
Prámiz Star-thief? I dispute his claim.
But Groiznath captor of Kapgar’s Halls
(Till the grim Gangri gained the victory)
His claim prevails for valour’s sake.
Slungandi said:
Guard well Gantzor, Groiznath valiant.
Some have ready runes to wrest a weapon
From no matter how mighty a man’s handgrip.
They came to earth near the old bridge across the upper reaches of the Haldossilu river. Slungandi bestowed Hugturágis in a secluded place in the woods. Then he led Groiznath along a bypath through rocky fields until they saw before them, in the light of Slungandi’s lantern, a great stone house, dark and plainly uninhabited.
Behold the house called Higutigna!
The great householder, though high and mighty
Met his twilight in a tunnel drear.
Slungandi then told Groiznath that this was the former home of Mivgâ the Stonegiant. They entered through the vast door and walked through passages and rooms that were huge, high, and dark, but this troubled neither Slungandi nor Groiznath. They went into the small chamber where Slungandi had made his abode. Leaving a lantern with Groiznath, Slungandi went out and descended to the cavernous cellars. He returned with food and wine, remarking:
‘Mivgâ stocked his cellar well
Before the day when death came knocking!’
The next morning, they mounted Hugturágis again and took off towards Nanôr. Slungandi carefully guided the monster to fly along the course of the river. He did not wish their presence to be known too soon to the watchful angûthégri. A mile or two short of Imbrig, they left the river and came to Fef Heigum. The monster alighted on the top of the hill, and the two nyandri dismounted. Slungandi said:
While you meet your mother Murnag swiftly
It is best that Gantzor abides with me
As pledge of probity I proffer Sporni
And will teach truly to turn him to use.
Then Slungandi instructed Groiznath in some of the simplest powers of the wandkey, and sent him forth to Imbrig, while he stayed at Fef Heigum to watch over Hugturágis and the Sword.
Groiznath crossed the river and approached Imbrig, the house of Murnag, heart of the witchland, with the great palisade set around it; with its gate of gurnal wood named Thúrbal and its iron latch named Sinkarad. Groiznath knew their names and had been schooled by Slungandi in what to do. When his finger touched the string of the latch, Thúrbal cried out:
Tyeder ailé hlafarúyat Imbrig Sinkarad
an dared gundrollat in-ravinédë Thúrbal?
Who lifts Sinkarad, latch tree of Imbrig,
Or Thúrbal’s threshold thinks of crossing?
Groiznath, the son of Murnag ta-Valka and Negobith the Great, responded:
The wise Murnag’s much-travelled son
Home from bondage seeks hearth-welcome
Mother’s counsel and kind embrace
And a binding-spell for boasting foes.
Then he took the blade Sporni, lent to him by Slungandi, and touched Sinkarad the iron latch, and the gate Thúrbal opened to him. He followed the many-hued pavement to the door of Imbrig. At a touch from Sporni it flew open and Groiznath, bowing his head beneath the low lintel, entered Murnag’s outer chamber, where she was wont to receive guests. It was filled with a perfumed smoke that after only a breath or two made the senses reel; but Groiznath pressed the point of Sporni to his side and his brain cleared.
By the smoky fire in a far corner sat Murnag the aged, staff in hand, on a low stool. She turned her sightless face, framed by long grey tresses, towards Groiznath, saying:
It is good that Groiznath, after gulbán-bondage
Comes visiting Murnag, the Valka-queen!
The proud Prámiz paid no respects
But sped to seize his sire’s lost realm.
Then Murnag fetched the cup of welcome only, for she did not think that she had any reason to make her son merry and unwary of his words by the other two cups; and this was well, for Slungandi had warned him to say nothing about the Sword. Then Groiznath said:
It is he, mother, whom I most distrust.
He has secured Kapgar and claimed mastery
And when Negobith wakes, will win him over.
And Murnag said:
Two things you need. Thank me for one:
A wormhide garment to guard your limbs,
With helm to shield your head wholly
From treacherous stroke or stab by stealth.
And gauntlets got from the gut itself
Of Firungwáfi: that flesh was fetched
Safe to Imbrig, by secret means.
Then she brought out the garment she had made by her skill and runecraft. It was thin and supple, able to move with each limb, and yet impenetrable; and even the headpiece was fashioned to the face at the front, although on top it had the form of a rounded warhelm, with a ridgecrest from front to back; and it was of a dark skin colour, but not black.
Then Groiznath thanked his mother, and stripped himself of all the clothes with which Slungandi had provided him at Higutigna. He drew the dragonhide garment on to his body, and it clung closely, like a second skin. Then he put the clothes which he had been wearing back on over it and lastly the white gauntlets wrought from the worm’s vitals. He asked Murnag what the second thing was that he needed. And she said:
The Sword Gantzor: you must get your hand
On his hilt hardily to hold Kapgar.
You may jest at jeopardy of the Giant’s curse:
Gangworm’s skin in gauntlets sewn
Will stop the power of gangworm’s sap
From working through the wielding hand.
Groiznath gratefully got down on his knees before Murnag, taking her hands and thanking her sincerely. And she, with equal sincerity, gave him a mother’s blessing. She suspected, however, that he was concealing something from her, and she sensed, too, the hidden hand of Slungandi.
Groiznath rejoined Slungandi at Fef Heigum. The Drumster of the Deep commended him on his acquisition of the dragonhide garment, and assured him that, if he were forced to use the Sword, the curse of Dreygan would not ensue. Though, of course he did not divulge that the reason for this would lie, not in the gauntlets, but in the identity of the Sword; for the Sword in his hands was not Gantzor, but Daganarth.
It was now time for Groiznath to challenge his brother.
No comments:
Post a Comment