Ursus of Ultima Thule by Avram Davidson

young beneath the feet or claws or within the jaws of wild beasts or had been dragged down beneath the waves by waterkelpies or by fierce hippotames. Others had made themselves house-holders and gotten children while still barely bearded. Some had sought a name and fame by captaining pursuits of whalefish or were-whales, tree-tigers, or had gone north into the snows to hunt the wild leopard. One had been lured by the bewitchments of the Painted Men (whose skin must not be seen).
    “There was a certain great tree whose wide-spreading branches we all climbed as boys. It became our gathering place and remained so even when we were men and gathered there more seldom. But whenever we so returned, there we went and there we looked to meet with our comrades and our kin of our age. I had been away and gone a full handful of years, and I returned and sat beneath the tree upon a seat made by an out-thrust of rootburl. There I sat and long I sat and many passed but none were of our old company. And then came one whose shape I knew, whose walk I knew, even before I kenned his face.
    “It was Orfas.
    “He came and I remembered it was right that I should rise because he was my father’s brother of the half-blood, and so we at some length stood and faced each other. He had the slight semblance of a smile on his face. For a while we said no word. And then I said, ‘It seems, then, that of all, only we two remain in this corner of the Land of Thule.’
    “And he said, ‘It seems that this be one too many,’ and although I did not deeply consider on his words, still, a particle of them must have touched upon a particle in me — at once I said, ‘Then let us both be gone and let us make a compact and both be gone together.’ We made our compact and prepared a boat and formed an alliance with others, gathered our gear and store and had the witcherers discover the best day to depart. South-south across the all-encircling sea we went, to the barbar-lands we made our course, sometimes along the coast and sometimes up the great rivers. Betimes we traded and betimes we sold the service of our swords and spears, fighting now for one town or tribe or chieftain, now for another; and betimes we shared the plunder-spoil or betimes we kept it all, as it had been agreed, or as it fell out. And then for a while we went a-roving and a-robbing as we would and as we willed, until the durance of our compact fell away to expire, and there was only a handful of day-sticks left in the tallybag. One of us had a dream to take a certain course with our three vessels (as by then they were) and reach on the third day an island all suitable for our needs, which was done, and the day we broke the third stick we made our landfall and the island was as had been seen.”
    • • •
    Everyone has in his mind the image presented by story and by song, of all the troves and treasures piled in one great glittery heap, “dragon-high, dragon-bright, sparkling while its seekers fight — ” but it is not always thus in fact, nor was it so this time.
    Said he who had dreamed the dream, “Think it clearly for yourselves. Will he who lives alone to claim it be wanting to lug it all back to the ships again?” There was a burst of laughter in which was no sound of love or warmth. It was done so, that the wealth was divided between two ships, which were dismasted, and the third was broken up at once to make a deck for the complete vessel, which was a double-hulled raft of sorts with a single mast. Then each man set to sharpening his weapons and mostly he sat alone, with no more than now and then a sideways glance to estimate the strength or calculate the skill of another; and sometimes the other, on whom his direct look might fall had been his near-comrade; and some seemed to repent greatly of this compact and to wish themselves away.
    But only one would live to go away.
    The fighting field was laid out and deeply trenched around, and then the lots were drawn to select the