 Chapter 28 of The Roots of the Mountains, by William Morris. This Librivox recording is in the public domain. The men of Burgdale meet the runaways. Now ere the night was far spent, Dalak arose and said, Gime folk, you will presently be sleeping, but I bid you keep good watch, and if you will be ruled by me you will kindle no fire on the morrow, for the smoke rises thick in the morning air, and is as a beacon. As for me, I shall leave you here to rest, and I myself will fare on my errand. They bade him sleep and rest him after so many toils and hardships, saying they were not tied to an hour to be back in Burgdale, but he said, Nay, the moon is high, and it is as good as daylight to me, who could find my way even by starlight, and your tarrying here is no wise safe. Moreover, if I could find those folk and bring them part of the way by night and cloud, it will well, for if we were taken again, burning quick would be the best death by which we should die. As for me, now am I stronger with meat and drink and hope, and when I come to Burgdale there will be time enough for resting and slumber. Said face of God, shall I not wend with thee to see these people, and the lairs wherein they hide? The man smiled. Nay, Earl, said he, that shall not be. For watch ye what, if they were to see me in company of a man at arms, they would deem that I was bringing the foe upon them, and would flee, and may happen would fall upon us. For as for me, when I saw thee, they worked closer than I me, so I knew thee to be no dusky man. But they would see the glitter of thine arms from afar, and to them all weapon men of foremen. Thou, Lord, knowest not the heart of a thrall, nor the fear and doubt that is in it. Nay, I myself must cast off these clothes that ye have given me, and fair naked, lest they mistrust me. Only I will take a spear in my hand, and sling a knife round my neck, if ye will give them to me. For if the worst happen, I will not be taken alive. Therewith he cast off his raiment, and they gave him the weapons, and wished him good speed, and he went his way, twixed moonlight and shadow. But the burgdailers went to sleep, when they had set a watch. Early in the morning they awoke, and the sun was shining, and the thrushes singing in the thornbreak, and all seemed fair and peaceful, and a little haze still hung about the face of the burg over the river. So they went down to the water, and washed the night from off them, and hence the most part of them went back to their lair among the thornbushes. But four of them went up the dale, into the oak wood, to shoot a book, and five more they sent out to watch their skirts around them, and face of God with old stone face went over a ford of the stream, and came on to the lower slope of the burg, and so went up it to the top. Thence they looked about to see if ought was stirring, but they saw little save the waste and the wood, which on the north east was thick of big trees, stretching out a long way. Their own lair was clear to see over its bank and the bushes thereof, and that misliked face of God, lest any foe should climb the burg that day. The morning was clear, and face of God, looking north and by west, deemed he saw smoke rising into the air over the tree-covered ridges that hid the further distance toward that airt, though further east, uphoved the black shoulders of the great waste, and the snowy peaks behind them. The said smoke was not such as cometh from one great fire, but was like a thin veil, staining the pale blue sky, as when men are burning ling on the heath side, and it is seen aloof. He showed that smoke to stone face, who smiled and said, Now will there be light in the cooking fires in Rosedale? Would I were there with a few hundred of axes and staves at my back? Yea, said face of God, smiling in his face, but where I pray thee, that these elves and wood-whites that we meet them not, grim things there are in the woods, and things fair enough also, puts me seamoth that the trolls and elves of thy young years have been frighted away. Said stone face, maybe, foster son, that hath been seen now, that when one race of man overruneth the land inhabited by another, the whites and elves that love the vanquished are seen no more, or get them away far off into the outermost wilds, where few men ever come. Yea, said face of God, that may well be, but deem us thou by that token that we shall be vanquished. As for us, and o'er not, said stone face, but thy friends of shadowy veil have been vanquished, moreover, concerning these felons whom now we are hunting, are we also sure that they be men? Certain it is, that when I go into battle with them, I shall smite with no more pity than my sword, as if I were smiting things that may not feel the woes of man. Said face of God, yea, even so shall it be with me, but what thinkest thou of these runaways? Shall we have tidings of them, or shall Dalek bring the foe upon us? It was for the sake of that question that I have clomber to the burg, and that we might watch the land about us. Nay, said stone face, I have seen many men, and I deem of Dalek that he is a true man. I deem we shall soon have tidings of his fellows, and they may have seen the elves and wood whites. I would faint ask them thereof, and I am eager to see them. Said face of God, and I somewhat dread to see them, and their rags and their misery and the wheels of their stripes. It irks me to see Dalek when he first fell to his meat last night, how he ate like a dog for fear and famine. How shall it be, moreover, when we have them in the dale, and they fall to the deed of kind there, as they needs must? Will they not bear us evil and thrall like men? Maybe, said stone face, and maybe not, for they have been thralls but for a little while, and I deem that in no long time shall you see them much bettered by plentious meat and rest, and after all he said this Dalek bore him like a valiant man. Also it was valiant of him to flee, and of the others may you say the like, but look you, there are men going down yonder towards our lair, be like those shall be our guests, and there be no dusky men amongst them. Come, let us home. So face of God looked and beheld from the height of the burg, shapes of men grey and colourless, creeping toward the lair from sunshine to shadow, like wild creatures shy and fearful of the hunter, or so he deemed of them. So he turned away, angry and sad of heart, and the twain went down the burg and across the water to their camp, having seen little to tell of from the height. When they came to their campment, there were their folks standing in a ring about Dalek and the other runaways. They made way for the war leader and stone face, who came amongst them and beheld the runaways, that they were many more than they looked to see, for they were of Carls one score and three, and of women eighteen, all told, saved Dalek. When they saw those twain come through the ring of men, and perceived that they were chieftains, some of them fell down on their knees before them, and held out their joined hands to them, and kissed the burgdailers feet, and the hems of their garments, while the tears streamed out of their eyes. Some stood moving little, and staring before them stupidly, and some kept glancing from face to face of the well-liking, happy burgdail Carls, though for a while even their faces were saddened downcast at the sight of the poor men. Some also kept murmuring one or two words in their country tongue, and Dalek told face of God that these were crying out for victual. It must be said of these poor folk that they were of diverse conditions, and chiefly of three, and first there were seven of Rosdale and five of Silverdale late come to the wood. Of these Silverdale-ers Dalek had told but of two, for the other three were but just come. Of these twelve were seven women, and all save two of the women were clad in one scanty-curtle or shirt only, for such was the want of the dusky men with their thralls. They had brought away weapons, and had amongst them six axes and a spear, and a sword and five knives, and one man had a shield. Yet though these were clad and armed, yet in some wise were they the worst of all, they were so timorous and cringing, and most of them heavy-eyed and sullen and down-looking. Many of them had been grievously mishandled. One man had had his left hands smitten off, another was docked of three of his toes, and the gristle of his nose slid up. One was halt, and four had been ear-cropped, nor did any lack wheels of whipping. Of the Silverdale-newcomers the three men were the worst of all the runaways, with wild wandering eyes, but sullen also, and cringing, if any drew nigh, and would not look anyone in the face, save presently face of God, on whom they were soon fond to fawn as a dog on his master. But the women who were with them, and who were well nigh as timorous as the men, were those two gaily clad ones, and they were soft-handed and white-skinned, save for the last days of weather in the wood, for they had been bed-thralls of the dusky men. Such were the newcomers to the wood, but others had been, like Dalek, months therein. It may be said that there were eighteen of these, Carls and Queens together. Little raiment they had amongst them, and some were all but stark-naked, so that on these might well be seen, as on Dalek, the marks of old stripes, and of these also were their men who had been shorn of some member or other, and they were all burned some blackened by the weather of the woodland. Yet for all their nakedness they bore themselves bolder and more manlike than the later-comers, nor did they altogether lack weapons taken from their foe-men, and most of them had some edge-tool or another. Of these folk were four from Silverdale, though Dalek knew it not. Besides these were a half-score and one, who had been years in the wood, instead of months. Weather-beaten indeed were these, shaggy and rough-skinned, like wild men of kind. Some of them had made themselves skim-breaches or cloutes, some went stark-naked. Of weapons of the dale they had few, but they bore bows of hazel or witch-elm, strung with deer-guts and shafts headed with flint-stones, staves also of the same fashion, and great clubs of oak or holly. Some of them also had made them targets of skin and willow-twigs, for these were the warriors of the runaways. They had a few steel knives amongst them, but had mostly learned the craft of using sharp flints for knives, but four of these were women. Three of these men were of the kindreds of the wolf from Silverdale, and had been in the wood for hard upon ten years. And wild as they were, and without hope of meeting their fellows again, they went proudly and boldly amongst the others, overtopping them by the head and more. For the greater part of these men were somewhat short of stature, though by nature, strong and stout of body. It must be told that though Dalek had thus gotten all these many runaways together, yet had they not been dwelling together as one folk, for they durst not, lest the dusky men should hear their oven fall upon them. But they had kept themselves as best they could in caves, and in breaks, three together or two, or even faring alone as Dalek did. Only as he was a strong and stout-hearted man, he went to and fro, and wandered about more than the others, so that he foregathered with most of them, and knew them. He said also that he doubted not, but there were more runaways in the wood, but these were all he could come at. Diverse who had fled and died from time to time, and some had been caught and cruelly slain by their masters. They were none of them old, the oldest said Dalek, scant of forty winters, though many from their aspect might have been old enough. So face of God looked and beheld all these poor people, and said to himself that he might well have dreaded that sight. For here was he brought face to face with the sorrow of the earth, whereof he had known naught here to fore. Save it might be as a tale in a minstrel song. And when he thought of the minutes that had made the hours, and the hours that had made the days, that these men had passed through, his heart failed him, and he was dumb and might not speak, though he perceived that the men of Burgdale looked for speech from him. But he waved his hand to his folk, and they understood him, for they had heard Dalek say that some of them were crying for victual. So they set to work, and dited for them such meters they had, and they set them down on the grass, and made themselves their carvers and serving men, and bade them eat what they would have such as there was. Yet, indeed, it grieved the Burgdalers again to note how these folk were driven to eat, for they themselves, though they were merry folk, were exceeding courteous at table, and of great observance of manners. Whereas these poor runaways ate, some of them like hungry dogs, and some hiding their meat as if they feared it should be taken from them, and some cowering over it like falcons, and scarce any with a manlike pleasure in their meal. And they're eating over, the more part of them sat dull and mope-ish, as if all things were forgotten for the time present. Albeit presently Dalek bestowed him and said to face of God, Lord of the oil folk, if I might give thee read, it were best to turn your faces to Burgdal without more tarrying. For we are overnight a Rosdale, being but thus many in company. But when we come to our next resting place, then shall I bring thee to speech with the last gummers from Silverdale. For there they talk with the tongue of the kindreds. But we of Rosdale, for the more part, talk otherwise, though in my house he came down from farther to sun. Ye, said face of God, gazing still on that unhappy folk, as they sat or lay upon the grass at rest for a little while. But him seemed as he gazed, that some memories of past time stirred in some of them. For some they hung their heads, and the tears stole out of their eyes, and rolled down their cheeks. But those older runaways of Silverdale were not crouched down like most of the others, but strode up and down like beasts in a den. Yet were the tears on the face of one of these. Then face of God constrained himself, and spake to the folk and said, We are now overnight to our foes of Rosdale to lie here any longer, being too few to fall upon them. We will come hither again with a host when we have duly questioned these men who have sought refuge with us, and let us call Yonder height, the burg of the runaways, and it shall be a landmark for us when we are on the road to Rosdale. Then the burgdailers bade the runaways courteously and kindly to arise and take the road with them, and by that time were their men all come in, and four of them had venison with them, which was needful, if they were to eat that night or the morrow, as the guests had eaten them to the bone. So they tarried no more, but set out on the homeward way, and face of God bade Dalek walk beside him, and asked him much concerning Rosdale and its dusky men. Dalek told him that these were not so many as they were masterful, not being above eight hundreds of men, all fighting men. As to women, they had none of their own race, but lay with the dales' women at their will, and begat children of them. And all, or most of the said children, favoured the race of their begetters. Of the men children they reared most, but the women children they slew at once, for they valued not women of their own blood, but besides the women of the dale, they would go at wiles in bands to the edges of the plain, and beguile wayfarers, and bring back with them thence women to be their bed-thralls. Albeit some of these were bought with a price from the Westland men. As to the number of the folk of Rosdale, its own folk, he said that they would number some five thousand souls, one with another, of whom some thousand might be fit to bear arms if they had the hearts there, too, as they had none. Yet being closely questioned, he deemed that they might fall on their masters from behind, if battle were joined. He said that the folk of Rosdale had been a goodly folk before they were enthralled, and peaceable with one another, but that now it was a sport of the dusky men to set a match between their thralls, to fight it out with sword and buckler, or otherwise, and the vanquished man, if he were not sore hurt, they would scourge or shear some member from him, or even slay him outright if the match between the owners were so made. And many other sad and grievous tales he told to face of God, more than need be told again, so that the war-leader went along, sorry and angry, with his teeth set, and his hand on the sword-hills. Thus they went till night fell on them, and they could scare see the signs they had made on their outward journey. Then they made stay in a little valley, having set a watch duly, and since they were by this time far from Rosdale, and were a great company as regarded scattered bands of the foe, they lighted their fires and cooked their venison, and made good cheer to the runaways, and so went to sleep in the wild wood. When morning was come they got them at once to the road, and if the burgdailers were eager to be out of the wood, their eagerness was as nought to the eagerness of the runaways, most of whom could not be easy now, and deemed every minute lost until they were wending on to the dale, so that this day they were willing to get over the moor ground, whereas they had not set out on their road till afternoon yesterday. How so ever they rested at noontide, and face of God Bade Dalach bring him to speech with others of the runaways, and first that he might talk with those three men of the kindreds who had fled from Silverdale in early days. So Dalach brought them to him, but he found that though they spake the tong, they were so few spoken from wildness and loneliness, at least at first, that nought could come from them that was not dragged from them. These men said that they had been in the wood more than nine years, so that they knew but little of the conditions of the dale in that present day. However, as to what Dalach had said concerning the dusky men, they strengthened his words, and they said that the dusky men took no delight save in beholding torments and misery, and that they doubted if they were men or trolls. They said that since they had dwelt in the wood, they had slain not a few of the foemen, where laying them as occasion served, but that in this warfare they had lost two of their fellows. When face of God asked them of their deeming of the numbers of the dusky men, they said that before those bands had broken into Rosdale, they counted them as far as they could call to mind, as about three thousand men, all warriors, and that somewhat less than one thousand had gone up into Rosdale, and some had died, and many had been cast away into the wild wood, their fellows knew not how. Yet had not their numbers in Silverdale diminished, because two years after they, the speakers, had fled, came three more dusky companies or tribes into Silverdale, and each of these tribes was of three long hundreds, and with their coming had the cruelty and misery much increased in the dale, so that the thralls began to die fast, and that draved the dusky men beyond the borders of Silverdale, so that they fell upon Rosdale. When asked how many of the kindreds might yet be abiding in Silverdale, their faces clouded and they seemed exceeding wroth, and answered that they would willingly hope that most of those that had not been slain at the time of the overthrow were now dead, yet indeed they feared there were, yet some alive, and may happen, not a few women. By then must they get on foot again, and so the talk fell between them, but when they may stay for the night, after they had done their meat, face of God prayed Dalek to bring him some of the latest come folk from Silverdale, and he brought to him the man and the woman who had been in the dale within that moon. As to the man, if those of the earlfolk had been few spoken from fierceness and wildness, he was no less so from mere dullness and weariness of misery. But the woman's tongue went glibly enough, and it seemed to pleasure her to talk about her past miseries. As aforesaid, she was better clad than most of those of Rosdale, and indeed might be called gaily clad, and where her raiment was befouled or ent, it was from the roughness of the wood and its weather, and not from the thralldom. She was a young and fair woman, black-haired and grey-eyed. She had washed herself that day in a woodland stream which they had crossed on the road, and had arrayed her garments as trimly as she might, and had plucked some fumatory, wherewith she had made a garland for her head. She sat down on the grass in front of face of God, while the man her mate stood leaning against a tree, and looked on her greedily. The burgdale carls drew near to her to harken her story, and looked kindly on the twain. She smiled on them, but especially on face of God, and said, Thou hast sent for me, Lord, and I what well thou wouldst hear my tale shortly, for it would belong to tell if I were to tell it fully, and bring into it all that I have endured, which has been bitter enough, for all that ye see me smooth of skin and well liking of body. I have been the bed thrall of one of the chieftains of the dusky men, at whose house many of their great men would assemble, so that ye may ask me what so ye will, as I have heard much talk and may call it to mind. Now, if ye ask me whether I have fled because of the shame that I, a free woman, come a free folk, should be a mere thrall in the bed of the foes of my kin, and with no price paid for me, I must say it is not so. This is overlong of we of the Dalebin thralls to be ashamed of such a matter, and again if ye deem that I have fled because I have been burdened with grievous toil and been driven there too by the whip, ye may look on my hands and my body, and ye will see that I have toiled little therewith. Nor again did I flee because I could not endure a few stripes now and again, for such usage to thralls look for, even when they are delicately kept for the sake of the fairness of their bodies, and this they may well endure. Ye also, and the mere fear of death by torment now and again. But before me lay death both assured and horrible, so I took my own counsel and told none for fear of Bireil, save him who guarded me, and that was this man who fled not from fear but from love of me, and to him I have given all the time I give. So we got out of the house and down the Dale by night and cloud, and hid for one whole day in the Dale itself where I trembled and feared, so that I deemed I should die of fear. But this man was well pleased with my company and with the lack of toil and beating even for the day, and in the night again we fled and reached the wild wood before dawn, and well I fell into the hands of those who were hunting us, and had outgun us the day before as we lay hid. Well, what is to say? This or is not, else we had not been here, but scattered piecemeal over the land. This carl knew the passes of the wood because he had followed his master therein, who was a great hunter in the wastes, contrary to the want of these men, and he had lain a night on the burg yonder. Therefore he brought me thither because he knew that thereabouts was plenty of prey easy to take, and he had a bow with him, and there we fell in with others of our folk who had fled before, and with Dalek, who he now told us what was hard to believe, that there was a fair young man, like one of the gods, leading a band of goodly warriors, and seeking for us to bring us into a peaceful and happy land, and this man would not have gone with him, because he feared that he might fall into the throldom of other folk who would take me away from him. But for me I said I would go in any case, for I was weary of the wood and its roughness and toil, and that if I had a new master he would scarcely be worse than my old one was at his best, and him I could endure. So I went and glad and glad I am, whatever you will do with me, and now will I answer what so you may ask of me. She laid her limbs together daintily, and looked fondly on face of God, and the carl scowled at her somewhat at first, but presently as he watched her his face smoothed itself out of its wrinkles. But face of God pondered a little while, and then asked the woman if she had heard any words to remember of late days concerning the affairs of the dusky men, and their intent, and he said, I pray thee, sister, be truthful in thine answer, for somewhat life on it. She said, How could I speak o'er but the sooth to thee, O lovely Lord? The last word spoken hereof I mind me well, for my master had been mishandling me, and I was sullen to him after the smart, and he mocked and jeered me and said, Dear women, dear we cannot do without you, but hear fools and know nothing. We are going to conquer a new land where the women are plenty, and far fairer than ye be, and we shall leave you to fairer field like the other thralls, or work in the digging of silver, and be like ye watch what that meaneth. Also he said that they would leave us to the new tribe of their folk, far wilder than they, whom they look for in the dale in about a month's wearing, so that they needs must seek to other lands. Also this same talk would we hear whenever it pleased any of them to mock us, their bed-thralls. Thou, my sweet Lord, this is not but the very sooth. Again speak, face of God after a while. Tell me, sister, hast thou heard of any of the dusky men being slain in the wood? Ye, she said, and turned pale therewith, and caught her breath as one choking, but said in a little while, this alone was it's hard for me to tell thee amongst all the griefs I have borne, whereof I might have told thee many tales and will do one day if I will suffer it. But fear makes this hard for me. For in very sooth this was the cause of my fleeing, that my master was brought in slain by an arrow in the wood, that he was to be born to bale and burned in three days wearing, and we three bed-thralls of his, and three of the best of the men-thralls, were to be be burned quick on his bale fire after sore torments. Therefore I fled and hid a knife in my bosom as I might not be taken alive, but sweet was life to me, and be like I should not have smitten myself, and she wept sore for pity of herself before them all. But face of God said, knowest thou, sister, by whom the man was slain? Day, she said, still sobbing, but I heard not thereof, nor had I noted it in my terror, the death of others who were slain before him, and the loss of many. We knew not how, made them more bitterly cruel with us, and again she was weeping. But face of God said kindly to her, Weep no more, sister, for now shall all thy troubles be over. I feel in my hearts that we shall overcome these felons and make an end of them, and there then is Burgdale for thee in its lengthened breadth, or thine own dale to dwell in freely. Day, she said, never will I go about thither, and she turned round to him and kissed his feet, and then arose and turned a little toward her mate, and the car caught her by the hand and led her away, and seemed glad to do so. So once again they fell asleep in the woods, and again the next morning fared on their way early that they might come into Burgdale before nightfall. When they stayed a while at Noontide and ate, face of God again had to talk with the run aways, and this time with those of Rosdale, and he heard much the same story from them that he had heard before, told in diverse ways, till his heart was sick with the hearing of it. On this last day, face of God led his men well a thwart to the wood, so that he hit Wildlake's way without coming to Carlstead, and he came down into the dale some four hours afternoon on a bright day of latter march. At the ingates of the dale he found watches set, the men were off told him that the tidings were not right great. All face's company had fallen in with a band of the felons, three score in number in the oakwood knight and bores bait, and a slain summon chased the rest, since they found it hard to follow them home as they ran for the tangled thicket. The Burgdalers had two been slain and five hurt in this battle. As for Redco's company, they had fallen in with no foreman. End of Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Of the Roots of the Mountains by William Morris This Librivox recording is in the public domain. They bring the runaways to Burgstead. So now being out of the wood, they went peaceably and safely along the port way, the runaways mingling with the dalesmen. Strange showed amidst the health and wealth of the dale the rags and misery and nakedness of the thralls, like a dream amidst the trim gaiety of spring, and whom so ever they met, or came up with on the road, what so his business might be, could not refrain himself from following them, but mingled with the men at arms and asked them of the tidings. And when they heard who these poor people were, even delivered thralls of the foemen, they were glad at heart and cried out for joy, and many of the women, nay, of the men also, when they first came across that misery from out of the heart of their own pleasant life, wept for pity and love of the poor folk, now at last set free, and blessed the swords that should do the like by the whole people. They went slowly as men began to gather about them. Ye, some of the good folk that lived hard by, must need fair home to their houses, to fetch cakes and wine for the guests, and they made them sit down and rest on the green grass by the side of the port way, and eat and drink to cheer their hearts. Others, women and young swans, while they rested, went down into the meadows and plucked of the spring flowers, and twined them hastily with deft and well-want fingers into chaplets and garlands for their heads and bodies. Thus indeed they covered their nakedness till the lowering faces and weather-beaten skins of those hardly untreated thralls, looked grimly out from amidst the knots of cowslip and oxlip, and the branches of the milk-white, black-thorn bloom, and the long trumpets of the daffodils, of the hue that wrappeth round the quill which the webster takes in hand, when she would pleasure her soul with the sight of the yellow growing upon the dark green web. So they went on again, as the evening was waning, and when they were gotten within a furlong of the gates, lo! there was come the minstrelsy, the pipe and the taber, the fiddle and the harp, and the folk that had learned to sing the sweetest, both men and women, and reedsmen at the head of them all. Then fell the throng into an ordered company. First went the music, and then a score of face of God's warriors, with drawn swords and uplifted spears, and then the flower-bedecked misery of the runaways, men and women going together, gaunt, befouled, and hollow-eyed, with here and there a flushed cheek or gleaming eye, or taby-dewed face, as the joy and triumph of the eave pierced through their wanted weariness of grief. Then the rest of the warriors, and lastly, the mingled crowd of dalesfolk, tall men and fair women gaily arrayed, clean-faced, clear-skinned, and sleek-haired, with glancing eyes and ruddy lips. And now Riedemann turned about to the music, and drew his bow across his fiddle, and the other bows ran out in concert, and the harps followed the story of them, and he lifted up his voice and sang the words of an old song, and all the singers joined him and blended their voices with his, and these are some of the words which they sang. Lo, here is spring, and all we are living, we that were one with winter's fear. Reach out your hands to her hands to her giving, lest ye lose her love and the light of the year. Many a morn did we wait to sorrow, when low on the land the cloud roughed lay. Many a neave we feared tomorrow, the unbegunned and finished day. Ah, we, we hope not, and thou worked hardy, nor at thou helping, nor at we prayed. Where was the eager heart, the hardy? Where was the sweet voiced unafraid? But now thou leadest, where is gone the grief of our minds? What was the word of the tale that thou heedest, in as the breath of the bygone winds? Green and green is thy garment growing, over thy blossoming limbs beneath. Up o'er our feet rise the blades of thy sowing, pierced o'er hearts with thine odorous breath. But where art thou wending, thou newcomer, hurrying on to the courts of the sun? Where art thou now in the house of the summer, told that thy days and thy deed is done? Spring has been here for us that are living, after the days of winter's fear. Here in our hands is the wealth of her giving, the love of the earth and the light of the year. Thus came they to the gates and low, the bride thereby, leaning against a buttress, gazing with no dull eyes at the coming throng. She was now clad in her bitter-light flame-coloured gown over a green curtain, but she yet bore a gilded helm on her head, and a sword girt to her side in token of her oath to the god. She had been in Hallface's company in that last battle, and had done a man's service there, fighting very valiantly, but had not been hurt, and had come back to Bergsted when the shift of men was. Now she drew herself up and stood a little way before the gong, and when her eyes beheld the runaways, a midst of the weapened carls of Bergdale, her face flushed, and her eyes filled with tears, as she stood, partly wondering, partly deeming what they were. She waited till Stoneface came by her, and then she took the old man by the sleeve, and drew him apart a little, and said to him, What mean of this show, my friend, who with clad these men, so face-looking, but somewhat noble of aspect? For indeed those three men of the kindreds, when they had gotten into the dale, and had rested them, and drunk a cup of wine, and when they had seen the chaplets and wreaths of the spring flowers, where with they were bedecked, and had smelt the sweet savor of them, fell to walking proudly, heeding not their nakedness, for no rag had they upon them save breech clouts of dearskin. They had changed their backs, and one had gotten a great ax, which he bore over his shoulder, and the shaft thereof was all done about with copper, and another had shouldered a long, heavy thrusting spear, and the third, an exceeding tall man, bore a long, broad bladed war-sword. Thus they went, brown of skin, beneath their flower garlands, their long hair bleached by the sun, falling about their women at the later cum thralls. But when they heard the music, and saw that they were coming to the gate in triumph, strange thoughts of old memories swelled up in their hearts, and they refrained them not from weeping, for they felt that the joy of life had come back to them. Nor must it be deemed that these were the only ones amongst the runaways, whose hearts were cheered and softened. Already were many of them coming back to life, as dressed by the clear soft air of Burgdale, and the sweetness of the flowers that hung about them, and saw all round about the kind and happy faces of their well-willers. So Stoneface looked on the bride, as she stood with face, yet tear-bedewed, awaiting his answer, and said, Daughter, thou sayest, who clad these folks thus? It was misery that hath so dyed them, and there of the images of what we thought were better than fair death, and so fall into the hands of the felons, they were the masters of these men. As for the tall-naked men, there of our own blood and kinsmen to face of God's new friends, and there of the best of the vanquished. It was in early days that they fled from Thraldom, as we may have to do. Now, Daughter, I bid thee be as joyous as the art valiant, and she stood a little while, as the throng moved on, and was swallowed by the gate, and looked after them, and for all her pity for the other folk, she thought chiefly of those feel as tall men, who were of the blood of those with whom it was lawful to wed. There she stood as the wind dried the tears upon her cheeks, thinking of the sorrow which these folk had endured, and their stripes and mocking, poked on her own fair and shapely hands, with the precious finger-rings thereon, and on the dainty cloth and trim broidery of her sleeve, and she touched her smooth cheek, with the back of her hand, and smiled, and felt the spring sweet in her mouth, and its savor goodly in her nostrils, and therewith she called to mind the aspects of her lovely body, as while she had seen it imaged, all its full measure in the shining steel of the westland mirror. She thought also with what joy she drew the breath of life, yea, even amidst of grief, and of how sweet and pure and well nurtured she was, and of how well beloved of many friends and the whole folk, and she set all this beside those woeful bodies and lowering faces, and felt shame as misery rose up before her the images of those tall fierce men, and it seemed to her as if she had seen something light to them in some dream, or imagination of her mind. So came the burgdailers and their guests into the streets of Burgstead, amidst music and singing, and the throng was great there. Then face of God bade make a ring about the strangers, and they did so, and he and the runaways alone spoke in a loud voice and said, men of the Dale and Burg, these folk whom here you see in such a sorry plight, are they whom our deadly foes have rejoiced to torment, let us therefore rejoice to cherish them. Now, let those men come forth who deem that they have enough and more, so that they may each take into their houses some two or three of these friends, such as would be feigned to be together. And says I am war leader whom I will lead into the house of the face and lo you will I have this man and he laid his hand on Dalek, who is he whom I first came across and who found us all these others. And next I will have yonder tall carls, the three of them, because I perceive them to be men meet to be with a war leader and to follow him in battle. Therewith he drew the three men of the wolf towards the face of God. But the bride came forward next and spake to him meekly and simply war leader let me have the women those who need me most that I may bring them to the house of the steer and try if there be not some good days yet to be found for them wherein they shall but remember the past grief as an ugly dream. Then face of God looked on her and him seemed he had never seen her so fair and all the shame wherewith was gone from him and his heart ran over with friendly love towards her as she looked into his face with kindly eyes and he said kinswoman take thy choice as thy kindness bideth and happy shall they be whom thou chooseest. She bowed her head soberly and chose from among the guests four women of the saddest and most grievous and no men of their kindred spake for going along with them. Then she went by the hand and strange was it to see those twain going through sun and shade together that poor rich along with the goodliest of women. Then came forward one after other of the worthy good men of the dale and especially such as were old and they led away one one man and another two and another three and often would a man crave to go with a woman or a woman with a man and it was not supportioned and ill content were those good men that had to depart without a guest and one man would say to another such and one be not downcast this guest shall be between us if he will and shall dwell with the and me month about but this first month with me since I was first comer and so forth it was said now to prevent the time to come it may be said about the runaways that when they had been well fed and well clad and kindly cherished it was marvellous how they were bettered in aspect of body and it began to be seen of them that they were well favoured people and diverse of the women exceeding goodly black haired and grey eyed and very clear skinned and white skinned most of them were young and the oldest had not seen above 40 winters they have rosedale and especially such as they were seen to be merry and kindly folk but they who had been longest in captivity and notably those from Silverdale who were not of the kindreds were for a long time sullen and heavy and it availed little to trust them for the doing of work albeit they would follow about their friends of Burgdale with the love of a dog also they were diverse of them somewhat thievish and if they lacked anything would leave for sooth the Burgdale men took not a miss but deemed of it as a jest rather very few of the runaways had any will to fare back to their old homes or indeed could be got to go into the wood or after a day or two to say any word of rosedale or Silverdale in this and other matters the Burgdale has dealt with them as with children who must have their way for they deemed that their guests had much time to make up also they were well content when they saw how goodly they were for these dalesmen loved to see men goodly of body and of a cheerful countenance as for Dalak and the three Silverdale men of the kindred they went gladly whereas the Burgdale man would have them and half a score others took weapons in their hands when the war was fought concerning which more hereafter but on the even whereof the tale now tells face of God and stone face the company met after nightfall in the hall of the face clad in glorious raiment and their with were Dalak and the men of Silverdale washing and docked of their long hair after the fashion of warriors who bear the helm and they were clad in gay attire with battle swords gore to their sides and gold rings on their arms somewhat stern and sad-eyed were those Silverdale as yet though they looped on those about them kindly and courteously when they met their eyes and face of God yearned towards them when he called to mind the beauty and wisdom and loving kindness of the sunbeam they were as aforesaid strong men and tall and one of them taller than any amidst that house of tall men their names were Wolfstone Tallest and Godswain and Spearfist and Godswain the youngest was of 30 winters and Wolfstone of 40 they came into the hall in such wise that when they were washed and attired and all men were assembled in the hall and the older man and the chieftain sitting on the dais face of God brought them in from the out-bower holding Dalek by the right hand and Wolfstone by the left and he looped but a stripling beside that huge man and when the men in the hall beheld such goodly warriors and remembered their grief late past they all stood up and shouted for joy of them face of God passed up the hall with them and stood before the dais and said oh older man of the Dale and chief of the house of the face here I bring to you the foes of our foemen whom I have met in the wildwood and bidden to our house and me seem if they will be our friends and stand beside us in the day of battle therefore I say take these guests and me together faces as thou deemest meet then stood up the older man and said men of silver Dale and rose Dale I bid you welcome be ye our friends and abide here with us as long as seemeth good to you and share in all that is ours son face of God show these warriors to seats on the dais beside thee and cherish them as well as thou knowest how then face of God brought them up onto the dais and sat down on the right hand of his father with Dalek on his right hand and then wolf stone out from him then sat stone face that there might be a man of the day to talk with them and serve them and on his right hand first spear fist then God swain and when they were all sat down and the meat was on the board iron face turned to his son face of God and took his hand and said son face of God son go main thou bearest with thee both ill look and good ere while when thou wonderest out into the wild wood seeking thou newest not what from out of the land of dreams thou dis but bring her back to us grief and shame but now that thou hast gone forth with the neighbors seeking thy foreman thou hast come her back to us with thine hands full of like all the a lucky man herewith kinsmen I drink to thee and the lasting of thy look therewith he stood up and drank the health of the war leader and the guests and all men were exceeding joyous thereat when they called to mind his wrath at the gate thing and they shouted for gladness as they drank that health and the feast became exceeding Mary in the house of the face and as to the war to come over and done in all triumph End of Chapter 29 Chapter 30 of The Roots of the Mountains by William Morris this Libyvox recording is in the public domain Hall face Goeth toward Rosedale On the morrow face of God took counsel with Hall face and Stone face as to what were best to be done and they sat on the dais in the hall to talk it over Short was the time that had worn since that day in shadowy veil for it was but eight days since then yet so many things had be fallen in that time and to speak shortly the outlook for the burgdailers had changed so much that the time seemed long to all the three and especially to face of God it was yet 20 days till the great folkmoat should be holding and to Hall face the time seemed long enough to do somewhat and he deemed it to a good to gather force and fall upon Rosedale since now they had gotten men who could lead them the niest way and by the safest passes and who knew all the ways of the foemen but to Stone face this reeds seem not so good for they would have to go and come back and fight and conquer in less time than 20 days or be belated of the folkmoat and meanwhile much might happen Thor said Stone face we may deem the fighting so we fall on them even if it be unawares at first they shall fight stubbornly so that we may not send against them many less than they be and that shall strip Bergdale of its fighting men so that whatever befalls we that be left shall have to bide at home now was face of God of the same mind as Stone face and he said more over when we go to Rosedale we must abide there a while unless we be overthrown for if you conquer it once presently shall the tidings come to the ears of the dusky men in Silverdale and they shall join themselves to those of Rosedale who have fled before you and between them they shall destroy the unhappy people therein for you cannot take them all away with you and that shall they do all the more now when they look to have new thralls in Bergdale both men and women and this we may not suffer but must abide until they have learned how to defend their dale now my read is that we send out the war arrow at once up and down the dale and to the shepherds and woodlanders and appoint a day for the muster and weapon show of all our folk and that day to be the day before the spring market that is to say four days before the great folk moat and that meantime we keep sure watch about the bands yes said hall face and I pray the brother let me have a hundred of men and thy dale and let us go somewhat deep into the wood towards rose dale and see what we may come across for adventure it might be something better than heart or wild swine said face of god I see no harm therein if dale for I have it in my mind to send a company dither to give those rose dale manquelers somewhat to do at home when we fall upon silver dale therefore go find dalech and get thy men together at once for the sooner thou art gone on thy way the better but this I bid thee go no further than three days out dalech and found him at the gate iron face had given him a new sword a good one and had bidden him call it thick it clearer and he would not leave it any moment of the day or night but would lay it under his pillow at night as a child does with a new toy and now he was leaning against a buttress and drawing the said sword half out of the bodies of the weltering water so whole face greeted him and smiled and said guest if thou wilt thou mayst take that new blade of my father's work which thou love us so a journey which shall rejoice it ye said dalech I suppose thou would as fair on thy brother's footsteps and deem us that I and the man to lead thee on the road and even farther than he went though it might be thought for a while yet will I go with thee for now I am a man again body and soul and therewith he drew thicket clearer right out of his sheath and waved him in the air and whole face was glad of him and said he was well a paid of his hell so they went away together to gather men and on the morrow whole face departed and went into the wild wood with dalech and 102 score men but as dale following the war arrow and went into all houses and talked with the folk both young and old men and women and told them closely all that had be tidd and all that was like to be tied and he was well pleased with that which he saw and heard but all took his words well and were not afraid or dismayed by the tidings and he saw that they would not hang a back meantime and he brought with him 12 more runaways of whom 5 were women but he had lost 4 men and had with him dalech and 5 others of the dalesmen born upon litters saw hurt and this was his story they got to the berg of the runaways on the forenoon of the third day and thereby came on 5 cows of the runaways men who had missed meeting dalech that other day but knew them with him and he had told the others so now they were hanging about the berg of the runaways hoping somewhat that he might come again and they met the berg dale as full of joy and brought them trouts that they had caught in the river as for the other runaways namely 5 women and 2 more cows they had gotten them close to the entrance into silverdale where by night and cloud they came upon the runaways whom they had caught that they might slay them most evil in rose dead so hall face fell on the dusky men and delivered their captives but slew not all the foe and they that fled brought pursuers on them who came up with them the next day so near was rose dale though they made all diligence homeward the berg dale as must knees turn and fight with those pursuers and at last they draved them they let not the grass grow beneath their feet thereafter till they were assured by meeting a band of the woodlanders who had gone forth to help them and with whom they rested a little but neither so were they quite done with the foemen who came upon them next day are very many these however they and the woodlanders who were all fresh and unwounded and very valiant speedily put to the worse and so they came with them who were the saurist hurt to be tended by the woodlanders at Carlstead who as it might be looked for dealt with them very lovingly it was in the first fight that they suffered that loss of slain and wounded and therein the newly delivered thralls fought valiantly against their masters as for Dalek it was no marvel said whole face that he pointed edge as if he might but slay the foemen such was Hall face's tail and face of God deemed that he had done unwisely to let him go that journey for the slaying of a few dusky men was but a light gain to set against the loss of so many burgdailers yet he was glad of the deliverance of those runaways and deemed it again indeed but henceforth would he hold all still till he should have tidings of folk might that was done thereafter save the warding of the dail from the country of the shepherds to the waist above the eastern passes but face of God himself went up amongst the shepherds and abode with a good man hight hound under Greenbury who gathered to him the folk from the countryside and they went up onto Greenbury and sat in the green grass while he spoke with them and told them indeed he deemed that there would be no blenching in them for they were all in one tale to live and die with their friends of burgdail and they said that they would have no other words save that to bear to the great folk moats so he went away well pleased and he fared on thence to the woodlanders and guested there there he laid the whole matter before them and if the dalesman had been merry and ready and the shepherds stout-hearted and friendly yet were the woodlanders more eager still so that every hour seemed long to them till they stood in their war gear and they told him that now at last was the hour drawing nigh to be mended that their meat and drink and sleeping and waking and all that they did were now become to them but the means of living till the day was come whereon the two remnants of the children of the wolf should meet and become one folk to live or die together then went face of God back to Burgstead again and as been done and all that had been promised the earth was clearing of her trouble and that now there was not betwixt him and the happy days of life which the dale should give to the dwellers therein save the gathering hosts of the battlefield and the day when the last word should be spoken and the first stroke smitten so he went down onto the valley and the other wounded men began to grow whole again and all men sat at home or went on the woodland ward expecting great tidings after the holding of the folk moat end of chapter 30 chapter 31 of the roots of the mountains by William Morris this Librivox recording is in the public domain of the weapon show of the men of the weapon show came the folk flock meal to the great and white meadow that was cleft by wild leg as it ran to join the weltering water early in the morning even before sunrise had the wanes full of women and children begun to come live also there came little horses and asses from the shepherd country with one or two or three strode the men of the house merry and fair in their war gear the woodlanders moreover man and woman elder and swain and young damsel streamed out of the wood from Carlstead eager to make the day begin before the sunrise and end before his setting then all men fell to pitching of tents and tilting over of wanes spring flowers for the tents and the tilts were stained and broided with many colors and there was none who had not furbished up his war gear so that all shone and glittered and many war gay surcoats over their armor and the women were clad in all their bravery and the houses mostly of a suit for bright hues but the women of the shepherds were all clad in white embroidered with green bows and red blossoms and the woodland women wore dark red turtles moreover the women had set garlands of flowers on their heads and the helms of the men and for the most part they were slim of body and tall and light but the summits brought their guests even now much bettered by their new soft days and much the poor folk marveled at all this joyance and they scarce knew where they were but the summits brought back to their minds days of joyance before the thrall them and all that they had lost so that they could carry it up there was a great throng on the port way and this was the folk of the burg on their way to the weapon mead the men at arms were in the midst of the throng and at the head of them was the war leader with the banner of the face before him wherein was done the image of the god with the ray-ringed head was the banner of the steer a white beast on a green field so when the dale wardens who were down in the meadow heard the music and beheld who were coming they bade the companies of the dale and the shepherds and the woodlanders who were down there to pitch their banners in a half circle about the ingle of the meadow which was half-hundreds and hundreds and even so they did but the banners of the dale without the burg with the bridge and the bull and the vine and the sickle and the shepherds had three banners to it green beret and the fleece and the thorn as for the woodlanders they said that they were abiding their great banner but it should come in good time and in mean time said they here are the most poor men the remnant of the valiant of time past therewith they showed two great spears and a thwart the wand was tied an arrow its point dipped in blood its feathers singed with fire and they said this is the banner of the warshaft on the other spear there was nought but the head thereof was great and long and they had gone far and they said this is the banner of the spear down yonder where the ravens are gathering you shall see a banner flying over us there shall fall many a mother's son smiled the dale wardens and said that these were good banners to fight under and those that stood nearby shouted for the valiancy of the woodland carls now the dale wardens went one on either side of the warleader to show him to his seat and the others abode till the alderman and the burg wardens came up and then joined themselves to them and the horns blew up both in the meadow and on the road and the newcomers went their ways to their appointed places amidst the shouts of the dalesmen and the women and children and old men from the burg followed after till all the mead was covered with bright raiment in the ring of men at the further end so came the warleader to his seat of green turf raised in the ingle of four sed and he stood beside it till the alderman and wardens had taken their places on a seat behind him raised higher than his below him on the step of his seat sat the scrivener with his pen and all glittering in their arms and amongst them were wolfstone and his two fellows but Dalek was not yet whole of his hurts on his right were the folk of the house of the steer the leader of that house was an old white-bearded man grandfather of the bride for her father was dead and who but the bride herself stood beside him in her glorious war gear looking as if she were new come from the city were closely deemed that she looked heavy-eyed and haggard as if she were a weary nevertheless where so ever she passed and whosoever looked on her and all men looked on her there arose a murmur of praise and love and the women and especially the young ones said how fair her deed was and how meat she was for it and some of them were for doing on war gear and fairing well seen afterwards and some spake lightly some also fell to boasting of how they could run and climb and swim and shoot in the bow and fell to bearing of their arms to show how strong they were and indeed there were no weaklings although their arms were fair then they stood the ring of men each company under its banner and beyond them stood the women and children and men and meat for battle now face of God sat him down on the turf seat with his bright helm on his head and his naked sword across his knees while the horns blew up loudly and when they had done the elder of the Dale Wardens cried out for silence then again arose face of God and said men of the Dale and ye friends of the shepherds and ye Ovaliance woodlanders we are not assembled here to take counsel for in three days we hold them where at shall be counsel enough but since I have been appointed your chief and war leader till such time as the folk moat shall either ye say or nay say my leadership I have sent for you that we may look each other in the face and number our host and behold our weapons and see if we be meat for battle and for the dealing with a great host of foemen for now no longer as many have learned to their cost for some have been slain and some sorely hurt therefore I bid you now or ye that our weapon wend past us that the tale of you may be taken but first let every hundred leader and half hundred leader and score leader make sure that he hath his tailor right and give his word to the captain of his banner that he in turn may give so he spake and sat him down and the horns blew again in token that the companies should go past and the first that came was hall ward of the house of the steer and the first of those that went after him was the bride going as if she were his son so he cried out his name and the name of his house and said and hundred and a half and past fourth his men following him in most goodly array long heavy spear over his shoulder save a score who bare bows and no man lack to helm a shield and a coat of fence then came a goodly man of thirty winters and stayed before the scrivener and cried out right down the house of the bridge of the upper dale at one hundred and wore well their leader and he strode on and his men followed clad and wept like those of the steer save that most were casting spears instead of the long spears and half a score were bow men then came fox of upton leading the men of the bull of mid dale and hundred and a half lacking too very great and tall were his men and they also bore long spears and one score and two were bow men then fork beard of lee a man well on in years led on to the men of the vine the score of them bare bow in hand and were good with sword the rest bore their swords naked in their right hands and their shields which were but small bucklers hanging at their backs and in the left hand each bore two casting spears with these went two dowty women at arms among the bow men tall and well knit already growing brown with the spring sun for their work next game at all young man yellow haired with a thin red beard and gave himself out for red beard of the knolls he bore his father's name as the custom of their house was but the old man who had long been head man of the house of the sickle was late dead in his bed the young man had not seen twenty winters he bade the scrivener write the tale of the men of the sickle being one half of them bow men and fell shooters they were the other half were gert with swords and bore with all long ashen staves armed with great blades curved inwards which weapon they called heft sacks all these bands as the name and the tale of them was declared were greeted with loud shouts from their fellows and the bystanders but now arose a greater bodily glittering array came forth and said I'm stormface the house of the face and I bring with me two hundreds of men with their best war gear and weapons write it down scrivener he strode on like a young man after those who had gone past and after him came the tall hall face and his men a gallant sight to see two score bow men gert with swords and the others with naked swords in his left hand then came a man of middle age broad-shouldered yellow-haired blue-eyed of wide and ruddy countenance and after him a goodly company and again great was the shouts that went up to the heavens for he said scrivener write down the town under Greenbury from amongst the dwellers in the hills where the sheep feed lead of the men who go under the banner of Greenbury to the city passed on and his men followed stout, stark and merry-faced gert with swords and bearing over their shoulders long-staved axes and spears not so long as those which the dalesmen bore and they had but a half-score of arrow-shot with them next came a young man blue-eyed also with hair the colour of flax on the disc staff broad-faced and sharp-nosed beautiful voice I am strong if arm of the shepherds and these valiant men are at the fleece and the thorn blended together for so they would have it and their tail is 102-score and 10 then the men of the kindreds went past merry and shouting and they were clad and weaponed like to them of Greenbury but had now again up rose the cry and there stood before the war-leader a very tall man of 50 winters dark-faced and grey-eyed and he spake slowly and somewhat softly and said war-leader this is red-wolf of the woodlanders leading the men who go under the side of the warshaft to the number of 102 then he passed on to the men who were keen hunters each had at his girdle a little axe and a wood knife and some had long swords with all they wore every one of the carls short green sir-coats over their coats of fence but amongst them were three women who bore like weapons long of 25 winters and spake Scrivener I am Bearsbane of the woodlanders and these that come after me went under the side of the spear and there of the tail of 107 and he passed by at once and his men followed him clad and weapon no otherwise than they of the warshaft and with and who were the best arrayed of the houses and of the men some spake of past weapon shows which they had seen in their youth and they set them beside this one and praised and blamed so it went on a little while till the horns blew again and once more there was silence then a rose face of God and said men of Scrivener arise and give forth the tail of the companies as they have been told on to you then the Scrivener stood up on the turf bench beside face of God and spake in a loud voice reading from his scroll of the men of Bergdale there have passed by me 906 of the shepherds 308 and 10 of the woodlanders 209 so that 1033 now in those days men reckoned by long hundreds so that the whole tail of the host was 1504 score and one telling the tail in short hundreds when the tail had been given forth and heard men shouted again and they rejoiced that they were so many for it exceeded the reckoning which the alderman had given out at the gate thing and they mingled our weapon show but now hold you ready each man for the hosting to order very battle for be like within seven days shall the leaders of 120s summon you to be ready in arms to take what so fortune may be fall now is sundered the weapon show be as merry today as your hearts bid you to be the victors and merry was their converse there it yet lacked an hour of noon so presently they fell too and feasted in the green meadow drinking from wane to wane from tent to tent thereafter they played and sported in the meats shooting at the butts and wrestling and trying other master is they felt a dancing one and all and so at last to supple on the green grass in great merriment nor might you from the demeanour of any, that any threat of evil overhung the dale. Nay, so glad were they, and so friendly, that you might rather have deemed that this was the land whereof tales tell, wherein people die not, but live for ever, without growing any older than when they first come thither, unless they be born into the land itself, and then they grow into fair manhood, and so abide. In Sooth both the land and the folk were fair enough to be that land and the folk thereof. But a little after sunset they sundered, and some fared home, but many of them abode in the tents and tilted wanes, because the morrow was the first day of the spring market, and already were some of the Westland Chapman come. Nay, two of them were with the bystanders in the meadow, and a moor were looked for ere the night was far spent. End of Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Of the Roots of the Mountains by William Morris. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The men of shadowy Vale come to the spring market at Burgstead. On the morrow be times in the morning the Westland Chapman, who are now all come, went out from the house of the face, where they were ever want to be lodged, and set up their booths adound the street betwixt gate and bridge. Nay was the show, for the booths were tilted over with painted cloths, and the merches themselves were clad in long gowns of fine cloth, scarlet and blue, and white and green and black, with broided welts of gold and silver. And their knaves were gailier-tired in short coats of diverse hues, with silver rings about their arms, and short swords gored to their sides. People began to gather about these Chapman at once when they felt at opening their bales and their packs, and unloading their wanes. There had they iron, both in pigs and forged scrap and nails. Steel they had, and silver, both in ingots and vessel, pearls from overseas, cinnabar and other colours for staining, such as were not in the mountains, madder from the marches, and purple of the sea, and scarlet grain from the home oaks by its edge, and woad from the deep clay fields of the plain, silk and thread also from the outer ocean, and rare webs of silk and jars of olive oil, and fine pottery and scented woods and sugar of the cane. But gold they had none with them, for that they took there, and for weapons save a few silver gilt toys, they had no markets. So presently they fell to chaffa, for the carls brought them little bags of the river-borne gold, so that the weights and scales were at work. Others had with them scrolls and tallies to tell the number of the beasts which they had to sell, and the Chapman gave them wares, therefore, without beholding the beasts, for they wotted that the Dalesman lied not in chaffa. While the day was yet young, with all came the Dalesman from the mid- and nether-dale with their wares, and set up their booths, and they had with them flasks and kegs of the wine which they had to sell, and bales of the good winter-woven cloth, some gray, some dyed, and pieces of fine linen, and blades of swords and knives, and axes of such fashion as the Westland men used, and golden cups and chains, and fair rings set with mountain-blue stones, and copper-balls and vessels, gilt and parcel-gilt, and mountain-blue for staining. There were men of the shepherds also, with such fleeces as they could spare from the daily chaffa with the neighbours, and of the woodlanders were four carls and a woman with peltries and dressed deerskins, and a few pieces of well-carven woodwork, for bedsteads and chairs and such-like. Soon was the burg thronged with folk in all its open places, and all were eager and merry, and it could not have been told from their demeanour and countenance that the shadow of a grievous trouble hung over them. True it was that every man of the dale and the neighbours was girt with his sword, or bore spear or axe or other weapon in his hand, and the most had their bucklers at their backs and their helms on their heads, but this was ever their custom at all meetings of men, not because they dreaded war or were feign of strife, but in token that they were free men from whom none should take the weapons without battle. Such were the folk of the land. As for the Chapmen, they were well-spoken and courteous and blithe with the folk, as they well might be, for they had good penny-worths of them. Yet they dealt with them without using meagallous lying as behoved folk dealing with simple and proud people. And many was the tale they told of the tidings of the cities and the plain. There amongst the throng was the bride in her maiden's attire, but girt with the sword, going from booth to booth with her guests of the runaways, and doing those poor people what pleasure she might, and giving them gifts from the goods there, such as they set their hearts on. And the more part of the runaways were about among the people of the fair, but Dallach, being still weak, sat on a bench by the door of the house of the face, looking on well-pleased at all the stir of folk. All-face was God on the woodland ward, while face of God went among the folk in his most glorious attire. But he soon betook him to the place of meeting without the gate, where stone-face and some of the elders were sitting along with the alderman, beside whom sat the headman of the merchants, clad in a gown of fine scarlet, embroidered with the best work of the dale, with a golden chaplet on his head, and a good sword, golden-hilted, by his side, all which the alderman had given to him that morning. These chiefs were talking together concerning the tidings of the plain, and many a tale the guests told to the dalesmen, some true, some false. There had been battles down there, and the fall of kings and destruction of people, as oft befalleth in the guileful cities. He told them also, in answer to their story of the dusky men, of how men even such like, but riding on horses or drawn in wanes, and host not to be numbered, had air while overthrown the hosts of the cities of the plain, and had wrought evils scarce to be told of, and how they had piled up the skulls of slaughtered folk into great hills beside the city gates, so that the sun might no longer shine into the streets, and how, because of the death and the rapine, grass had grown in the king's chambers, and the wolves had chased deer in the temples of the gods. I know you, bold-tillers of the soil, valiant scourers of the wildwood, that the worst that can befall you will be to die under shield, and that ye shall suffer no torment of the thrall. May the undying gods bless the threshold of this gate, and oft may I come hither to taste of your kindness. May your race, the uncorrupt, increase and multiply, till your valiant men and clean maidens, make the bitter sweet and purify the earth. He spake smooth tongued and smiling, handling the wild the folds of his fine scarlet gown, and be like he meant a full half of what he said, for he was a man very eloquent of speech, and had spoken with kings, uncowed and pleased with his speaking, and for that cause and his riches he had been made chief of the Chapman. As he spake, the heart of face of God swelled within him, and his cheek flushed, but eye and face sat up straight and proud, and a little smile played about his face, as he said gravely, Friends of the Westland, I thank thee for the blessing and the kind word, such as we are we are, nor do I deem that the very God shall change us, and if they will be our friends it is well, for we desire naught of them save their friendship, and if they will be our foes, that also shall we bear, nor will we curse them for doing that which their lives bid them to do. What saith thou, face of God, my son? Yes, Father, said face of God, I say that the very Gods, though they slay me, cannot un-make my life that has been. If they do deeds, yet shall we also do. The Outlander smiled as they spake, and bowed his head to eye and face, and face of God, and wondered at their pride of heart, marvelling what they would say to the great men of the cities, if they should meet them. But as they sat a-talking, there came two men running to them from the port way, their weapons all clattering upon them, and they heard with all the sound of a horn winded not far off, very loud and clear, and the Chapman's cheek paled, for in sooth he doubted that the war was at hand, after all he had heard of the Dale's men's dealings with the dusky man, and all battle was loathsome to him, not for all the gain of his chaffer had he come into the Dale, had he known that war was looked for. But the chiefs of the Dale's men stirred not, nor changed countenance, as some of the good men who were in the streets, neither gate, came forth to see what was to ward, for they also had heard the voice of the horn. Then one of those messengers came up, breathless, and stood before the chiefs, and said, New tidings, Olderman, here be weapons strange as coming to the Dale! The Olderman smiled on him, and said, Yes, son, and are they a great host of men? Nay, said the man, not above a score as a deep, and there is a woman with them, then shall we abide them here, said the Olderman, and thou mightest have saved thy breath and suffered them to bring tidings of themselves, since they may scarce bring us war, for no man desire a certain and present death, and that is all that such a band may win at our hands in battle to-day, and all who come in peace are welcome to us. What like are they to behold? said the man. They're tall men, gloriously attired, so that they seem like kinsmen of the gods, and they bear flowering boughs in their hands. The Olderman laughed, and said, If they be gods, they are welcome indeed, and they shall grow the wiser for their coming, for they shall learn how guest fey in the burg del men may be, but if, as I deem, they be like unto us, and but the children of the gods, then they are as welcome, and it may be more so, and our greeting to them shall be as their greeting to us would be. Even as he spake, the horn was winded nearer yet, and more loudly, and folk came pouring out of the gate to learn the tidings. Presently the strangers came from off the port way into the space before the gate, and their leader was a tall and goodly man of some thirty winters. In glorious array, helm on head and sword by side, his surcoats green and flowery like the spring meads. In his right hand he held a branch of the blossomed black thorn, for some was yet in blossom, and his left had hold of the hand of an exceeding fair woman who went beside him. Behind him was a score of weaponed men in goodly attire, some bearing bows, some long spears, but each bearing a flowering bow in hand. The tall man stopped in the midst of the space, and the alderman and they with him stirred not, though as for face of God it was to him as if summer had come suddenly into the midst of winter, and for the very sweetness of delight his face grew pale. Then the newcomer drew night to the alderman and said, Hail to the gate and the men of the gate, hail to the kindred of the children of the gods! But the alderman stood up and spake, and hail to thee, tall man, fair greeting to thee and thy company. Will thou name thyself with thine own name, or shall I call thee nought-save guest? Welcome art thou, by whatsoever name you wilt be called. He amest thou and thy folk abide as long as you will. Said the newcomer, thanks have thou for thy greeting and for thy bidding, and that bidding shall we take whatsoever may come of it, for we are minded to abide with thee for a while. But know thou, O alderman of the dalesmen, that I am not sackless toward thee and thine. My name is Folkmite of the children of the wolf, and this woman is the sunbeam, my sister. And these behind me are of my kindred, and are well beloved and trusty. We are no evil men or wrongdoers, yet we have been driven into sore straits, wherein men must needs at wiles do deeds that make their friends few and their foes many. It may be that I am thy foreman, yet if thou doubtest of me, that I shall be a baneful guest, thou shalt have our weapons of us, and there mayst thou do thy will upon us without dread. And here, first of all, is my sword. Therewith he cast down the flowering branch he was bearing, and pulled his sword from out his sheath, and took it by the point, and held out the hill to iron face. But the alderman smiled kindly on him and said, The blade is a good one, and I say to know the craft of sword forging. But I need it not, for thou seest I have a sword by my side. Keep your weapons one and all, for ye have come amongst many, and those no weaklings, and if so be that thy guilt against us is so great that we must needs fall on you, you will need all your war-gear. But hereof is no need to speak till the time of the fork-moat, which will be old and in three days wearing. So let us forbear this matter till then, for I deem we shall have enough to save other matters. Now fork, might, sit down beside me, and thou also some beam, fairest of women. Therewith he looked into her face and reddened, and said, Yet be like, thou hast a word of greeting for my son, face of God, lest he be so that she have not seen him before. Then face of God came forward, and took folk-mights by the hand and kissed him, and he stood before the sun-beam and took her hand, and the world waxed a-wonder to him as he kissed her cheeks, and in no wise did she change countenance, save that her eyes softened, and she gazed at him full kindly from the happiness of her soul. Then face of God said, Welcome, guests, who ere while guested me so well. Now beginneth the day of your well-doing to the men of Burgdale, therefore will we do to you as well as we may. Then folk-mights and the sun-beam sat them down with the chieftains, one on either side of the aldermen. But face of God passed forth to the others, and greeted them one by one. Of them was Woodfather and his three sons, and Bome, and they rejoiced exceedingly to see him, and Bome said, Now it gladdens my heart to look upon thee alive and thriving, and to remember that day last winter when I met thee on the snow, and turned thee back from the perilous path to thy pleasure, which the dusky men would be setting, of whom thou knewest naught. Yea, it was merry that tide, but this is better. Nay, friend, she said, it availeth thee not to strive to look out of the back of thine head, let it be enough to thee that she is there. Though art now become a great chieftain, and she is no less, and this is a meeting of chieftains, and the folk are looking on, and expecting demeanour of them as of the gods, as she is not to be dealt with as if she were the daughter of some little good man, with whom one hath made trist in the meadows. There, arcant o' me for a while, at least till I tell thee that thou seemest to me to all thine head higher than when I last saw thee, though that is no long time either. Hast thou been in battle against since that day? Nay, he said, I have stricken no stroke since I slew two felons within the same hour that we parted. And thou, sister, what hast thou done? She said, the gray goose hath been on the wing thrice since that, bearing on it the bane of evil things. Then said woodwise, Ginswoman, tell me that battle since thou art deaf with thy tongue. She said, weary on battles, it is naught save this. Both days are gone, needs must every fighting man of the wolf, Carle or Queen, went away from shadowy veil, while those unmeets for battle, we hid away in the caves at the nether end of the dale. But some beam would not endure that night, and fared with us, though she handled no weapon. All this we had to do, because we had learned that a great company of the dusky men were overnight o' our dale, and needs must we fall upon them, lest they should learn too much and spread the story. Well, so wise was Fortmite, that we came on them unawares by night in cloud at the edge of the pine wood, and but one of our men was slain, and of them not one escaped. And when the fight was over, we counted four score and ten of their arm rings. He said, did that or ought else come of our meeting with them that morning? Nay, she said, naught came of it. Those we slew were but a strain-band. Nay, the four score and ten slain in the pine wood knew not of shadowy veil be like, and had no intent for it. They were but scouring the wood, seeking their warriors that had gone out from Silverdale, and came not her back. Though art wise in war, Bo-me, said face of God, and he smiled with all. Bo-me reddened, and said, Frank, go, men, dost thou perchance deem that there is art ill in my war ink? And the sunbeam, she naysayeth the bearing of weapons, though I deem that she hath little fear of them when they come her way. Said face of God, Nay, I deem no ill of it, but much good, for I suppose that thou hast learned over much of the want of the dusky men, and has seen their thralls. She knitted her brows, and all the merriment went out of her face at that word, and she answered, Ye, thou hast it, for I have both seen their thralls, and been in the dale of thrall them, and now then can I do less than I do. But for thee, I perceive that thou hast been niled to our foes, and hast fallen in with their thralls, and that is well. For what so tales we are told thee are thereof? It is like, thou woods not of Troudin, as now thou must do, since thou thyself has seen these poor folk. But now I will tell thee, gold man, that my soul is sick of these comings and goings for the slaughter of a few wretches, and I long for the great day of battle, when it will be seen whether we shall live or die. And though I laugh and jest, yet off the wearing of the days wear me. He looked kindly on her, and said, I am a war-leader of this folk, and trust me, that the waiting tide shall not be long, wherefore now, sister, be merry today, for that is but meet and write, and cast aside thy care, for presently shall thou behold many new friends. Now, my seamoth, over long have ye been standing before our gate, and it is time that ye should see the inside of our burg, and the inside of our house. Indeed by this time so many men had come out of the street, that the place before the gate was all thronged, and from where he stood face of God could scarcely see his father, or folk-mite, and the sun-beam, and the chieftains. So he took wood farther by the hand, and close behind him came wood-wise and a beaumet, and he cried out for way that he might speak with the older men, and men gave way to them, and he led those newcomers close up to the gate-seats of the elders, and as he clove the press, smiling and bright-eyed and happy, all gazed on him. But the sun-beam who was sitting between iron-face and the westland-chapman, and who here to fore had been aghaze with eyes beholding little, past whose ears the words went unheard, and whose mind wandered into thoughts of things unfashioned yet, when she beheld him close to her again, then, taken unawares, her eyes caressed him, as she turned as red as a rose, as she felt all the sweetness of desire go forth from her to meet him. So that, he perceiving it, his voice was the clearer and sweeter for the inward joy he felt, as he said, Olderman, me seamoth it is now time that we bring our guests into the house of our fathers, for since they are in war-like array, and we are no longer living in peace, and I am now war-leader of the dale. I deem it but meets that I should have the guesting of them. Moreover, when we are come into our house, I will bid thee look into thy treasury, that thou mayst find therein somewhat which it may pleasure us to give to our guests. Said iron-face, Thou saest well, son, and since the day is now warm past noon, and these folk abut just come from the waist, therefore such as we have of meat and drink abideth them. And surely there is within our house a coffer which belongeth to thee and me, and for sooth I know not why we keep the treasures hoarded therein, save that it be for this cause, that if we were to give our friends that which we ourselves use and love, which would be of all things pleasant to us, if we gave them such goods, they would be worn and worsened by our use of them. For this reason, therefore, do we keep fair things which we use not, so that now we may give them to our friends. Now guests, both of the waist and the west land, since here is no gate-thing or meeting of the dale-wardens, and we sit here but for our pleasure, let us go take our pleasure with endorse for a while, if it seem good to you. Therewith he arose, and the folk made way for him and his guests, and folk-mights went on the right-hand side of iron-face, and beside him went the Chapman, who looked on him with a half-smile, as though he knew somewhat of him, but on the other side of iron-face went the Sunbeam, whose hand he held, and after these came face of God, leading in the rest of the newcomers, who yet held the flowery branches in their hands. How so much had face of God told the dale-smen, that they deemed they all knew these men for their battle-fellows, of whom they had heard tell, and this the more, as the men were so goodly and manly of aspect, especially folk-mights, so that they seemed as if they were nigh akin to the gods. As for the Sunbeam, they knew not how to praise her beauty enough, but they said they had never known before, how fair the gods might be. So they raised a great shout of welcome, as the men came through the gate into the burg, and all men turned their backs on the booths, so eager were they to behold closely these new friends. But as the guests went from the gate to the house of the face, going very slowly because of the press, there in the front of the throng stood the bride with the women of the runaways, whom she had caused to be clad very fairly, and she was feigned to do them a pleasure by bringing them to the sight of these newcomers, of whom she had not heard who they were, though she had heard the cry that strangers were at hand. So there she stood, smiling a little, with the pleasure of showing a fair sight to the poor people, as folk do with children. But when she saw those twain going on each side of the alderman, she knew them at once, and when the Sunbeam, who was on his left side, passed so close to her that she could see the very smoothness and dainty fashion of her skin, then was she astonished, and the world seemed strange to her. Until they were gone by, and for a while afterwards, she knew not where she was, nor what she did, though it seemed to her, as if she still saw the face of that fair woman, as in a picture. But the Sunbeam had noted her at first, even amongst the fair women of Burgstead, and she so steady and bright beside the wandering, timorous eyes and lowering faces of the thralls. But suddenly, as I met I, she saw her face change, she saw her cheek whiten, her eyes stare, and her lips quiver, and she knew at once who it was, for she had not seen her before as folk might had. Then the Sunbeam cast her eyes down, lest her compassion might show in her face, and be a fresh grief to her as had lost the wedding and the love, and so she passed on. As for folk might, he had seen her at once amongst all that folk as he came into the street, and in sooth he was looking for her, and when he saw her face change, as the sight of the Sunbeam smote upon her heart, his own face burned with shame and anger, and he looked back at her as he went toward the house. But she saw him not, nor noted him, and none deemed it strange that he looked along on the bride, the treasure of Burgstead. But for some while folk might was few spoken, and sharp spoken amongst the chieftains, but he was slow to master his longing and his wrath. So when all the guests had entered the door of the house of the face, the alderman turned back, and standing on the threshold of his house, spake onto the throng. Men of the dale, and ye outlanders who may be here, know that this is happy day, for hither have come to us guests, men of the kindred of the gods, and they are even those of whom face of God my son have told you, and they are friends of our friends and foes of our foes. These men are now in my house, as is but right, but when they come forth I look to you to cherish them in the best way ye know, and make much of them, as of those who may help us, and may by us be holpen. Wherewith he went in again, and into the hall, and bade show the newcomers to the dais, and wine of the best, and meat such as was to hand was set before them. He bade men also get ready, high-feast, as great as might be against the evening, and they did his bidding straight away. CHAPTER XXXIII. The alderman gives gifts to them of shadowy veil. In the hall of the face, folk-mites sat on the dais at the right hand of the alderman, and the sun-beam on his left hand, but iron-face also had beheld the bride, how her face changed, and he knew the cause, and was grieved and angry and ashamed thereof. Also he bethought him how this stranger was sitting in the very place where the bride used to sit, and of all the love, as of a very daughter, that he had for her. How be it he constrained himself to talk courteously and kindly, both to folk-mite and the sun-beam, as behoved the chief of the house and the alderman of the dale. Moreover he was not a little moved by the goodliness and wisdom of the sun-beam, and the manliness of folk-mite, who was the most chieftain like of men. But while they sat there, face of God went from man to man of the guests, and made much of each, but especially of wood-father and his sons and Bome, and they loved him and praised him, and deemed him the best of hall-mates. Nor might the sun-beam altogether refrain her from looking lovingly on him, and it could be seen of her that she deemed he was doing well, and like a wise leader and chieftain. So wore away a while, and men were fulfilled of meat and drink. So then the alderman arose and spake, and said, Is it not so, guess, that you would now gladly behold our market, and the goodly wares which the Chapman of brought us from the cities? Then most men cried out, Ye, ye! And Ironface said, Then shall you go, nor behold them by me from your pleasure, and Ye, kinsmen, who were the most guest-fane and the wisest, go ye with our friends, and make all things easy and happy for them. But first of all, guests, I were well pleased if you would take some small matters out of our abundance, for it were well that you see them ere ye stand before the Chapman's booths, lest ye chaffer with them for what ye have already. They all praised his bounty and thanked him for his good will, so he arose to go to his treasury, and bade certain of his folk to go along with him to bear in the gifts. But ere he had taken three steps down the hall, face of God prevented him, and said, Kinsmen, if thou hast anywhere a whore-book, somewhat better than folk are wont to bear, such as thine own hand fashioneth, and a sword of the like-stuff, I would have thee give them, the sword to my brother in arms woodwise here, and the walk-out to my sister Bome, who shooteth so well in the bow, that none may shoot closer, and very few as close. And her shaft it was that delivered me, when my skull was amongst the axes of the dusky men, else had I not been here. There art Bome reddened and looked down, like a scholar who hath been overpraised for his learning and diligence. But the alderman smiled on her and said, I thank thee, son, that thou hast let me know what these our two friends may be feign of. And as for this damsel at arms, it is a little thing that thou askest for her, and we might have found her something more worthy of her goodliness. Yet for sooth, since we are all bound for the place where shafts and staves shall be good cheap, a greater treasure may be of less avail to her. Their art men laughed, and the alderman went down the hall with those bearers of gifts, and was away for a space while they drank and made merry. But presently back they came from the treasury, bearing loads of goodly things which were laid on one of the end-long boards. Then began the gift-giving, and first he gave unto fulcrumite six golden cups marvellously fashioned, the work of four generations of rites in the dale, and he himself had wrought the last two thereof. To some beam he gave a girdle of gold, fashioned with great mastery, whereon were images of the gods and fathers and warriors and beasts of the field and fowls of the air. And as he girded about her loins, he said, in a soft voice so that few heard, Some beam, thou fair woman, time has been when thou work to us as the edge of the poisonous sword, for the midnight torch of the murderer. But now I know not how it will be, or if the grief which thou hast given me will ever wear out or not. And now that I have beheld thee, I have little to do to blame my son. For indeed, when I look on thee, I cannot deem that there is any evil in thee. Yea, however it may be, take thou this gift as the reward of thine exceeding beauty. She looked on him with kind eyes, and said meekly, Indeed, if I have hurt thee unwittingly, I grieve to have hurt so good a man. Here after be like, we may talk more of this. But now I will but say that where as at first I needed but to win thy son's good will, so that our folk might come to life and thriving again, now it is come to this, that he holdeth my heart in his hand, and may do what he will with it. Therefore I pray thee, withhold not thy love either from him or from me. He looked on her wondering, and said, Thou art such a one as might make the old man young, and the boy grow into manhood suddenly. And thy voice is as sweet as the voice of the songbird singing in the dawn of early summer, soundeth to him who hath been sick unto death, but who hath escaped it, and is mending. And yet I fear thee. Therewith he kissed her hand, and turned on to the others, and he gave on to Boh-Me, a whore-book of ring-mail, of his own fashioning, a sure defence, and a wonderful work, and a collar thereof was done with gold and gems. But he said to her, Bear damseless arms, faithful is thy face, and the fashion of thee is goodly, now art thou become one of the best of our friends, and this is little enough to give thee. Yet would we feign ward thy body against the foremen, to grieve as not by gainsaying us? And Boh-Me was exceeding glad, and scarce knew how to cease handling that marvel of ring-mail. Then to Woodwise, Ironface gave a most goodly sword, the blade all marked with dark lines like the stream of an eddying river, the hilts of steel and gold marvelously wrought, and all the work of a smith who had dwelt in the house of his father's father, and was a great warrior. Unto Woodfather he gave a very goodly helm, parcel-guilded, and to his sons and the other folk, fair gifts of weapons and jewels and girdles and cups and other good things, so that their hearts were full of joy, and they all praised his open hand. Then some of the best and merriest of the kinsmen of the face, her face of God with them, brought the guests out into the street and among the booths. Their face of God beheld the bride again, and she was standing by the booth of a chap-man, and dealing with him for a piece of goodly silk and cloth, to be a gown for one of her guests, and she was talking and smiling as she chaffed with him, as her want was, for she was ever very friendly of demeanor with all men. But he noted that she was yet exceeding pale, and he was right sorry thereof, for he loved her friendly. Yet now had he no shame for all that had befallen when he bethought him of the sunbeam and the love she had for him, and also he had a deeming that the bride would better have her grief.