Wear the days hereafter into summer, and Osberne is at Wethermel, and
doth what work cometh to hand no worser than heretofore; yet folk
marvel that his sorrow over the man-fall of the Cloven battle seemeth
to wear off him but little, though he is mild and kind in speech to
all men. Much he sat talking with Stephen the Eater, who in these days
was growing whole of his hurts, and it is thought he learned some
hidden lore from him, for many deemed that Stephen was wise therein.
Every third day he went all alone to the Bight of the Cloven Knoll,
and sat there long through the day; but never had he any tidings of
Elfhild, nor forsooth did he look for any such. He learned from over
the water that there was no newcomer at Hartshaw Knolls, and that the
house and garth lay waste, and so was like to abide.
Now when it lacked but three nights of Midsummer, Osberne, after he
had spoken long with Stephen, set some victual in his scrip, and went
afoot in the evening-tide up the bent and over it among the
mountain-necks, and so into that same little dale where he had first
met Steelhead. There he sat him down on the grass by the brook-side
and ate his meat, and then, when it darkened so much as it would that
June night, he laid him down and slept in all trust of safekeeping. He
awoke at the end of dawn and washed him in the brook, and then clad
him and sat down to abide sunrise. Then even as the sun arose it smote
a beam of light from some bright thing overtopping the crown of the
hillside before him, and Osberne knew that there was come his friend
Steelhead, in such guise as he had first beheld him there: which was
in sooth the very thing which he desired.
So Osberne stood up to greet him and Steelhead came to him and put his
arms about him and kissed and embraced him, and Osberne wept for pity
and hope of his life. Then said Steelhead: "I know why thou art come
to me; a while agone I laid my hands upon thee that I might make thy
body stark for all adventure, and now thou wouldst have me do the like
for the soul of thee. Herein will I do what I may, but first we will
eat of the increase of Wethermel, that thou mayest see how much I love
thee and the land that bred thee."
So Osberne bestirred him, and kindled the cooking-fire and made ready
the meat, and they ate together in all content and friendliness. But
when they were full Steelhead spake: "Now whether wouldst thou be
silent thereof, knowing that I know it without words spoken?"
Quoth Osberne: "I would tell it."
"There is yet time," said Steelhead, smiling kindly on him, "so make
no tarrying."
The Osberne began straightway, and spared not words overmuch, but
herein he used the most when he told of Elfhild, what she was like in
those latter days, and how his heart enfolded her, and how sweet was
her converse with him; and when he was done Steelhead said: "What is
in thy mind concerning dwelling in the Dale amidst thine own folk?"
Said Osberne: "My mind it is to live and die here, and do all that is
due to the folk of my fathers." Said Steelhead: "Then thou must be
healed of this trouble; that is, thou must forget thy love and thy
longing, or at the least thou must think more of other matters than of
this. For I will not have it that thou my fosterling shouldst be a
kill-joy among men of the kindred; wherefore ill-luck will come of
it."
Said Osberne, knitting his brows: "I will not be healed in this way.
For do I not know that she also is wrapped in sorrow and tormented by
longing. Shall I leave her, therefore, as the dastard leaves a wounded
friend before the oncoming foeman?"
Steelhead smiled on him. Quoth he: "Thou wilt not be healed? So be it;
then mayst thou not abide in the Dale amongst the kindred, but carry
thy trouble to the lands of the aliens, where there is none to
remember the joyous face of thee before the trouble was."
"This may I do," said Osberne, "and even so it shall be since it is
thy will. But hast nought else to say to enhearten me in my travel?"
"This I have thereto," quoth Steelhead, "that though the world be wide
there are many ways about it, and meseemeth that there is somewhere a
way whereon thy feet and Elfhild's may draw toward one another." Said
Osberne: "May all good hap go with thee for thy word. Dost thou not
see how my face is already gladdened thereby?"
Said Steelhead: "This is hope, my son, that flareth up swiftly and
fadeth soon; but now this I shall give to thee, as I deem I may, that
never shalt thou lack hope so long as thou hast deeds to do. Call to
mind what thou thyself saidst unto Elfhild, that the only way to
bridge the Sundering Flood is for one of you, or both, to wander wide
in the world. But now tell me, what hast thou in thy mind to do in
these days that pass?" Said Osberne: "I have been thinking of it, that
when the Midsummer Feast is over I shall say farewell to my folk and
to ride to Eastcheaping to find Sir Medard; for meseems he is the man
whom I know out in the world who will put me in the way of deeds."
Said Steelhead: "And wilt thou go alone, or hast thou a mind to take
any with thee? Suppose it were Stephen the Eater, who is a man of
lore, and as I do thee to wit moreover, a friend of our own?" "Dost
thou command me to have him with me, lord?" said Osberne. "Nay," said
Steelhead, "I but ask thee of thy mind in the matter."
Said Osberne: "Then I shall tell the that my mind is to go all
birdalone. I would take no part of Wethermel with me, lest I soften
towards the Dale, and turn back some fair day of summer and fall to
nursing my sorrow therein. Moreover I know of Stephen that he is both
a wise man and a champion, and I deem it were well to leave such an
one to uphold the good days of Wethermel; so that whether I do that
which I would, and come back in joy and honour; or do it not, and die
away from my place, not without honour it may be, I shall yet know of
the thriving of my kindred and the pleasures of Wethermel, which shall
yet be glorious on the earth, even as it were a very living creature
and mine own true friend. Many a time shall I think of it, in good hap
and in ill hap, in grief and in joy."
"Hail to thy word, son and stout-heart!" said Steelhead, "for herein
thou thinkest of it as my very heart would that thou shouldst. Now I
see that I have indeed sown the seed of hope in thee, and I call it
the lack of fear."
And now he brought the talk on other matters, and was as kind and
friendly as might be, and Osberne deemed it was a great thing for him
that he had so won the love of this noble wight and great-heart. So in
all pleasure the day sped, and when it was hard on sunset Steelhead
spake: "Now must I get me back to my house and home of old time, and
thou shalt go home to Wethermel the dear; and now I see of thee that
thou shalt hold a cheerful countenance there, and depart when needs
must in honour and well-liking of all men."
So they stood up, but ere Osberne turned his face to the west he said:
"And when shall I see thee again, lord?"
"Who knows?" said Steelhead; "maybe when thou lookest least for me: on
the lonely marsh maybe, or in the thick of the forest; or in the midst
of the fierce battle, or on thy very death-bed; or it may not be at
all in thine earthly life."
"And that house whereto thou art now going, shall I ever see thee
there?" said Osberne.
"Surely I deem that thou shalt; and yet most surely not till thine
earthly days are over. But now farewell, and my heart goes with thee."
Therewith he turned and was gone, and Osberne went his ways to
Wethermel without looking after him. And now it seemed to him as if he
had been fain not to have gone back to that well-beloved stead, but to
have gone on east at all adventure; and he looked toward the day when
he must depart at last as a sad and sore time, when hope would be
dimmed by mere sorrow and trouble.