CHAPTER XXII: THEY GO FROM THE ISLE OF RANSOM AND COME TO CLEVELAND BYTHE SEA
In the morning early Hallblithe arose from his bed, and when he came intothe mid-hall, there was the Puny Fox and the Hostage with him; Hallblithekissed her and embraced her, and she him; yet not like lovers longsundered, but as a man and maid betrothed are wont to do, for there werefolk coming and going about the hall. Then spake the Puny Fox: "The Erneis abiding us out in the meadow yonder; for now nought will serve him buthe must needs go under the earth-collar with us. How sayest thou, is heenough thy friend?"
Said Hallblithe, smiling on the Hostage: "What hast thou to say to it,beloved?"
"Nought at all," she said, "if thou art friend to any of these men. Imay deem that I have somewhat against the chieftain, whereof belike thisbig man may tell thee hereafter; but even so much meseemeth I haveagainst this man himself, who is now become thy friend and scholar; forhe also strove for my beguilement, and that not for himself, but foranother."
"True it is," said the Fox, "that I did it for another; even as yesterdayI took thy mate Hallblithe out of the trap whereinto he had strayed, andcompassed his deliverance by means of the unfaithful battle; and even asI would have stolen thee for him, O Rose-maiden, if need had been; yea,even if I must have smitten into ruin the roof-tree of the Ravagers. Andhow could I tell that the Erne would give thee up unstolen? Yea, thousayeth sooth, O noble and spotless maiden; all my deeds, both good andill, have I done for others; and so I deem it shall be while my lifelasteth."
Then Hallblithe laughed and said: "Art thou nettled, fellow-in-arms, atthe word of a woman who knoweth thee not? She shall yet be thy friend, OFox. But tell me, beloved, I deemed that thou hadst not seen Fox before;how then can he have helped the Erne against thee?"
"Yet she sayeth sooth," said Fox, "this was of my sleight: for when I hadto come before her, I changed my skin, as I well know how; there areothers in this land who can do so much as that. But what sayest thouconcerning the brotherhood with the Erne?"
"Let it be so," said Hallblithe, "he is manly and true, though masterful,and is meet for this land of his. I shall not fall out with him; forseldom meseemeth shall I see the Isle of Ransom."
"And I never again," said the Puny Fox.
"Dost thou loathe it, then," said the Hostage, "because of the evil thouhast done therein?"
"Nay," said he, "what is the evil, when henceforth I shall do but good?Nay, I love the land. Belike thou deemest it but dreary with its blackrocks and black sand, and treeless wind-swept dales; but I know it insummer and winter, and sun and shade, in storm and calm. And I knowwhere the fathers dwelt and the sons of their sons' sons have long lainin the earth. I have sailed its windiest firths, and climbed itssteepest crags; and ye may well wot that it hath a friendly face to me;and the land-wights of the mountains will be sorry for my departure."
So he spake, and Hallblithe would have answered him, but by now were theycome to a grassy hollow amidst the dale, where the Erne had already madethe earth-yoke ready. To wit, he had loosened a strip of turf all savethe two ends, and had propped it up with two ancient dwarf-wroughtspears, so that amidmost there was a lintel to go under.
So when he saw those others coming, he gave them the sele of the day, andsaid to Hallblithe: "What is it to be? shall I be less than thy brother-in-arms henceforward?"
Said Hallblithe: "Not a whit less. It is good to have brothers in otherlands than one."
So they made no delay, but clad in all their war-gear, they went underthe earth-yoke one after the other; thereafter they stood together, andeach let blood in his arm, so that the blood of all three mingledtogether fell down on the grass of the ancient earth; and they sworefriendship and brotherhood each to each.
But when all was done the Erne spake: "Brother Hallblithe, as I lay awakein bed this morning I deemed that I would take ship with thee toCleveland by the Sea, that I might dwell there a while. But when I cameout of the hall, and saw the dale lying green betwixt hill-side and hill-side, and the glittering river running down amidmost, and the sheep andkine and horses feeding up and down on either side the water: and Ilooked up at the fells and saw how deep blue they stood up against thesnowy peaks, and I thought of all our deeds on the deep sea, and themerry nights, in yonder abode of men: then I thought that I would notleave the kindred, were it but for a while, unless war and lifting calledme. So now I will ride with thee to the ship, and then farewell tothee."
"It is good," said Hallblithe, "though not as good as it might be. Gladhad we been with thee in the hall of the Ravens."
As he spoke drew anigh the carles leading the horses, and with them camesix of those damsels whom the Erne had given to Hallblithe the nightbefore; two of whom asked to be brought to their kindred over sea; butthe other four were fain to go with Hallblithe and the Hostage, andbecome their sisters at Cleveland by the Sea.
So then they got to horse and rode down the dale toward the haven, andthe carles rode with them, so that of weaponed men they were a score incompany. But when they were half-way to the haven they saw where hard bythree knolls on the way-side were men standing with their weapons and war-gear glittering in the sun. So the Erne laughed and said: "Shall we havea word with War-brand then?"
But they rode steadily on their way, and when they came up to the knollsthey saw that it was War-brand indeed with a score of men at his back;but they stirred not when they saw Erne's company that it was great. ThenErne laughed aloud and cried out in a big voice, "What, lads! ye rideearly this morning; are there foemen abroad in the Isle?"
They shrank back before him, but a carle of those who was hindermostcried out: "Art thou coming back to us, Erne, or have thy new friendsbought thee to lead them in battle?"
"Fear it nought," quoth Erne, "I shall be back before the shepherd'snoon."
So they went their ways and came to the haven, and there lay the FlamingSword, and beside her a trim bark, not right great, all ready for sea:and Hallblithe's skiff was made fast to her for an after-boat.
Then the Hostage and Hallblithe and the six damsels went aboard her, andwhen the Erne had bidden them farewell, they cast off the hawsers andthrust her out through the haven-mouth; but ere they had got midmost ofthe haven, they saw the Erne, that he had turned about, and was riding upthe dale with his house-carles, and each man's weapon was shining in hishand: and they wondered if he were riding to battle with War-brand; andFox said: "Meseemeth our brother-in-arms hath in his mind to give thosewaylayers an evil minute, and verily he is the man to do the same."
So they gat them out of the haven, and the ebb-tide drave out seawardstrongly, and the wind was fair for Cleveland by the Sea; and they ranspeedily past the black cliffs of the Isle of Ransom, and soon were theyhull down behind them. But on the afternoon of the next day they hove upthe land of the kindreds, and by sunset they beached their ship on thesand by the Rollers of the Raven, and went ashore without more ado. Andthe strand was empty of all men, even as on the day when Hallblithe firstmet the Puny Fox. So then in the cool of the evening they went up towardthe House of the Raven. Those damsels went together hand in hand two bytwo, and Hallblithe held the Hostage by the hand; but the Puny Fox wentalong beside them, gleeful and of many words; telling them tales of hiswiles and his craft, and his skin-changing.
"But now," quoth he, "I have left all that behind me in the Isle ofRansom, and have but one shape, and I would for your behoof that it werea goodlier one: and but one wisdom have I, even that which dwelleth inmine own head-bone. Yet it may be that this may avail you one time orother. But lo you! though I am thy thrall, have I not the look of athrall-huckster from over sea leading up my wares to the cheaping-stead?"They laughed at his words and were merry, and much love there was amongstthem as they went up to the House of the Raven.
But when they came thither they went into the garth, and there was no mantherein, for it was now dusk, and the windows of the long hall wereyellow with candle-light. Then said Fox: "Abide ye here a little; for Iw
ould go into the hall alone and see the conditions of thy people, OHallblithe."
"Go thou, then," said Hallblithe, "but be not rash. I counsel thee; forour folk are not over-patient when they deem they have a foe beforethem."
The Puny Fox laughed, and said: "So it is then the world over, that happymen are wilful and masterful."
Then he drew his sword and smote on the door with the pommel, and thedoor opened to him and in he went: and he found that fair hall full offolk and bright with candles; and he stood amidst the floor; all menlooked on him, and many knew him at once to be a man of the Ravagers, andsilence fell upon the hall, but no man stirred hand against him. Then hesaid: "Will ye hearken to the word of an evil man, a robber of thefolks?"
Spake the chieftain from the dais: "Words will not hurt us, sea-warrior;and thou art but one among many; wherefore thy might this eve is but asthe might of a new-born baby. Speak, and afterwards eat and drink, anddepart safe from amongst us!"
Spake the Puny Fox: "What is gone with Hallblithe, a fair young man ofyour kindred, and with the Hostage of the Rose, his troth-plight maiden?"
Then was the hush yet greater in the hall, so that you might have heard apin drop; and the chieftain said: "It is a grief of ours that they aregone, and that none hath brought us back their dead bodies that we mightlay them in the Acre of the Fathers."
Then leapt up a man from the end-long table nigh to Fox, and cried out:"Yea, folk! they are gone, and we deem that runagates of thy kindred, Onew-come man, have stolen them from us; wherefor they shall one day payus."
Then laughed the Puny Fox and said: "Some would say that stealingHallblithe was like stealing a lion, and that he might take care ofhimself; though he was not as big as I am."
Said the last speaker: "Did thy kin or didst thou steal him, O evil man?"
"Yea, I stole him," quoth Fox, "but by sleight, and not by might."
Then uprose great uproar in the hall, but the chieftain on the high-seatcried out: "Peace, peace!" and the noise abated, and the chieftain said:"Dost thou mean that thou comest hither to give us thine head for makingaway with Hallblithe and the Hostage?"
"I mean to ask rather," said the Fox, "what thou wilt give me for thebodies of these twain?"
Said the chieftain: "A boat-load of gold were not too much if thoushouldst live a little longer."
Quoth the Puny Fox: "Well, in anywise I will go and bring in the bodiesaforesaid, and leave my reward to the goodwill of the Ravens."
Therewith he turned about to go, but lo! there already in the door stoodHallblithe holding the Hostage by the hand; and many in the hall sawthem, for the door was wide. Then they came in and stood by the side ofthe Puny Fox, and all men in the hall arose and shouted for joy. Butwhen the tumult was a little abated, the Puny Fox cried out: "Ochieftain, and all ye folk! if a boat-load of gold were not too muchreward for the bringing back the dead bodies of your friends, what rewardshall he have who hath brought back their bodies and the souls therein?"
Said the chieftain: "The man shall choose his own reward." And the menin the hall shouted their yeasay.
Then said the Puny Fox: "Well, then, this I choose, that ye make me oneof your kindred before the fathers of old time."
They all cried out that he had chosen wisely and manfully; but Hallblithesaid: "I bid you do for him no less than this; and ye shall wot that heis already my sworn brother-in-arms."
Now the chieftain cried out: "O Wanderers from over the sea, come uphither and sit with us and be merry at last!"
So they went up to the dais, Hallblithe and the Hostage, and the Puny Foxand the six maidens withal. And since the night was yet young, thesupper of the men of the Ravens was turned into the wedding-feast ofHallblithe and the Hostage, and that very night she became a wife of theRavens, that she might bear to the House the best of men and the fairestof women.
But on the morrow they brought the Puny Fox to the mote-stead of thekindreds that he might stand before the fathers and be made a son of thekindred; and this they did because of the word of Hallblithe, and becausethey believed in the tale which he told them of the Glittering Plain andthe Acre of the Undying. The four maidens also were made sisters of theHouse; and the other twain were sent home to their own kindred in allhonour.
Of the Puny Fox it is said that he soon lost and forgot all the lorewhich he had learned of the ancient men, living and dead; and became asother men and was no wizard. Yet he was exceeding valiant and doughty;and he ceased not to go with Hallblithe wheresoever he went; and manydeeds they did together, whereof the memory of men hath failed: butneither they nor any man of the Ravens came any more to the GlitteringPlain, or heard any tidings of the folk that dwell there.
HEREWITH ENDETH THE TALE.
Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO.at Paul's Work, Edinburgh
The Story of the Glittering Plain Page 22
