that was left of the noble Vadhagh race. He sat down again and he began to weep.
Serwde grunted and shuffled about. He touched Coram's shoulder with one of his handlike paws. He patted Corum's head, trying to comfort him.
Corum wiped his face with his good hand. "Do not worry, Serwde. I must weep, for if I did not I should almost certainly die. I weep for my kin. I am the last of my line. There are no more Vadhagh but me . . ."
"Serwde too. Master too," said the Brown Man of Laahr. "We have no more people like us."
"Is that why you saved me?"
"No. We helped you because Mabden were hurting you."
"Have the Mabden ever hurt you?"
"No. We hide from them. Their eyes bad. Never see us. We hide from Vadhagh, the same."
"Why do you hide?"
"My master know. We stay safe."
"It would have been well for the Vadhagh if they had hidden. But the Mabden came so suddenly. We were not warned. We left our castles so rarely, we communicated amongst ourselves so little, we were not prepared."
Serwde only half understood what Corum was saying, but he listened politely until Corum stopped, then he said, "You eat. Fruit good. You sleep. Then we go to Mabden place."
"I want to find arms and armor, Serwde. I want clothes. I want a horse. I want to go back to Glandyth and follow him until I see him alone. Then I want to kill him. After that, I will wish only to die."
Serwde looked sadly at Corum. "You kill?"
"Only Glandyth. He killed my people."
Serwde shook his head. "Vadhagh not kill like that."
"I do, Serwde. I am the last Vadhagh. And I am the first to learn what it is to kill in malice. I will be avenged on those who maimed me, on those who took away my family."
Serwde grunted miserably.
"Eat. Sleep."
Corum stood up again and realized he was very weak. "Perhaps you are right there. Perhaps I should try to restore my strength before I carry on." He went to the pile of nuts and fruits and began to eat. He could not eat much at first and lay down again to sleep, confident that Serwde would rouse him if danger threatened.
For five days Corum stayed in the valley with the Brown Man of Laahr. He hoped that the dark-faced creature would come back and tell him more of his and Serwde's origin, but this did not happen.
At last his wounds had healed completely and he felt well enough to set off on a journey. On that morning, he addressed Serwde.
"Farewell, Brown Man of Laahr. I thank you for saving me. And I thank your master. Now I go."
Corum saluted Serwde and began to walk up the valley, heading toward the east. Serwde came shambling after him. "Corum! Coruml You go wrong way."
"I go back to where I shall find my enemies," Corum said. "That is not the wrong way."
"My master say, me take you that way . . ." Serwde pointed toward the west.
"There is only sea that way, Serwde. It is the far tip of Bro-an-Vadhagh."
"My master say that way," insisted Serwde.
"I am grateful for your concern, Serwde. But I go this way—to find the Mabden and take my revenge."
"You go that way." Serwde pointed again and put his paw on Corum's arm. "That way."
Corum shook the paw off. "No. This way." He continued to walk up the valley toward the west.
Then, suddenly, something struck him on the back of the head. He reeled and turned to see what had struck him. Serwde stood there, holding another stone ready.
Corum cursed and was about to berate Serwde when his senses left him once again and he fell full length on the grass.
He was awakened by the sound of the sea.
At first he could not decide what was happening to him and then he realized that he was being carried, face down, over Serwde's shoulder. He struggled, but the Brown Man of Laahr was much stronger than he appeared to be. He held Corum firmly.
Corum looked to one side. There was the sea, green and foaming against the shingle. He looked to the other side, his blind side, and managed to strain his head round to see what lay there.
It was the sea again. He was being carried along a narrow
Serwde grunted and shuffled about. He touched Coram's shoulder with one of his handlike paws. He patted Corum's head, trying to comfort him.
Corum wiped his face with his good hand. "Do not worry, Serwde. I must weep, for if I did not I should almost certainly die. I weep for my kin. I am the last of my line. There are no more Vadhagh but me . . ."
"Serwde too. Master too," said the Brown Man of Laahr. "We have no more people like us."
"Is that why you saved me?"
"No. We helped you because Mabden were hurting you."
"Have the Mabden ever hurt you?"
"No. We hide from them. Their eyes bad. Never see us. We hide from Vadhagh, the same."
"Why do you hide?"
"My master know. We stay safe."
"It would have been well for the Vadhagh if they had hidden. But the Mabden came so suddenly. We were not warned. We left our castles so rarely, we communicated amongst ourselves so little, we were not prepared."
Serwde only half understood what Corum was saying, but he listened politely until Corum stopped, then he said, "You eat. Fruit good. You sleep. Then we go to Mabden place."
"I want to find arms and armor, Serwde. I want clothes. I want a horse. I want to go back to Glandyth and follow him until I see him alone. Then I want to kill him. After that, I will wish only to die."
Serwde looked sadly at Corum. "You kill?"
"Only Glandyth. He killed my people."
Serwde shook his head. "Vadhagh not kill like that."
"I do, Serwde. I am the last Vadhagh. And I am the first to learn what it is to kill in malice. I will be avenged on those who maimed me, on those who took away my family."
Serwde grunted miserably.
"Eat. Sleep."
Corum stood up again and realized he was very weak. "Perhaps you are right there. Perhaps I should try to restore my strength before I carry on." He went to the pile of nuts and fruits and began to eat. He could not eat much at first and lay down again to sleep, confident that Serwde would rouse him if danger threatened.
For five days Corum stayed in the valley with the Brown Man of Laahr. He hoped that the dark-faced creature would come back and tell him more of his and Serwde's origin, but this did not happen.
At last his wounds had healed completely and he felt well enough to set off on a journey. On that morning, he addressed Serwde.
"Farewell, Brown Man of Laahr. I thank you for saving me. And I thank your master. Now I go."
Corum saluted Serwde and began to walk up the valley, heading toward the east. Serwde came shambling after him. "Corum! Coruml You go wrong way."
"I go back to where I shall find my enemies," Corum said. "That is not the wrong way."
"My master say, me take you that way . . ." Serwde pointed toward the west.
"There is only sea that way, Serwde. It is the far tip of Bro-an-Vadhagh."
"My master say that way," insisted Serwde.
"I am grateful for your concern, Serwde. But I go this way—to find the Mabden and take my revenge."
"You go that way." Serwde pointed again and put his paw on Corum's arm. "That way."
Corum shook the paw off. "No. This way." He continued to walk up the valley toward the west.
Then, suddenly, something struck him on the back of the head. He reeled and turned to see what had struck him. Serwde stood there, holding another stone ready.
Corum cursed and was about to berate Serwde when his senses left him once again and he fell full length on the grass.
He was awakened by the sound of the sea.
At first he could not decide what was happening to him and then he realized that he was being carried, face down, over Serwde's shoulder. He struggled, but the Brown Man of Laahr was much stronger than he appeared to be. He held Corum firmly.
Corum looked to one side. There was the sea, green and foaming against the shingle. He looked to the other side, his blind side, and managed to strain his head round to see what lay there.
It was the sea again. He was being carried along a narrow
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