Dust of Dreams

Assail—who reeled, face darkening. He flung away his goblet. ‘How dare you! Leave me as I was, damn you!’
    ‘My gift,’ snapped Errastas. ‘To be accepted in the spirit in which it is given.’
    Sechul held his elongated hands up over his face. ‘How could you think,’ he rasped, ‘I ever regretted what I left behind?’ He pulled his hands away, glaring. ‘Give me back all that I have earned!’
    ‘You are a fool—’
    ‘
We will leave now
,’ cut in Kilmandaros, loud enough to thunder in the chamber.
    ‘Errastas!’
    ‘No! It is done!’
    A second gesture, and a portal opened, swallowing an entire wall of the House. Kilmandaros lumbered through, vanishing from sight.
    The Errant faced Knuckles.
    His old friend’s eyes were filled with such wretched distress that Errastas snarled, ‘Oh, have it your way, then—’ and cruelly tore the blessing from the man, watched with satisfaction as the man bowed, gasping in sudden pain.
    ‘There, wear your pathos, Setch, since it fits so damned well. What is this? You do not welcome its return?’
    ‘It pleases you to deliver pain, does it? I see that you are unchanged . . . in the essential details of your nature.’ Groaning, Sechul conjured a staff and leaned heavily upon it. ‘Lead on then, Errastas.’
    ‘Why must you sour this moment of triumph?’
    ‘Perhaps I but remind you of what awaits us all.’
    The Errant struggled not to strike Knuckles, not to knock that staff away with a kick and watch the old creature totter, possibly even fall. A shortlived pleasure. Unworthy to be sure. He faced the portal. ‘Stay close—this gate will slam shut behind us, I suspect.’
    ‘It’s had its fill, aye.’
     
    Moments later, water roared in to reclaim the chamber, darkness devoured every room, every hall. Currents rushed, and then settled, until all was motionless once more.
    The House was at peace.
    For a time.
    ______
    Captain Ruthan Gudd was in the habit of grooming his beard with his fingers, an affectation that Shurq Elalle found irritating. Thoughtful repose was all very well, as far as poses went, but the man was so terse she had begun to suspect his genius was of the ineffable kind; in other words, it might be the man was thick but just clever enough to assume the guise of wisdom and depth. The silly thing was how damned successful and alluring the whole thing was—that hint of mystery, the dark veil of his eyes, his potent silences.
    ‘Errant’s sake, get out of here.’
    He started, and then reached for his sword belt. ‘I will miss you.’
    ‘Everyone says that to me sooner or later.’
    ‘A curious observation.’
    ‘Is it? The simple truth is, I wear men out. In any case, I’m about to sail, so all in all it’s just as well.’
    He grunted. ‘I’d rather be standing on a deck, letting the sails do all the work, than marching.’
    ‘Then why did you become a soldier?’
    He raked through his beard, frowned, and then said, ‘Habit.’ As he made his way to the door he paused, and squinted down at an urn sitting against one wall. ‘Where did you get this?’
    ‘That thing? I’m a pirate, Ruthan. I come by things.’
    ‘Not purchased at a market stall in the city, then.’
    ‘Of course not. Why?’
    ‘The crows caught my eye. Seven Cities, that pot.’
    ‘It’s an urn, not a pot.’
    ‘Fall of Coltaine. You preyed on a Malazan ship—’ he turned and eyed her. ‘Has to have been recently. Did you pounce on one of our ships? There were storms, the fleet was scattered more than once. A few were lost, in fact.’
    She returned his stare flatly. ‘And what if I had? It’s not like I knew anything about you, is it?’
    He shrugged. ‘I suppose not. Though the idea that you put some fellow Malazans to the sword doesn’t sit well.’
    ‘I didn’t,’ she replied. ‘I pounced on a Tiste Edur ship.’
    After a moment he nodded. ‘That makes sense. We first encountered them outside Ehrlitan.’
    ‘Well, that’s a relief.’
    His eyes hardened. ‘You are a cold woman, Shurq Elalle.’
    ‘I’ve heard that before, too.’
    He left without another word. It was always better this way, find something annoying to sour the moment, a brief exchange of lashing words, and then it was done with. Yearning goodbyes, dripping with soppy sentimentalities, were never quite as satisfying as one would like.
    She quickly collected the last of her gear—most of her stuff was already stowed aboard
Undying Gratitude
. Skorgen Kaban