by Felix Dahn
CHAPTER XIV.
Silently the two Goths left the tent, and walked up and down, awaitingthe result.
From the tent they now and then heard Hildebrand's voice, who appearedto warn and argue with the King; and now and then an outcry from thelatter.
"What can the old man be thinking of?" asked Hildebad, stopping in hiswalk. "Dost thou not know?"
"I guess," sighed Teja; "poor Witichis!"
"What the devil dost thou mean?"
"Let me alone," said Teja; "it will all come out soon enough."
A considerable time elapsed thus. Ever more violent and more full ofpain sounded the voice of the King, who seemed to defend himselfdesperately against Hildebrand's arguments.
"Why does the greybeard so torture the brave hero?" cried Hildebadangrily. "It is just as if he would murder him! I will go in and helphim!"
But Teja held him fast by the shoulder.
"Remain!" he cried, "he cannot be helped."
As Hildebad was struggling to get loose, the noise of voices was heardfrom the other end of the lane of tents; two sentries were trying invain to stop a strong Goth, who, covered with all the signs of a longand hard ride, tried to get to the King's tent.
"Let me go, good friend," he cried, "or I will strike thee down!"
And he threateningly lifted a heavy club.
"It cannot be. Thou must wait. The leaders are with him in his tent."
"And if all the gods of Walhalla, together with the Lord Christ, werein his tent, I must go to him!"
"I know that voice," cried Earl Teja, advancing, "and the man. Wachis!what seekest thou here?"
"Oh, master!" cried the faithful servant, "happy am I to find you. Tellthese good folks to let me loose, then I need not knock them down."
"Let him loose, or he will keep his word. I know him. Well, whatwouldest thou then with the King?"
"Pray lead me to him at once. I have sad and terrible news to tell himof his wife and child."
"Wife and child?" asked Hildebad in astonishment. "What, has he awife?"
"Very few know it," answered Teja. "She has scarcely ever left theirestate, and has never been to court. Scarcely any one knows her, butall who do, honour her highly. I know no one like her."
"There you are right, master, if ever any one was!" said Wachis in asuffocated voice. "The poor, poor mother! and, alas, the poor father!But let me go. Mistress Rauthgundis follows close behind. I mustprepare him."
Earl Teja, without more questioning, pushed the man into the tent, andfollowed with Hildebad.
They found old Hildebrand sitting calmly, like inevitable fate itself,upon the King's couch, his chin resting on his hand, and his hand uponhis stone battle-axe.
Thus he sat immovable, fixing his eyes upon the King, who, in thegreatest excitement, was pacing to und fro with rapid steps, and soabsorbed in the terrible conflict of his soul, that he did not remarkthose who entered.
"No, no; never!" he cried, "it is cruel! criminal! impossible!"
"It must be," said Hildebrand, without moving.
"No, I say!" cried the King; and turned.
Wachis was standing close before him.
Witichis looked at him wildly; then the servant threw himself at hisfeet, weeping loudly.
"Wachis!" cried the King, in terror; "what is it? Thou comest from her?Stand up--what has happened?"
"Alas! master," cried Wachis, still kneeling, "it breaks my heart tosee you! I could not help it. I have repaid and avenged with all mymight!"
Witichis pulled him up to his feet by the shoulders.
"Speak, man! What is there to revenge? My wife----"
"She lives, she is coming; but your child!"
"My child!" cried Witichis, turning pale, "Athalwin? What of him?"
"Dead, master--murdered!"
A cry as of one wounded to death broke from the tortured father's lips.He covered his face with both hands; Teja and Hildebad stepped forwardcompassionately. Only Hildebrand remained motionless, and lookedfixedly at the group.
Wachis could not bear the long and painful pause; he tried to take hismaster's hands. They fell of their own accord; two great tears rolleddown the hero's brown cheeks; he was not ashamed of them.
"Murdered!" he cried, "my innocent child! By the Romans?" he asked.
"The cowardly devils!" cried Hildebad.
Teja clenched his fist, and his lips worked silently.
"Calpurnius?" asked Witichis, looking at Wachis.
"Yes, Calpurnius. The report of your election had reached the estate,and your wife and child were summoned to the camp. How young Athalwinrejoiced that he was now a King's son, like Siegfried who killed thedragon! He said he would soon go to seek adventures, and also killdragons and giants. Just then our neighbour returned from Rome. Inoticed that he looked gloomy and more envious than ever, and I watchedwell over house and stalls. But to watch the child--who could havethought that children were no longer safe!"
Witichis shook his head sadly.
"The boy could hardly wait until he should see his father in the camp,and all the thousands of Gothic warriors, and battles close at hand. Hethrew away his wooden sword directly, and said a King's son must wear asteel one, especially in time of war. And I was obliged to find ahunting-knife, and sharpen it into the bargain. And with this famoussword he escaped from Mistress Rauthgundis early every morning. Andwhen she asked, 'Whither?' he laughed, 'To seek adventures!' and spranginto the woods. Then he came home at noon, tired out and with tornclothes; wild with merriment and exultation. But he would not tell usanything, and only hinted that he had played at being Siegfried. Butwhen I found spots of blood upon his sword, I crept after him into thewoods. It was exactly as I suspected. I had once shown him a hole insome steep and rugged rocks, which hung over a running brook, andwarned him that there lay poisonous vipers by dozens. At that time hehad questioned me about everything, and when I said that every bite wasdeadly, and that a poor berry-gatherer, who had been bitten by a snakein her naked foot, had died immediately, he drew his wooden sword in aminute, and wanted to jump into the hole. Much frightened, I withdifficulty kept him back. And now I remembered the vipers, and trembledbecause I had given him a steel weapon. I soon found him in the wood inthe middle of the rocks, down among the thorns and brushwood. He wasjust taking out a tremendous wooden shield which he had made forhimself and hidden there. A crown was freshly painted upon it. And hedrew his sword and sprang with a joyous cry into the hole. I lookedround. There lay strewn about dozens of the big snakes, with shatteredheads, the victims of his former battles. I followed the boy, andthough I was so anxious, I could not bear to disturb him as he stoodthere fighting like a hero! He drove a swelling viper from her holewith stones; she erected herself with hissing tongue, but just as shedarted at him, he threw his great shield before him and cut her in twowith a mighty stroke. Then I called him, and scolded him well. But helooked very brave, bold, and disobedient, and cried, 'Do not tell mymother, for I shall still do it. Until the last dragon is dead!' I saidI would take his sword away. Then I will fight with the wooden one, ifthat please thee better,' he cried. 'And what a shame for a King'sson!' For the next few days I took him with me to catch the horses inthe uncultivated pastures. That pleased him very much; and shortly, Ithought, we shall go away. But one morning he escaped me again, and Iwent alone to my work. I returned along the brook, sure that I shouldfind him among the rocks. But I did not find him. I found only the beltof his sword lying torn on the thorns and his shield broken on theground. I looked round alarmed, and sought, but----"
"Quicker, go on!" cried the King.
"But?" asked Hildebad.
"But there was nothing else to be seen on the rocks. Then I noticed thelarge footprints of a man in some soft sand. I followed them. They ledto a place where the rock fell steeply to the brook. I looked over, andbelow----"
Witichis staggered.
"Alas! my poor master! There on the shore of the brook lay the littlefigure!
How I got down the rocks, I know not. I was below in aninstant. There he lay, cut and torn by the points of the rocks, hislittle hand still holding fast his sword, his bright hair covered withblood---"
"Cease!" cried Teja, laying his hand upon the man's shoulder, whileHildebad grasped the poor father's hand, who sank groaning upon hiscouch.
"My child, my sweet child! my wife!" he cried.
"I felt that the little heart still beat," continued Wachis; "waterfrom the brook brought him to his senses. He opened his eyes andrecognised me. 'Thou hast fallen down, my poor child?' I asked. 'No,'he said, 'not fallen. I was thrown down.' I was horrified.'Calpurnius,' he went on, 'suddenly came round the corner of the rocks,as I was striking at the vipers. "Come with me," he said, "or I willbind thee." "Bind me!" I cried, "my father is King of the Goths, andthine also. Dare to touch me!" Then he got angry and struck at me withhis stick and came nearer; but I knew that near me our servants werefelling trees, and I cried for help and retreated to the edge of therock. He looked about him in terror, for the people must have heard me;the strokes of their axes ceased. But suddenly he sprang forward,cried, "Die, little viper!" and pushed me over the rock.'"
Teja bit his lips.
"Oh, the devil!" cried Hildebad.
And Witichis, with a cry of pain, tore his hand from Hildebad's grasp.
"Cut it short," said Teja.
"He lost his senses again," Wachis continued; "I carried him in my armshome to his mother. Once again he opened his eyes while lying on herlap. A greeting to you was his last breath."
"And my wife? Is she not desperate?"
"No, master; that she is not. She is of gold, but also of steel. Whenthe boy had closed his eyes, she silently pointed out of the window tothe right. I understood her. There stood the neighbour's house. And Iarmed all your servants and led them there to take revenge. We laid themurdered boy on your shield and bore him in our midst. And Rauthgundiswent with us, a sword in her hand, following the corpse. We laid theboy down before the gates of the villa. Calpurnius had fled on hisswiftest horse to Belisarius. But his brother and his son and twentyslaves stood in the courtyard. They were just about to mount and followhim. We uplifted the cry of murder three times. Then we attacked them.We killed them _all_, _all_, and burnt the house down over theinhabitants. Meantime Rauthgundis looked on without a word, keepingwatch by the little corpse and leaning on her sword; and the next dayshe sent me on beforehand to tell you. Shortly after, as soon as shehad burnt the little corpse, she followed me. And as I have lost a day,being hindered by the rebels from taking the shortest road, she mayarrive at any hour."'
"My child, my child! my poor wife! This is the first produce of thisunhappy crown! And now," he cried to the old man, with all theimpetuosity of pain, "wilt thou still demand that cruel sacrifice? thatunbearable sacrifice?"
Hildebrand slowly rose.
"Nothing is unbearable that is necessary. Winter is bearable, and age,and death. They come, and we bear it. Because we must. But I hear thevoices of women, and rustling garments. Let us go."
Witichis turned from him to the door.
There, under the lifted curtain of the tent, stood Rauthgundis, hiswife, dressed in grey garments and a black veil, and pressing a smallblack urn to her bosom.
A cry of loving pain and painful love; and the husband and wife werelocked in a close embrace.
Silently the witnesses left the tent.
