The Knight of Longshaw abode at Wethermel in much content, and much it
pleased him to look upon the beauty of Elfhild and the fairness of the
life that men lived in the Dale. At last he said: "Now I must shake
off my sloth somewhat, and it will be a case of farewell." "Will it?"
said Osberne. "Yea," said the Knight, "for I will to Eastcheaping, and
there I will set me to gather men, and I look to it that, ere three
months are over, I shall have a good host on foot." "It is well," said
Osberne.
So in two days' time the Knight went, with his two men that had fled
into the Dale with him, to Eastcheaping, and Osberne rode with him.
When they came to Eastcheaping the Knight said: "Now is the time for
farewell." "Nay, nay," said Osberne, "there shall be no farewell this
time at least; but I will help thee with the gathering of men, and
when we have got an host I will be the leader thereof. This thou must
not gainsay me." Said the Knight: "But gainsay thee I will, for unless
thou gettest thee back to thine own people I will break up my whole
purpose." "And why?" said Osberne. "Thou art blind not to see," said
the Knight. "I come and find thee here as happy as any man in the
world, wedded to a fair wife, the lord of a stout and stalwarth people
who love thee above all things. And I have that in me that tells me
that if I carry thee away I carry thee away to death. For I have seen
thee in a dream of the night and in a dream of the day living at
Wethermel and dying on a field near the City of the Sundering Flood."
Said Osberne: "And shall I choose dishonour then?"
"Nay," he said, "where is the dishonour? Besides, take this for a
gibe, that whereas time agone I could do but ill without thee, now I
can do without thee well, for I have three or four fellows will come
to my call as soon as they know that my banner is in the field again.
Wherefore, I tell thee, thou must either be my unfriend, or get thee
back home my friend and my lad." So when Osberne saw it would no
better be, he wept and bade farewell to the Knight of Longshaw, and
went his ways back home. Six months hence he heard true tidings of the
Knight, that he had gathered an host and fallen on his foes, and had
fared nowhere save to thrive. And it is not said that he met the
Knight of Longshaw face to face again in this life.
It is further to be told that once in every quarter Osberne went into
that same dale wherein he first met Steelhead, and there he came to
him, and they had converse together; and though Osberne changed the
aspect of him from year to year, as for Steelhead he changed not at
all, but was ever the same as when Osberne first saw him, and good
love there was between those twain.
Now is there no more to say concerning the Sundering Flood and those
that dwelt thereby.