Читать книгу The Elder Gods - David Eddings - Страница 17

The Seagull returned to Old-Bear’s village late one blustery afternoon, announced somewhat in advance by the booming sound of her sail. Longbow immediately saw the advantage of the sail, but when the wind was just right, a sail could be very noisy.

‘Will you leave now, Longbow my son?’ Chief Old-Bear asked when the Maag ship hove to a short way out from the pebbled beach.

‘It may be that it will be in the best interest of the tribe, my father,’ Longbow replied. ‘Zelana of the West has told me that the Maags can show us ways to kill more of the creatures of the Wasteland, and that may please the spirit of your daughter Misty-Water.’

‘Then it is proper for you to go, my son,’ Old-Bear agreed. ‘Do not be concerned about your absence. I myself will attend to the grave of Misty-Water while you are gone.’

‘I would appreciate that, my father,’ Longbow said. ‘It may be that in time you and I will be able to bring the head of the Vlagh itself to the grave of your daughter, and that should please her spirit.’

‘I know that it will please mine,’ Old-Bear said approvingly. ‘Go then, my son, and may the spirit of Misty-Water watch over you.’

‘It shall be as you have said, my father,’ Longbow said quite formally. He went down through the village to the pebbled beach, pushed his canoe out from the shore, and took up his paddle to cross the choppy water to the Seagull. The village and his forest were fading behind him, but he didn’t look back.

‘Nice little skiff you got there, friend,’ a fellow with enormous hands observed, leaning over the rail of the Seagull.

‘Skiff?’ Longbow was puzzled by the word. ‘That skinny little boat you got there. It goes real fast, don’t it?’

‘It takes me where I want it to go.’

‘You want we should bring it on board?’

‘It might be best. I don’t know the tribe of the Seagull as yet, and if it happens that I don’t get along very well with them, I might need the canoe to take me back to where I belong.’

The man with the big hands laughed. ‘There’s been a few times when maybe I could have used a skiff of my own for the same reason. I’ve been at sea for most of my life now, and every so often I’ve had trouble my very ownself getting along with my shipmates. You’re Longbow, aren’t you?’