They Ride the Mountains Toward Goldburg
Five days the Fellowship abode at Whiteness, and or ever they departed
Clement waged men-at-arms of the lord of the town, besides servants to
look to the beasts amongst the mountains, so that what with one, what
with another, they entered the gates of the mountains a goodly company
of four score and ten.
Ralph asked of Bull if any of those whom he might meet in these
mountains were of his kindred; and he answered, nay, unless perchance
there might be some one or two going their peaceful errands there like
Bull Nosy. So Ralph armed him with a good sword and a shield, and
would have given him a steel hood also, but he would not bear it,
saying that if sword and shield could not keep his head he had well
earned a split skull.
Seven days they rode the mountains, and the way was toilsome and weary
enough, for it was naught but a stony maze of the rocks where nothing
living dwelt, and nothing grew, save now and again a little dwarf
willow. Yet was there naught worse to meet save toil, because they
were over strong for the wild men to meddle with them, whereas the
kindreds thereabout were but feeble.
But as it drew towards evening on the seventh day Ralph had ridden a
little ahead with Bull alone, if he might perchance have a sight of the
ending of this grievous wilderness, as Clement said might be, since now
the way was down-hill, and all waters ran east. So as they rode, and
it was about sunset, they saw something lying by a big stone under a
cliff; so they drew nigh, and saw a man lying on his back, and they
deemed he was dead. So Bull went up to him, and leapt off his horse
close by him and bent over him, but straightway cast up his arms and
set up a long wailing whoop, and then another and another, so that they
that were behind heard it and came up upon the spur. But Ralph leapt
from his horse, and ran up to Bull and said: "What aileth thee to whoop
and wail? Who is it?" But Bull turned about and shook his head at
him, and said: "It is a man of my kindred, even he that was leading
away thy she-friend; and belike she it was that slew him, or why is she
not here: Ochone! ahoo! ahoo!" Therewith fire ran through Ralph's
heart, and he bethought him of that other murder in the wilderness, and
he fell to wringing his hands, and cried out: "Ah, and where is she,
where is she? Is she also taken away from me for ever? O me unhappy!"
And he drew his sword therewith, and ran about amongst the rocks and
the bushes seeking her body.
And therewith came up Clement, and others of the company, and wondered
to see Bull kneeling down by the corpse, and to hear him crying out and
wailing, and Ralph running about like one mad, and crying out now: "Oh!
that I might find her! Mayhappen she is alive yet, and anigh here in
some cleft of the rocks in this miserable wilderness. O my love that
hast lain in mine arms, wouldst thou not have me find her alive? But
if she be dead, then will I slay myself, for as young as I am, that I
may find thee and her out of the world, since from the world both ye
are gone."
Then Clement went up to Ralph, and would have a true tale out of him,
and asked him what was amiss; but Ralph stared wild at him and answered
not. But Bull cried out from where he knelt: "He is seeking the
woman, and I would that he could find her; for then would I slay her on
the howe of my kinsman: for she hath slain him; she hath slain him."
That word heard Ralph, and he ran at Bull with uplifted sword to slay
him; but Clement tripped him and he fell, and his sword flew out of his
hand. Then Clement and two of the others bound his hands with their
girdles, till they might know what had befallen; for they deemed that a
devil had entered into him, and feared that he would do a mischief to
himself or some other.
And now was the whole Fellowship assembled, and stood in a ring round
about Ralph and Bull, and the dead man; as for him, he had been dead
some time, many days belike; but in that high and clear cold air, his
carcase, whistled by the wind, had dried rather than rotted, and his
face was clear to be seen with its great hooked nose and long black
hair: and his skull was cloven.
Now Bull had done his wailing for his kinsman, and he seemed to wake up
as from a dream, and looked about the ring of men and spake: "Here is
a great to do, my masters! What will ye with me? Have ye heard, or is
it your custom, that when a man cometh on the dead corpse of his
brother, his own mother's son, he turneth it over with his foot, as if
it were the carcase of a dog, and so goeth on his way? This I ask,
that albeit I be but a war-taken thrall, I be suffered to lay my
brother in earth and heap a howe over him in these mountains."
They all murmured a yeasay to this save Ralph. He had been sobered by
his fall, and was standing up now betwixt Clement and the captain, who
had unbound his hands, now that the others had come up; he hung his
head, and was ashamed of his fury by seeming. But when Bull had
spoken, and the others had answered, Ralph said to Bull, wrathfully
still, but like a man in his wits: "Why didst thou say that thou
wouldest slay her?" "Hast thou found her?" said Bull. "Nay," quoth
Ralph, sullenly. "Well, then," said Bull, "when thou dost find her, we
will speak of it." Said Ralph: "Why didst thou say that she hath slain
him?" "I was put out of my wits by the sight of him dead," said Bull;
"But now I say mayhappen she hath slain him."
"And mayhappen not," said Clement; "look here to the cleaving of his
skull right through this iron headpiece, which he will have bought at
Cheaping Knowe (for I have seen suchlike in the armourers' booth
there): it must have taken a strong man to do this."
"Yea," quoth the captain, "and a big sword to boot: this is the stroke
of a strong man wielding a good weapon."
Said Bull: "Well, and will my master bid me forego vengeance for my
brother's slaying, or that I bear him to purse? Then let him slay me
now, for I am his thrall." Said Ralph: "Thou shalt do as thou wilt
herein, and I also will do as I will. For if she slew him, the taking
of her captive should be set against the slaying." "That is but
right," said the captain; "but Sir Ralph, I bid thee take the word of
an old man-at-arms for it, that she slew him not; neither she, nor any
other woman."
Said Clement: "Well, let all this be. But tell me, lord Ralph, what
thou wouldst do, since now thou art come to thyself again?" Said Ralph:
"I would seek the wilderness hereabout, if perchance the damsel be
thrust into some cleft or cavern, alive or dead."
"Well," said Clement, "this is my rede. Since Bull Shockhead would
bury his brother, and lord Ralph would seek the damsel, and whereas
there is water anigh, and the sun is well nigh set, let us pitch our
tents and abide here till morning, and let night bring counsel unto
some of us. How say ye, fellows?"
None naysaid it, and they fell to pitching the tents, and lighting the
cooking-fires; but Bull at once betook him to digging a grave for his
brother, whilst Ralph with the captain and four others went and sought
all about the place, and looked into all clefts of rocks, and found not
the maiden, nor any token of her. They were long about it, and when
they were come back again, and it was night, though the moon shone out,
there was Bull Shockhead standing by the howe of his brother Bull Nosy,
which was heaped up high over the place where they had found him.
So when Bull saw him, he turned to him and said: "King's son, I have
done what needs was for this present. Now, wilt thou slay me for my
fault, or shall I be thy man again, and serve thee truly unless the
blood feud come between us?" Said Ralph: "Thou shalt serve me truly,
and help me to find him who hath slain thy brother, and carried off the
damsel; for even thus it hath been done meseemeth, since about here we
have seen no signs of her alive or dead. But to-morrow we shall seek
wider ere I ride on my way." "Yea," said Bull, "and I will be one in
the search."
So then they gat them to their sleeping-berths, and Ralph, contrary to
his wont, lay long awake, pondering these things; till at last he said
to himself that this woman, whom he called Dorothea, was certainly
alive, and wotted that he was seeking her. And then it seemed to him
that he could behold her through the darkness of night, clad in the
green flowered gown as he had first seen her, and she bewailing her
captivity and the long tarrying of the deliverer as she went to and fro
in a great chamber builded of marble and done about with gold and
bright colours: and or ever he slept, he deemed this to be a vision of
what then was, rather than a memory of what had been; and it was sweet
to his very soul.