IT was on the evening of the fourth day after the Folk-mote that there
came through the Waste to the rocky edge of Shadowy Vale a band of some
fifteen score of men-at-arms, and with them a multitude of women and
children and old men, some afoot, some riding on asses and bullocks; and
with them were sumpter asses and neat laden with household goods, and a
few goats and kine. And this was the whole folk of the Woodlanders come
to the Hosting in Shadowy Vale and the Home of the Children of the Wolf.
Their leaders of the way were Wood-father and Wood-wont and two other
carles of Shadowy Vale; and Red-wolf the tall, and Bears-bane and
War-grove were the captains and chieftains of their company.
Thus then they entered into the narrow pass aforesaid, which was the
ingate to the Vale from the Waste, and little by little its dimness
swallowed up their long line. As they went by the place where the
lowering of the rock-wall gave a glimpse of the valley, they looked down
into it as Face-of-god had done, but much change was there in little
time. There was the black wall of crags on the other side stretching
down to the ghyll of the great Force; there ran the deep green waters of
the Shivering Flood; but the grass which Face-of-god had seen naked of
everything but a few kine, thereon now the tents of men stood thick.
Their hearts swelled within them as they beheld it, but they forebore the
shout and the cry till they should be well within the Vale, and so went
down silently into the darkness. But as their eyes caught that dim image
of the Wolf on the wall of the pass, man pointed it out to man, and not a
few turned and kissed it hurriedly; and to them it seemed that many a
kiss had been laid on that dear token since the days of old, and that the
hard stone had been worn away by the fervent lips of men, and that the
air of the mirk place yet quivered with the vows sworn over the
sword-blade.
But down through the dark they went, and so came on to the stony scree at
the end of the pass and into the Vale; and the whole Folk save the three
chieftains flowed over it and stood about it down on the level grass of
the Vale. But those three stood yet on the top of the scree, bearing the
war-signs of the Shaft and the Spear, and betwixt them the banner of the
Wolf and the Sunburst newly displayed to the winds of Shadowy Vale.
Up and down the Vale they looked, and saw before the tents of men the old
familiar banners of Burgdale rising and falling in the evening wind. But
amidst of the Doom-ring was pitched a great banner, whereon was done the
image of the Wolf with red gaping jaws on a field of green; and about him
stood other banners, to wit, The Silver Arm on a red field, the Red Hand
on a white field, and on green fields both, the Golden Bushel and the
Ragged Sword.
All about the plain shone glittering war-gear of men as they moved hither
and thither, and a stream of folk began at once to draw toward the scree
to look on those new-comers; and amidst the helmed Burgdalers and the
white-coated Shepherds went the tall men of the Wolf, bare-headed and
unarmed save for their swords, mingled with the fair strong women of the
kindred, treading barefoot the soft grass of their own Vale.
Presently there was a great throng gathered round about the Woodlanders,
and each man as he joined it waved hand or weapon toward them, and the
joy of their welcome sent a confused clamour through the air. Then forth
from the throng stepped Folk-might, unarmed save his sword, and behind
him was Face-of-god, in his war-gear save his helm, hand in hand with the
Sun-beam, who was clad in her goodly flowered green kirtle, her feet
naked like her sisters of the kindred.
Then Folk-might cried aloud: ‘A full and free greeting to our brothers!
Well be ye, O Sons of our Ancient Fathers! And to-day are ye the dearer
to us because we see that ye have brought us a gift, to wit, your wives
and children, and your grandsires unmeet for war. By this token we see
how great is your trust in us, and that it is your meaning never to
sunder from us again. O well be ye; well be ye!’
Then spake Red-wolf, and said: ‘Ye Sons of the Wolf, who parted from us
of old time in that cleft of the mountains, it is our very selves that we
give unto you; and these are a part of ourselves; how then should we
leave them behind us? Bear witness, O men of Burgdale and the
Sheepcotes, that we have become one Folk with the men of Shadowy Vale,
never to be sundered again!’
Then all that multitude shouted with a loud voice; and when the shout had
died away, Folk-might spake again:
‘O Warriors of the Sundering, here shall your wives and children abide,
while we go a little journey to rejoice our hearts with the hard
handplay, and take to us that which we have missed: and to-morrow morn is
appointed for this same journey, unless ye be over foot-weary with the
ways of the Waste.’
Red-wolf smiled as he answered: ‘This ye say in jest, brother; for ye may
see that our day’s journey hath not been over-much for our old men; how
then should it weary those who may yet bear sword? We are ready for the
road and eager for the handplay.’
‘This is well,’ said Folk-might, ‘and what was to be looked for.
Therefore, brother, do ye and your counsel-mates come straightway to the
Hall of the Wolf; wherein, after ye have eaten and drunken, shall we take
counsel with our brethren of Burgdale and the Sheepcotes, so that all may
be ordered for battle!’
Said Red-wolf: ‘Good is that, if we must needs abide till to-morrow; for
verily we came not hither to eat and drink and rest our bodies; but it
must be as ye will have it.’
Then the Sun-beam left the hand of Face-of-god and came forward, and held
out both her palms to the Woodland-folk, and spake in a voice that was
heard afar, though it were a woman’s, so clear and sweet it was; and she
said:
‘O Warriors of the Sundering, ye who be not needed in the Hall, and ye
our sisters with your little ones and your fathers, come now to us and
down to the tents which we have arrayed for you, and there think for a
little that we are all at our very home that we long for and have yet to
win, and be ye merry with us and make us merry.’
Therewith she stepped forward daintily and entered into their throng, and
took an old man of the Woodlanders by the hand, and kissed his cheek and
led him away, and the coming rest seemed sweet to him. And then came
other women of the Vale, kind and fair and smiling, and led away, some an
old mother of the Wood-landers, some a young wife, some a pair of lads;
and not a few forsooth kissed and embraced the stark warriors, and went
away with them toward the tents, which stood along the side of the
Shivering Flood where it was at its quietest; for there was the grass the
softest and most abundant. There on the green grass were tables arrayed,
and lamps were hung above them on spears, to be litten when the daylight
should fail. And the best of the victual which the Vale could give was
spread on the boards, along with wine and dainties, bought in
Silver-dale, or on the edges of the Westland with sword-strokes and
arrow-flight.
There then they feasted and were merry; and the Sun-beam and Bow-may and
the other women of the Vale served them at table, and were very blithe
with them, caressing them with soft words, and with clipping and kissing,
as folk who were grown exceeding dear to them; so that that eve of battle
was softer and sweeter to them than any hour of their life. With these
feasters were God-swain and Spear-fist of the delivered thralls of
Silver-dale as glad as glad might be; but Wolf-stone their eldest was
gone with Dallach to the Council in the Hall.
The men of Burgdale and the Shepherds feasted otherwhere in all content,
nor lacked folk of the Vale to serve them. Amongst the men of the Face
were the ten delivered thralls who had heart to meet their masters in
arms: seven of them were of Rose-dale and three of Silver-dale.
The Bride was with her kindred of the Steer, with whom were many men of
Shadowy Vale, and she served her friends and fellows clad in her
war-gear, save helm and hauberk, bearing herself as one who is serving
dear guests. And men equalled her for her beauty to the Gods of the High
Place and the Choosers of the Slain; and they who had not beheld her
before marvelled at her, and her loveliness held all men’s hearts in a
net of desire, so that they forebore their meat to gaze upon her; and if
perchance her hand touched some young man, or her cheek or sweet-breathed
mouth came nigh to his face, he became bewildered and wist not where he
was, nor what to do. Yet was she as lowly and simple of speech and
demeanour as if she were a gooseherd of fourteen winters.
In the Hall was a goodly company, and all the leaders of the Folk were
therein, and Folk-might and the War-leader sitting in the midst of those
stone seats on the days. There then they agreed on the whole ordering of
the battle and the wending of the host, as shall be told later on; and
this matter was long a-doing, and when it was done, men went to their
places to sleep, for the night was well worn.
But when men had departed and all was still, Folk-might, light-clad and
without a weapon, left the Hall and walked briskly toward the nether end
of the Vale. He passed by all the tents, the last whereof were of the
House of the Steer, and came to a place where was a great rock rising
straight up from the plain like sheaves of black staves standing close
together; and it was called Staff-stone, and tales of the elves had been
told concerning it, so that Stone-face had beheld it gladly the day
before.
The moon was just shining into Shadowy Vale, and the grass was bright
wheresoever the shadows of the high cliffs were not, and the face of
Staff-stone shone bright grey as Folk-might came within sight of it, and
he beheld someone sitting at the base of the rock, and as he drew nigher
he saw that it was a woman, and knew her for the Bride; for he had prayed
her to abide him there that night, because it was nigh to the tents of
the House of the Steer; and his heart was glad as he drew nigh to her.
She sat quietly on a fragment of the black rock, clad as she had been all
day, in her glittering kirtle, but without hauberk or helm, a wreath of
wind-flowers about her head, her feet crossed over each other, her hands
laid palm uppermost in her lap. She moved not as he drew nigh, but said
in a gentle voice when he was close to her:
‘Chief of the Wolf, great warrior, thou wouldest speak with me; and good
it is that friends should talk together on the eve of battle, when they
may never meet alive again.’
He said: ‘My talk shall not be long; for thou and I both must sleep
to-night, since there is work to hand to-morrow. Now since, as thou
sayest, O fairest of women, we may never meet again alive, I ask thee now
at this hour, when we both live and are near to one another, to suffer me
to speak to thee of my love of thee and desire for thee. Surely thou,
who art the sweetest of all things the Gods and the kindreds have made,
wilt not gainsay me this?’
She said very sweetly, yet smiling: ‘Brother of my father’s sons, how can
I gainsay thee thy speech? Nay, hast thou not said it? What more canst
thou add to it that will have fresh meaning to mine ears?’
He said: ‘Thou sayest sooth: might I then but kiss thine hand?’
She said, no longer smiling: ‘Yea surely, even so may all men do who can
be called my friends—and thou art much my friend.’
He took her hand and kissed it, and held it thereafter; nor did she draw
it away. The moon shone brightly on them; but by its light he could not
see if she reddened, but he deemed that her face was troubled. Then he
said: ‘It were better for me if I might kiss thy face, and take thee in
mine arms.’
Then said she: ‘This only shall a man do with me when I long to do the
like with him. And since thou art so much my friend, I will tell thee
that as for this longing, I have it not. Bethink thee what a little
while it is since the lack of another man’s love grieved me sorely.’
‘The time is short,’ said Folk-might, ‘if we tell up the hours thereof;
but in that short space have a many things betid.’
She said: ‘Dost thou know, canst thou guess, how sorely ashamed I went
amongst my people? I durst look no man in the face for the aching of
mine heart, which methought all might see through my face.’
‘I knew it well,’ he said; ‘yet of me wert thou not ashamed but a little
while ago, when thou didst tell me of thy grief.’
She said: ‘True it is; and thou wert kind to me. Thou didst become a
dear friend to me, methought.’
‘And wilt thou hurt a dear friend?’ said he.
‘O no,’ she said, ‘if I might do otherwise. Yet how if I might not
choose? Shall there be no forgiveness for me then?’
He answered nothing; and still he held her hand that strove not to be
gone from his, and she cast down her eyes. Then he spake in a while:
‘My friend, I have been thinking of thee and of me; and now hearken: if
thou wilt declare that thou feelest no sweetness embracing thine heart
when I say that I desire thee sorely, as now I say it; or when I kiss
thine hand, as now I kiss it; or when I pray thee to suffer me to cast
mine arms about thee and kiss thy face, as now I pray it: if thou wilt
say this, then will I take thee by the hand straightway, and lead thee to
the tents of the House of the Steer, and say farewell to thee till the
battle is over. Canst thou say this out of the truth of thine heart?’
She said: ‘What then if I cannot say this word? What then?’
But he answered nothing; and she sat still a little while, and then arose
and stood before him, looking him in the eyes, and said:
‘I cannot say it.’
Then he caught her in his arms and strained her to him, and then kissed
her lips and her face again and again, and she strove not with him. But
at last she said:
‘Yet after all this shalt thou lead me back to my folk straight-way; and
when the battle is done, if both we are living, then shall we speak more
thereof.’
So he took her hand and led her on toward the tents of the Steer, and for
a while he spake nought; for he doubted himself, what he should say; but
at last he spake:
‘Now is this better for me than if it had not been, whether I live or
whether I die. Yet thou hast not said that thou lovest me and desirest
me.’
‘Wilt thou compel me?’ she said. ‘To-night I may not say it. Who shall
say what words my lips shall fashion when we stand together victorious in
Silver-dale; then indeed may the time seem long from now.’
He said: ‘Yea, true is that; yet once again I say that so measured long
and long is the time since first I saw thee in Burgdale before thou
knewest me. Yet now I will not bicker with thee, for be sure that I am
glad at heart. And lo you! our feet have brought us to the tents of thy
people. All good go with thee!’
‘And with thee, sweet friend,’ she said. Then she lingered a little,
turning her head toward the tents, and then turned her face toward him
and laid her hand on his neck, and drew his head adown to her and kissed
his cheek, and therewith swiftly and lightly departed from him.
Now the night wore and the morning came; and Face-of-god was abroad very
early in the morning, as his custom was; and he washed the night from off
him in the Carles’ Bath of the Shivering Flood, and then went round
through the encampment of the host, and saw none stirring save here and
there the last watchmen of the night. He spake with one or two of these,
and then went up to the head of the Vale, where was the pass that led to
Silver-dale; and there he saw the watch, and spake with them, and they
told him that none had as yet come forth from the pass, and he bade them
to blow the horn of warning to rouse up the Host as soon as the
messengers came thence. For forerunners had been sent up the pass, and
had been set to hold watch at divers places therein to pass on the word
from place to place.
Thence went Face-of-god back toward the Hall; but when he was yet some
way from it, he saw a slender glittering warrior come forth from the door
thereof, who stood for a moment looking round about, and then came
lightly and swiftly toward him; and lo! it was the Sun-beam, with a long
hauberk over her kirtle falling below her knees, a helm on her head and
plated shoes on her feet. She came up to him, and laid her hand to his
cheek and the golden locks of his head (for he was bare-headed), and said
to him, smiling:
‘Gold-mane! thou badest me bear arms, and Folk-might also constrained me
thereto. Lo thou!’
Said Face-of-god: ‘Folk-might is wise then, even as I am; and forsooth as
thou art. For bethink thee if the bow drawn at a venture should speed
the eyeless shaft against thy breast, and send me forth a wanderer from
my Folk! For how could I bear the sight of the fair Dale, and no hope to
see thee again therein?’
She said: ‘The heart is light within me to-day. Deemest thou that this
is strange? Or dost thou call to mind that which thou spakest the other
day, that it was of no avail to stand in the Doom-ring of the Folk and
bear witness against ourselves? This will I not. This is no
light-mindedness that thou beholdest in me, but the valiancy that the
Fathers have set in mine heart. Deem not, O Gold-mane, fear not, that we
shall die before they dight the bride-bed for us.’
He would have kissed her mouth, but she put him away with her hand, and
doffed her helm and laid it on the grass, and said:
‘This is not the last time that thou shalt kiss me, Gold-mane, my dear;
and yet I long for it as if it were, so high as the Fathers have raised
me up this morn above fear and sadness.’
He said nought, but drew her to him, and wonder so moved him, that he
looked long and closely at her face before he kissed her; and forsooth he
could find no blemish in it: it was as if it were but new come from the
smithy of the Gods, and exceeding longing took hold of him. But even as
their lips met, from the head of the Vale came the voice of the great
horn; and it was answered straightway by the watchers all down the tents;
and presently arose the shouts of men and the clash of weapons as folk
armed themselves, and laughter therewith, for most men were battle-merry,
and the cries of women shrilly-clear as they hastened about, busy over
the morning meal before the departure of the Host. But Face-of-god said
softly, still caressing the Sun-beam, and she him:
‘Thus then we depart from this Valley of the Shadows, but as thou saidst
when first we met therein, there shall be no sundering of thee and me,
but thou shalt go down with me to the battle.’
And he led her by the hand into the Hall of the Wolf, and there they ate
a morsel, and thereafter Face-of-god tarried not, but busied himself
along with Folk-might and the other chieftains in arraying the Host for
departure.