When morning was, there were horns sounding from the tower on the toft,
and all men hastening in their war-gear to the topmost of the other
toft, the bare one, whereon was no building; for thereon was ever the
mote-stead of these woodmen. But men came not only from the stead and
houses of the Tofts, but also from the woodland cots and dwellings
anigh, of which were no few. And they that came there first found King
Christopher sitting on the mound amid the mote-stead, and Jack of the
Tofts and his seven sons sitting by him, and all they well-weaponed
and with green coats over their hauberks; and they that came last found
three hundreds of good men and true gathered there, albeit this was but
the Husting of the Tofts.
So when there were no more to come, then was the Mote hallowed, and the
talk began; but short and sharp was their rede, for well did all men wot
who had been in the hall the night before that there was now no time to
lose. For though nigh all the men that had been in the hall were well
known to each other, yet might there perchance have been some spy
unknown, who had edged him in as a guest to one of the good men. Withal,
as the saw saith: The word flieth, the wight dieth. And it were well if
they might gather a little host ere their foeman might gather a mickle.
First therefore arose Jack of the Tofts, and began shortly to put forth
the sooth, that there was come the son of King Christopher the Old, and
that now he was seeking to his kingdom, not for lust of power and gain,
but that he might be the friend of good men and true, and uphold them
and be by them upholden. And saith he: "Look ye on the face of this man,
and tell me where ye shall find a friend friendlier than he, and more
single-hearted?" And therewith he laid his hand on Christopher's head,
and the young man rose up, blushing like a maid, and thereafter a long
time could no lord be heard for the tumult of gladness and the clashing
of weapons.
But when it was a little hushed, then spake Jack again: "Now need no man
say more to man on this matter, for ye call this curly-headed lad the
King of Oakenrealm, even as some of ye did last night."
Mighty was the shout of yea-say that arose at that word; and when it was
stilled, a grey-head stood up and said: "King Christopher, and thou, our
leader, whom we shall henceforth call Earl, it is now meet that we shear
up the war-arrow, and send it forth to whithersoever we deem our friends
dwell, and that this be done at once here in this Mote, and that the
hosting be after three nights' frist in the plain of Hazeldale, which
all ye know is twelve miles nigher to Oakenrealm than this."
All men yea-said this, no one gainsaid it; and straightway was fire
kindled and the bull slain, for the said elder had brought him thither;
and the arrow was sheared and scorched and reddened, and the runners
were fetched, and the word given them, and they were sped on their
errand.
Up rose then another, a young man, and spake: "Many stout fellows be
here, and some wise and well-ruled, and many also hot-head and wilful:
Child Christopher is King now, and we all know him that when he cometh
into the fray he is like to strike three strokes for two that any other
winneth; but as to his lore of captainship, if he hath any, he was born
with it, as is like enough, seeing who was his father; therefore we need
a captain well-proven, to bid us how to turn hither and thither, and
where to gather thickest, and where to spread thinnest; and when to fall
on fiercely and when to give way, and let the thicket cover us; for wise
in war shall our foemen be. Now therefore if anyone needeth a better
captain than our kin-father and war-father Jack of the Tofts, he must
needs go fetch him from otherwhere! How sayest thou, Christopher lad?"
Great cheer there was at the word, and laughter no little therewith. But
Christopher stood up, and took Jack by the hand, and said: "Now say I,
that if none else follow this man into battle, yet will I; and if none
else obey him to go backward or forward to the right hand or to the left
as he biddeth, yet will I. Thou, Wilfrid Wellhead, look to it that thou
dost no less. But ye folk, what will ye herein?"
So they all yea-said Jack of the Tofts for captain; and forsooth they
might do no less, for he was wary and wise, and had done many deeds, and
seen no little of warfare.
Then again arose a man of some forty winters, strong built and not
ungoodly, but not merry of countenance, and he spake: "King and
war-leader, I have a word to say: We be wending to battle, we carles,
with spear in fist and sword by side; and if we die in the fray, of
the day's work is it; but what do we with our kinswomen, as mothers and
daughters and wives and she-friends, and the little ones they have borne
us? For, see ye! this warfare we are faring, maybe it shall not last
long, and yet maybe it shall; and then may the foeman go about us and
fall on this stead if we leave them behind here with none to guard them;
and if, on the other hand, we leave them men enough for their warding,
then we minish our host overmuch. What do we then?"
Then spake Jack of the Tofts: "This is well thought of by Haward of
Whiteacre, and we must look to it. And, by my rede, we shall have our
women and little ones with us; and why not? For we shall then but be
moving Toftstead as we move; and ever to some of us hath it been as a
camp rather than an house. Moreover, ye know it, that our women be no
useless and soft queans, who durst not lie under the oak boughs for a
night or two, or wade a water over their ankles, but valiant they be,
and kind, and helpful; and many of them are there who can draw a bow
with the best, and, it may be, push a spear if need were. How say ye,
lads?"
Now this also they yea-said gladly; forsooth they had scarce been fain
of leaving the women behind, at least the younger ones, even had they
been safe at the Tofts; for there is no time when a man would gladlier
have a fair woman in his arms than when battle and life-peril are
toward.
Thereafter the Mote sundered, when the Captain had bidden his men this
and that matter that each should look to; and said that he, for his
part, with King Christopher and a chosen band, would set off for
Hazeldale on the morrow morn, whereas some deal of the gathering would
of a certainty be come thither by then; and that there was enough left
of that day to see to matters at the Tofts.
So all men went about their business, which was, for the most part,
seeing to the victualling of the host.