The next night after, they were come to but a little way from the end
of the mountains, and could see the tilled and peopled lands lying
down before them, and this had been no very long day's journey. The
three merchant masters had ridden much apart from each other all day,
and there was little feasting between them at even, and all men laid
them down early to sleep. The Carline had spoken a word to the Maiden
as they were a-riding, so that none might hear: "Sweetling," she said,
"the thing thou hast to do tonight is to give heed to my least word or
beckoning, and obey it, and then will all be well." So they two lay
down somewhat away from the carle-folk. Amidst of the night then,
awoke the Maiden, and the moon was high and very bright, and looking
to her left side she saw the Carline was not there where she ought to
have been; but nought scared was she thereat, since she wotted well
that something would betide. But moving as little as she might, she
let her eyes go round the campment, and even therewith saw the said
Carline coming out of the tent of the masters, who slept all together
there, whereas their serving-men lay as they might, under cloaks and
such-like, beneath the naked heavens, the weather being fine and dry
as at that time. Stole the Carline then and went up to each one of the
said men and made unked signs over him, and when all that was done
stood up by herself amidst them all and laughed aloud. Then she called
out: "O sweetling that I am preserving as a pearl of all price for the
greatest warrior of the world, wakest thou or sleepest? Speak out and
fear not, for these now will lie here like logs long after the moon is
gone out and the sun is shining. These carles thou seest, and two of
the masters lie therein in their tent; but the third, the old one, I
lured away far into the thicket and laid him asleep there; so that his
being away, and the others hunting for him, might breed delay and
quarrels amongst these runagates."
The Maiden lightly arose and spake in a clear voice: "My mother, I am
verily awake and ready for the road." So she came down to the Carline,
and they went together to the horses and dight their own, which were
the best of the company's, and without more delay gat to saddle and
rode quietly down along the pass.
So rode they till it was the afternoon, and they were come out of the
mountains into the first of the meadows. Then they drew rein in a fair little ingle amidst goodly trees, and gat off their horses and tethered them
amongst the sweet grass. Then spake the Carline: "I must now look
along the ways of sleep and see what is betiding." Therewith she drew
from her hardes a goat-skin bag, which she did over her head, and then
laid herself face downwards on the grass; but the Maiden sat by her
and watched.
Thus she lay for an hour, and tumbled and routed in her slumber, and
thereafter she awoke and sat up, and was much besweated and worn; and
she spake in a weak voice: "I have seen what lieth behind and what
lieth before; now therefore I can do, and all will be well. For the
chapmen have awakened and have striven, the two young ones together,
and then the two young with the old because of his bitter mocks. But
now they be got to the road again, and though we be most like to
prevent them at a place of refuge, yet wise will it be to leave as
little as may be to chancehap. As to what lieth before, I have seen
our way that it turneth somewhat east tomorrow, and will bring us to a
goodly Abbey that hath a noble guest-house, and there, by the help of
the Prior's safe-conduct and the gifts I shall give to the saints and
the stewards, we shall be put well upon our way. But now will I do;
and when thou seest me fall down and lie like to one dead, be not
afeard, but when I come to myself again then sprinkle my face with
water and put a cup of wine to my lips, and thereafter shall I be
whole, and we shall eat and drink and go on our way."
Then the Carline went about the way and gathered handfuls of the dust
and small stones and laid them in the bag, and then lay down on the
way and put the bag under her bosom and brooded it, as a hen broodeth
her eggs, moaning and muttering the while, and thus she was a long
hour. Then she arose and let her hair loose, and it was long and white
and not scanty. In this guise she walked to and fro athwart the road,
keeping her face turned toward the mountains, and kept taking handfuls
of that dust and casting it up toward that quarter; and ever and anon
she cried out: "Be mist and mirk, and bewilderment and fear, before
those faces of our foemen! Be a wall behind us that they may not
pierce through! Mirk behind us, light before us!" So she went on till
she had emptied the said bag, and then she fell aback and lay on the
road as one dead. And the Maiden did as she had bidden and meddled not
with her. But at last, and it was another hour, she began to come to
herself, and the Maiden sprinkled her with water and gave her wine to
drink, and the old woman arose and was herself again and of good
cheer; and she stowed away her bag, and they drew forth victual and
ate and drank kindly and merrily together.
So they gat to the road again when it yet lacked three hours of
sunset, but rode not after night had fallen lest they should miss
their way. And no shelter they had that night but the grass and the
trees and the well-bedecked heavens, and all that was sweet enough for
them.
On the morrow they gat to the road early enough, and soon began to
come amongst the cots and the homesteads, and saw the folk labouring
afield, and none were otherwise than friendly to them; and a company
of husbandmen, carles and queans, hailed them from the ingle of an
acre where they were eating their dinner and bade light down and
share, and they did so with a good will; and the upland folk looked
with wonder on the Maiden and her beauty, and gave her much worship.
But the Carline talked with them, and asked them much of their land
and how it sped with them; and they said it was well with them, for
that they dwelt in good peace, whereas they were under the dominion of
the great Abbey, which dealt mildly with them, and would not suffer
them to be harried; and they pointed out to the newcomers a fair white
castle lying on a spur of the hills which went up to the waste
mountains, and did them to wit that that was the bit and the bridle
of any wild men who might get it into their heads to break out on to
the wealth of the Holy Fathers. And there be many such, said they,
about our land, and especially a good way east and south hence where
the land marcheth on the Great Forest, which is haunted by the worst
of men, who will not be refrained but by great might and great heed.
"And now," said they, "we here tell of that mighty and good lord, the
Knight of Longshaw, that he hath of late prevailed against his foes,
who be tyrants and oppressors; and if that be sooth, he shall do as
much or more on the east side of the Forest as my Lord Abbot hath done
in the west, and peace and good days shall abide with us." Much those
twain heeded this talk, and they prayed for that good lord, him and
his.
So they thanked that good folk and went their ways, and in an hour's
time they found the path which would do their eastering for them
toward the Abbey; and shortly to say it, they came to the guest-house
thereof two hours before it began to dusk, and were well-served by the
brethren whose office it was.