ON morrow of the morrow were the Burgdale men and they of the Shepherds
gathered together in the Market-stead early in the morning, and they were
all ready for departure; and the men of the Wolf and the Woodlanders, and
of the delivered thralls a great many, stood round about them grieving
that they must go. There was much talk between the folk of the Dale and
the Guests, and many promises were given and taken to come and go betwixt
the two Dales. There also were the men of the thrall-folk who were to
wend home with the Burgdalers; and they had been stuffed with good things
by the men of the kindreds, and were as fain as might be.
As for the Sun-beam, she was somewhat out of herself at first, being
eager and restless beyond her wont, and yet at whiles weeping-ripe when
she called to mind that she was now leaving all those things, the gain
whereof had been a dream to her both waking and sleeping for these years
past. But at last, as she stood in the door of the Mote-house, and
beheld all the throng of folk happy and friendly, it came over her that
she herself had done her full share to bring all this about, and that all
those pleasant places of Silver-dale now full of the goodly life of man
would be there even as she had striven for them, and that they would be a
part of her left behind, though she were dwelling otherwhere.
Therewithal she said to herself that it was now her part to wield the
life of men in Burgdale, and begin once more her days of a chieftain and
a swayer of the Folk, and the life of a stirring woman, which the edge of
the sword and the need of the hard hand-play had taken out of her hands
for a while, making her as a child in the hands of the strong wielders of
the blades.
So now she became calm once more, and her face was clad again with the
full measure of that majesty of beauty which had once overawed
Face-of-god amidst his love of her; and folk beheld her and marvelled at
her fairness, and said: ‘She hath an inward sorrow at leaving the fair
Dale wherein her Fathers dwelt, and where her mother’s ashes lie in
earth.’ Albeit now was her sorrow but little, and much was her hope, and
her foresight of days to be; though all the Dale, yea, every leaf and
twig of it whereby her feet had ever passed, and each stone of the fair
houses, was to her as a picture that she could look on from henceforth
for ever.
Of the Bride it is to be said that she was now much mended, and she
caused men bear her on a litter out into the Marketplace, that she might
look on the departure of her folk. She had seen Face-of-god once and
again since the Day of Battle, and each time had been kind and blithe
with him; and for Iron-face, she loved him so well that she was ever loth
to let him depart from her, save when Folk-might was with her.
And now was the Alderman standing beside her, and she said to him:
‘Friend and kinsman, this is the day of departure, and though I must
needs abide behind, and am content to abide, yet doth mine heart ache
with the sundering; for to-morrow when I wake in the morning there will
be no more sending of a messenger to fetch thee to me. Indeed, great
hath been the love between me and my people, and nought hath come between
us to mar it. Now, kinsman, I would see Gold-mane, my cousin, that I may
bid him farewell; for who knoweth if I shall see him again hereafter?’
Then went Iron-face and found Face-of-god where he was speaking with
Folk-might and the chieftains, and said to him:
‘Come quickly, for thy cousin the Bride would speak with thee.’
Face-of-god reddened, and paled afterwards, but he went along with his
father silently; and his heart beat as he came and stood before the
litter whereas the Bride lay, clad all in white and propped up on fair
cushions of red silk. She was frail to look on, and worn and pale yet;
but he deemed that she was very happy.
She smiled on him, and reached out her hand and said:
‘Welcome once more, cousin!’ And he held her hand and kissed it, and was
nigh weeping, so sore was he beset by a throng of memories concerning her
and him in the days when they were little; and he bethought him of her
loving-kindness of past days, beyond that of most children, beyond that
of most maidens; and how there was nothing in his life but she had a
share in it, till the day when he found the Hall on the Mountain.
So he said to her: ‘Kinswoman, is it well with thee?’
‘Yea,’ she said, ‘I am now nigh whole of my hurts.’
He was silent a while; then he said:
‘And otherwise art thou merry at heart?’
‘Yea, indeed,’ said she; ‘yet thou wilt not find it hard to deem that I
am sorry of the sundering betwixt me and Burgdale.’
Again was he silent, and said in a while: ‘Dost thou deem that I wrought
that sundering?’
She smiled kindly on him and said: ‘Gold-mane, my playmate, thou art
become a mighty warrior and a great chief; but thou art not so mighty as
that. Many things lay behind the sundering which were neither thou nor
I.’
‘Yet,’ said he, ‘it was but such a little time agone that all things
seemed so sure; and we—to both of us was the outlook happy.’
‘Let it be happy still,’ she said, ‘now begrudging is gone. Belike the
sundering came because we were so sure, and had no defence against the
wearing of the days; even as it fareth with a folk that hath no foes.’
He smiled and said: ‘Even as it hath befallen _thy_ folk, O Bride, a
while ago.’
She reddened, and reached her hand to him, and he took it and held it,
and said: ‘Shall I see thee again as the days wear?’
Said she: ‘O chieftain of the Folk, thou shalt have much to do in
Burgdale, and the way is long. Yet would I have thee see my children.
Forget not the token on my hand which thou holdest. But now get thee to
thy folk with no more words; for after all, playmate, the sundering is
grievous to me, and I would not spin out the time thereof. Farewell!’
He said no more, but stooped down and kissed her lips, and then turned
from her, and took his ways to the head of the Host, and fell to asking
and answering, and bidding and arraying; and in a little time was his
heart dancing with joy to think of the days that lay before him, wherein
now all seemed happy.
So was all arrayed for departure when it lacked three hours of noon. As
Folk-might had promised, there were certain light wains drawn by bullocks
abiding the departure of the Host, and of sumpter bullocks and horses no
few; and all these were laden with fair gifts of the Dale, as silver, and
raiment, and weapons. There were many things fair-wrought in the time of
the Sorrow, that henceforth should see but little sorrow. Moreover,
there was plenty of provision for the way, both meal and wine, and sheep
and neat; and all things as fair as might be, and well-arrayed.
It was the Shepherds who were to lead the way; and after them were
arrayed the men of the Vine and the Sickle; then they of the Steer, the
Bridge, and the Bull; and lastly the House of the Face, with old
Stone-face leading them. The Sun-beam was to journey along with the
House of the Steer, which had taken her in as a maiden of their blood;
and though she had so much liefer have fared with the House of the Face,
yet she went meekly as she was bidden, as one who has gotten a great
thing, and will make no stir about a small one.
Along with her were Wood-father and Wood-mother, and Wood-wise, now whole
of his hurt, and Wood-wont, and Bow-may. Save Bow-may, they were not
very joyous; for they were fain of Silver-dale, and it irked them to
leave it; moreover, they also had liefer have gone along with the House
of the War-leader.
Last of all went those people of the once thralls of the Dusky Men who
had cast in their lot with the Burgdalers, and they were exceeding merry;
and especially the women of them, they were chattering like the stares in
the autumn evening, when they gather from the fields in the tall
elm-trees before they go to roost.
Now all the men of the Dale, both of the kindreds and of the thrall-folk,
made way for the Host and its havings, that they might go their ways down
the Dale; albeit the Woodlanders clung close to the line of their ancient
friends, and with them, as men who were sorry for the sundering, were
Wolf-stone and God-swain and Spear-fist. But the chiefs, they drew
around Folk-might a little beside the way.
Now Red-coat of Waterless, who had been hurt, and was now whole again,
cast his arms about Folk-might and kissed him, and said:
‘All the way hence to Burgdale will I sow with good wishes for thee and
thine, and especially for my dear friend God-swain of the Silver Arm; and
I would wish and long that they might turn into spells to draw thy feet
to usward; for we love thee well.’
In like wise spake other of the Burgdalers; and Folk-might was kind and
blithe with them, and he said:
‘Friends, forget ye not that the way is no longer from you to us than it
is from us to you. One half of this matter it is for you to deal with.’
‘True is that,’ said Red-beard of the Knolls, ‘but look you, Folk-might,
we be but simple husbandmen, and may not often stir from our meadows and
acres; even now I bethink me that May is amidst us, and I am beginning to
be drawn by the thought of the haysel. Whereas thou—’ (and therewith he
reddened) ‘I doubt that thou hast little to do save the work of
chieftains, and we know that such work is but little missed if it be
undone.’
Thereat Folk-might laughed; and when the others saw that he laughed, they
laughed also, else had they foreborne for courtesy’s sake.
But Folk-might answered: ‘Nay, chief of the Sickle, I am not altogether a
chieftain, now we have gotten us peace; and somewhat of a husbandman
shall I be. Moreover, doubt ye not that I shall do my utmost to behold
the fair Dale again; for it is but mountains that meet not.’
Now spake Face-of-god to Folk-might, smiling and somewhat softly, and
said: ‘Is all forgiven now, since the day when we first felt each other’s
arms?’
‘Yea, all,’ said Folk-might; ‘now hath befallen what I foretold thee in
Shadowy Vale, that thou mightest pay for all that had come and gone, if
thou wouldest but look to it. Indeed thou wert angry with me for that
saying on that eve of Shadowy Vale; but see thou, in those days I was an
older man than thou, and might admonish thee somewhat; but now, though
but few days have gone over thine head, yet many deeds have abided in
thine hand, and thou art much aged. Anger hath left thee, and wisdom
hath waxed in thee. As for me, I may now say this word: May the Folk of
Burgdale love the Folk of Silver-dale as well as I love thee; then shall
all be well.’
Then Face-of-god cast his arms about him and kissed him, and turned away
toward Stone-face and Hall-face his brother, where they stood at the head
of the array of the Face; and even therewith came up the Alderman
somewhat sad and sober of countenance, and he pushed by the War-leader
roughly and would not speak with him.
And now blew up the horns of the Shepherds, and they began to move on
amidst the shouting of the men of Silver-dale; yet were there amongst the
Woodlanders those who wept when they saw their friends verily departing
from them.
But when they of the foremost of the Host were gotten so far forward that
the men of the Face could begin to move, lo! there was Redesman with his
fiddle amongst the leaders; and he had done a man’s work in the day of
battle, and all looked kindly on him. About him on this morn were some
who had learned the craft of singing well together, and knew his
minstrelsy, and he turned to these and nodded as their array moved on,
and he drew his bow across the strings, and straightway they fell
a-singing, even as it might be thus:
Back again to the dear Dale where born was the kindred,
Here wend we all living, and liveth our mirth.
Here afoot fares our joyance, whatever men hindred,
Through all wrath of the heavens, all storms of the earth.
O true, we have left here a part of our treasure,
The ashes of stout ones, the stems of the shield;
But the bold lives they spended have sown us new pleasure,
Fair tales for the telling in fold and on field.
For as oft as we sing of their edges’ upheaving,
When the yellowing windows shine forth o’er the night,
Their names unforgotten with song interweaving
Shall draw forth dear drops from the depths of delight.
Or when down by our feet the grey sickles are lying,
And behind us is curling the supper-tide smoke,
No whit shall they grudge us the joyance undying,
Remembrance of men that put from us the yoke.
When the huddle of ewes from the fells we have driven,
And we see down the Dale the grey reach of the roof,
We shall tell of the gift in the battle-joy given,
All the fierceness of friends that drave sorrow aloof.
Once then we lamented, and mourned them departed;
Once only, no oftener. Henceforth shall we fling
Their names up aloft, when the merriest hearted
To the Fathers unseen of our life-days we sing.
Then was there silence in the ranks of men; and many murmured the names
of the fallen as they fared on their way from out the Market-place of
Silver-stead. Then once more Redesman and his mates took up the song:
Come tell me, O friends, for whom bideth the maiden
Wet-foot from the river-ford down in the Dale?
For whom hath the goodwife the ox-waggon laden
With the babble of children, brown-handed and hale?
Come tell me for what are the women abiding,
Till each on the other aweary they lean?
Is it loitering of evil that thus they are chiding,
The slow-footed bearers of sorrow unseen?
Nay, yet were they toiling if sorrow had worn them,
Or hushed had they bided with lips parched and wan.
The birds of the air other tidings have borne them—
How glad through the wood goeth man beside man.
Then fare forth, O valiant, and loiter no longer
Than the cry of the cuckoo when May is at hand;
Late waxeth the spring-tide, and daylight grows longer,
And nightly the star-street hangs high o’er the land.
Many lives, many days for the Dale do ye carry;
When the Host breaketh out from the thicket unshorn,
It shall be as the sun that refuseth to tarry
On the crown of all mornings, the Midsummer morn.
Again the song fell down till they were well on the western way down
Silver-dale; and then Redesman handled his fiddle once more, and again
the song rose up, and such-like were the words which were borne back into
the Market-place of Silver-stead:
And yet what is this, and why fare ye so slowly,
While our echoing halls of our voices are dumb,
And abideth unlitten the hearth-brand the holy,
And the feet of the kind fare afield till we come?
For not yet through the wood and its tangle ye wander;
Now skirt we no thicket, no path by the mere;
Far aloof for our feet leads the Dale-road out yonder;
Full fair is the morning, its doings all clear.
There is nought now our feet on the highway delaying
Save the friend’s loving-kindness, the sundering of speech;
The well-willer’s word that ends words with the saying,
The loth to depart while each looketh on each.
Fare on then, for nought are ye laden with sorrow;
The love of this land do ye bear with you still.
In two Dales of the earth for to-day and to-morrow
Is waxing the oak-tree of peace and good-will.
Thus then they departed from Silver-dale, even as men who were a portion
thereof, and had not utterly left it behind. And that night they lay in
the wild-wood not very far from the Dale’s end; for they went softly,
faring amongst so many friends.