The Roots of the Mountains Part 49

Of the Bride it is to be said that she was now much mended, and she caused men bear her on a litter out into the Marketplace, that she might look on the departure of her folk. She had seen Face-of-G.o.d once and again since the Day of Battle, and each time had been kind and blithe with him; and for Iron-face, she loved him so well that she was ever loth to let him depart from her, save when Folk-might was with her.

And now was the Alderman standing beside her, and she said to him: 'Friend and kinsman, this is the day of departure, and though I must needs abide behind, and am content to abide, yet doth mine heart ache with the sundering; for to-morrow when I wake in the morning there will be no more sending of a messenger to fetch thee to me. Indeed, great hath been the love between me and my people, and nought hath come between us to mar it. Now, kinsman, I would see Gold-mane, my cousin, that I may bid him farewell; for who knoweth if I shall see him again hereafter?'

Then went Iron-face and found Face-of-G.o.d where he was speaking with Folk-might and the chieftains, and said to him:

'Come quickly, for thy cousin the Bride would speak with thee.'

Face-of-G.o.d reddened, and paled afterwards, but he went along with his father silently; and his heart beat as he came and stood before the litter whereas the Bride lay, clad all in white and propped up on fair cushions of red silk. She was frail to look on, and worn and pale yet; but he deemed that she was very happy.

She smiled on him, and reached out her hand and said:

'Welcome once more, cousin!' And he held her hand and kissed it, and was nigh weeping, so sore was he beset by a throng of memories concerning her and him in the days when they were little; and he bethought him of her loving-kindness of past days, beyond that of most children, beyond that of most maidens; and how there was nothing in his life but she had a share in it, till the day when he found the Hall on the Mountain.

So he said to her: 'Kinswoman, is it well with thee?'

'Yea,' she said, 'I am now nigh whole of my hurts.'

He was silent a while; then he said:

'And otherwise art thou merry at heart?'

'Yea, indeed,' said she; 'yet thou wilt not find it hard to deem that I am sorry of the sundering betwixt me and Burgdale.'

Again was he silent, and said in a while: 'Dost thou deem that I wrought that sundering?'

She smiled kindly on him and said: 'Gold-mane, my playmate, thou art become a mighty warrior and a great chief; but thou art not so mighty as that. Many things lay behind the sundering which were neither thou nor I.'

'Yet,' said he, 'it was but such a little time agone that all things seemed so sure; and we--to both of us was the outlook happy.'

'Let it be happy still,' she said, 'now begrudging is gone. Belike the sundering came because we were so sure, and had no defence against the wearing of the days; even as it fareth with a folk that hath no foes.'

He smiled and said: 'Even as it hath befallen THY folk, O Bride, a while ago.'

She reddened, and reached her hand to him, and he took it and held it, and said: 'Shall I see thee again as the days wear?'

Said she: 'O chieftain of the Folk, thou shalt have much to do in Burgdale, and the way is long. Yet would I have thee see my children. Forget not the token on my hand which thou holdest. But now get thee to thy folk with no more words; for after all, playmate, the sundering is grievous to me, and I would not spin out the time thereof. Farewell!'

He said no more, but stooped down and kissed her lips, and then turned from her, and took his ways to the head of the Host, and fell to asking and answering, and bidding and arraying; and in a little time was his heart dancing with joy to think of the days that lay before him, wherein now all seemed happy.

So was all arrayed for departure when it lacked three hours of noon.

As Folk-might had promised, there were certain light wains drawn by bullocks abiding the departure of the Host, and of sumpter bullocks and horses no few; and all these were laden with fair gifts of the Dale, as silver, and raiment, and weapons. There were many things fair-wrought in the time of the Sorrow, that henceforth should see but little sorrow. Moreover, there was plenty of provision for the way, both meal and wine, and sheep and neat; and all things as fair as might be, and well-arrayed.

It was the Shepherds who were to lead the way; and after them were arrayed the men of the Vine and the Sickle; then they of the Steer, the Bridge, and the Bull; and lastly the House of the Face, with old Stone-face leading them. The Sun-beam was to journey along with the House of the Steer, which had taken her in as a maiden of their blood; and though she had so much liefer have fared with the House of the Face, yet she went meekly as she was bidden, as one who has gotten a great thing, and will make no stir about a small one.

Along with her were Wood-father and Wood-mother, and Wood-wise, now whole of his hurt, and Wood-wont, and Bow-may. Save Bow-may, they were not very joyous; for they were fain of Silver-dale, and it irked them to leave it; moreover, they also had liefer have gone along with the House of the War-leader.

Last of all went those people of the once thralls of the Dusky Men who had cast in their lot with the Burgdalers, and they were exceeding merry; and especially the women of them, they were chattering like the stares in the autumn evening, when they gather from the fields in the tall elm-trees before they go to roost.

Now all the men of the Dale, both of the kindreds and of the thrall- folk, made way for the Host and its havings, that they might go their ways down the Dale; albeit the Woodlanders clung close to the line of their ancient friends, and with them, as men who were sorry for the sundering, were Wolf-stone and G.o.d-swain and Spear-fist. But the chiefs, they drew around Folk-might a little beside the way.

Now Red-coat of Waterless, who had been hurt, and was now whole again, cast his arms about Folk-might and kissed him, and said:

'All the way hence to Burgdale will I sow with good wishes for thee and thine, and especially for my dear friend G.o.d-swain of the Silver Arm; and I would wish and long that they might turn into spells to draw thy feet to usward; for we love thee well.'

In like wise spake other of the Burgdalers; and Folk-might was kind and blithe with them, and he said:

'Friends, forget ye not that the way is no longer from you to us than it is from us to you. One half of this matter it is for you to deal with.'

'True is that,' said Red-beard of the Knolls, 'but look you, Folk- might, we be but simple husbandmen, and may not often stir from our meadows and acres; even now I bethink me that May is amidst us, and I am beginning to be drawn by the thought of the haysel. Whereas thou- -' (and therewith he reddened) 'I doubt that thou hast little to do save the work of chieftains, and we know that such work is but little missed if it be undone.'

Thereat Folk-might laughed; and when the others saw that he laughed, they laughed also, else had they foreborne for courtesy's sake.

But Folk-might answered: 'Nay, chief of the Sickle, I am not altogether a chieftain, now we have gotten us peace; and somewhat of a husbandman shall I be. Moreover, doubt ye not that I shall do my utmost to behold the fair Dale again; for it is but mountains that meet not.'

Now spake Face-of-G.o.d to Folk-might, smiling and somewhat softly, and said: 'Is all forgiven now, since the day when we first felt each other's arms?'

'Yea, all,' said Folk-might; 'now hath befallen what I foretold thee in Shadowy Vale, that thou mightest pay for all that had come and gone, if thou wouldest but look to it. Indeed thou wert angry with me for that saying on that eve of Shadowy Vale; but see thou, in those days I was an older man than thou, and might admonish thee somewhat; but now, though but few days have gone over thine head, yet many deeds have abided in thine hand, and thou art much aged. Anger hath left thee, and wisdom hath waxed in thee. As for me, I may now say this word: May the Folk of Burgdale love the Folk of Silver-dale as well as I love thee; then shall all be well.'

Then Face-of-G.o.d cast his arms about him and kissed him, and turned away toward Stone-face and Hall-face his brother, where they stood at the head of the array of the Face; and even therewith came up the Alderman somewhat sad and sober of countenance, and he pushed by the War-leader roughly and would not speak with him.

And now blew up the horns of the Shepherds, and they began to move on amidst the shouting of the men of Silver-dale; yet were there amongst the Woodlanders those who wept when they saw their friends verily departing from them.

But when they of the foremost of the Host were gotten so far forward that the men of the Face could begin to move, lo! there was Redesman with his fiddle amongst the leaders; and he had done a man's work in the day of battle, and all looked kindly on him. About him on this morn were some who had learned the craft of singing well together, and knew his minstrelsy, and he turned to these and nodded as their array moved on, and he drew his bow across the strings, and straightway they fell a-singing, even as it might be thus:

Back again to the dear Dale where born was the kindred, Here wend we all living, and liveth our mirth.

Here afoot fares our joyance, whatever men hindred, Through all wrath of the heavens, all storms of the earth.

O true, we have left here a part of our treasure, The ashes of stout ones, the stems of the shield; But the bold lives they spended have sown us new pleasure, Fair tales for the telling in fold and on field.

For as oft as we sing of their edges' upheaving, When the yellowing windows shine forth o'er the night, Their names unforgotten with song interweaving Shall draw forth dear drops from the depths of delight.

Or when down by our feet the grey sickles are lying, And behind us is curling the supper-tide smoke, No whit shall they grudge us the joyance undying, Remembrance of men that put from us the yoke.

When the huddle of ewes from the fells we have driven, And we see down the Dale the grey reach of the roof, We shall tell of the gift in the battle-joy given, All the fierceness of friends that drave sorrow aloof.

Once then we lamented, and mourned them departed; Once only, no oftener. Henceforth shall we fling Their names up aloft, when the merriest hearted To the Fathers unseen of our life-days we sing.

Then was there silence in the ranks of men; and many murmured the names of the fallen as they fared on their way from out the Market- place of Silver-stead. Then once more Redesman and his mates took up the song:

Come tell me, O friends, for whom bideth the maiden Wet-foot from the river-ford down in the Dale?

For whom hath the goodwife the ox-waggon laden With the babble of children, brown-handed and hale?

Come tell me for what are the women abiding, Till each on the other aweary they lean?

Is it loitering of evil that thus they are chiding, The slow-footed bearers of sorrow unseen?

Nay, yet were they toiling if sorrow had worn them, Or hushed had they bided with lips parched and wan.