Keeping Tryst: A Tale of King Arthur's Time

by Annie F. Johnston

sunriseuntil dusk, he worked with will, to gain the wished-for leave. Neverbefore did buckles shine as did the buckles of the squire entrusted tohis polishing. Never did menial tasks cease sooner to be drudgery,because of the good-will with which he worked. And when the day wasdone, so well had every duty been performed, right willingly the squiredid grant him grace, and forthwith Ederyn sped upon his mission.

  The way was long, and, when he reached the abbey tree, he fella-trembling, for there a tall wraith stood within the shadows of theyew. No face had it that he could see, its hands no substance, but hemet it bravely, saying: "I am Ederyn, come to keep the king's tryst."

  And then the spectre's voice replied: "Well hast thou kept it, for 'tisknown to me the many menial tasks thou didst perform ere thou couldstcome upon thy quest. In token that we two have met, here is my pledgethat thou may'st keep to show the king."

  He felt a light touch on the bosom of his inner vestment, and suddenlyhe stood alone beside the gruesome abbey. Clammy with fear, he knew notwhy, he drew his mantle round him and sped home as one speeds in afearsome dream. And that it was a dream he half-believed, when later, inthe hall, he served at meat those gathered round the old earl's board.But when he sought his bed, and threw aside his outer garment, there onhis coarse, rough shirt of hodden gray a pearl gleamed white above hisheart, where the wraith's cold hand had touched him. It was the token tothe king that he had answered faithfully his call.

  Again before the dawn he climbed into the tower, and, listening whenthe voices of the world were still, heard clear and sweet, likefar-blown elfin horn, another summons.

  "Ederyn! Ederyn! One awaits thee at the midnight hour beside blackKilgore's water. Keep tryst!"

  Again to gain his squire's permission he toiled with double care. Thistime his task was counting all the spears and halberds, the battle-axesand the coats of mail that filled the earl's great armament. And o'erand o'er he counted, keeping careful tally with a bit of keel upon theiron-banded door, till the red lines that he marked there made his eyesache and his head swim. At last the task was finished, and so well thesquire praised him, and for his faithfulness again was fain to speedhim on his way.

  It was a woful journey to the waters of Kilgore. Sleep weighed onEderyn's eyelids, and haltingly he went the weary miles, footsore andworn. But midnight found him on the spot where one awaited him, anotherwraith-like envoy of the king, and it, too, left a touch upon his heartin token he had kept the tryst. And when he looked, another pearlgleamed there beside the first.

  So many a day went by, and Ederyn failed not in his homely tasks, butcarried to his common round of duties all his might, as if they weregreat feats of prowess. Thus gained he liberty to keep the tryst withevery messenger the king did send.

  Once he fared forth along a dangerous road that led he knew not where,and, when he found it crossed a loathly swamp all filled with slime andcreeping things, fain would he have fled. But, pushing on for sake ofhis brave oath, although with fainting heart, he reached the goal atlast. This time his token made him wonder much. For when he wakened fromhis swoon, a shining star lay on his heart above the pearls.

  Now it fell out the squire to whom this Ederyn was page was killed inconflict with a robber band, and Ederyn, for his faithfulness, was takenby the earl to fill that squire's place. Soon after that, they left thehall, and journeyed on a visit to a distant lord. 'Twas to the Castle ofContent they came, where was a joyous garden. And now no menial tasksemployed the new squire's time. Here was he free to wander all the daythrough vistas of the joyous garden, or loiter by the fountain in thecourtyard and watch the maidens at their tasks, having fair speech withthem among the flowers. And one there was among them, so lily-like inface, so gentle-voiced and fair, that Ederyn well-nigh forgot his oath,and felt full glad when for a space the king's call ceased to sound. Andgladder was he still, when, later on, the earl's long visit done, heleft young Ederyn behind to serve the great lord of the castle, for sothe two friends had agreed, since Ederyn had pleased the old lord'sfancy.

  Yet was he faithful to his vow, and failed not every dawn to mount tosome high place, when all the voices of the world were still, and listenfor the sound of Merlin's horn. One morn it came:

  "Ederyn! Ederyn! One waits thee far away. By the black cave of Atropos,when the moon fulls, keep thy tryst!"

  Now 'twas a seven days' journey to that cave, and Ederyn, thinking ofthe lily maid, was loath to leave the garden. He lingered by thefountain until nightfall, saying to himself: "Why should I go on longerin these foolish quests, keeping tryst with shadows that vanish at thetouch? No nearer am I to a knight's estate than when, a stripling page,I listened to the minstrel's tales."

  The fountain softly splashed within the garden. From out thebanquet-hall there stole the sound of tinkling lutes, and then the lilymaiden sang. Her siren voice filled all his heart, and he forgot hisoath to duty. But presently a star reflected in the fountain made himlook up into the jewelled sky, where shone the polar constellation. Andthere he read the oath he had forgotten: "With the compass needle of mysoul true to the north star of my great ambition, I will follow where itleads."

  Thrusting his fingers in his ears to silence the beloved voice of herwho sang, he madly rushed from out the garden into the blackness of thenight. The Castle of Content clanged its great gate behind him. Heshivered as he felt the jar through all his frame, but, never takingout his fingers, on he ran, till scores of furlongs lay between him andthe tempting of that siren voice.

  It was a strange and fearsome wood that lay between him and the cave.All things seemed moaning and afraid. He saw no forms, but everywherethe shadows shuddered, and moans and groans pursued him till namelessfears clutched at his heart with icy chill. Then suddenly the earthslipped way beneath his feet, and cold waves closed above his head. Heknew now he had fallen in the pool that lies upon the far edge of thefearsome wood,--a pool so deep and of such whirling motion that only bythe fiercest struggle may one escape. Gladly he would have allowed thewaters to close over him, such cold pains smote his heart, had he notseemed to hear the old minstrel's song. It aroused him to a finaleffort, and he gasped between his teeth:

  "''Tis the king's call! O list! Thou heart and hand of mine, keep tryst-- Keep tryst or die!'"

  With that, in one mighty struggle he dragged himself to land. Abow-shot farther on he saw the cave, and by sheer force of will crepttoward it. What happened then he knew not till the moon rose full andhigh above him. A form swathed all in black bowed over him.

  "Ederyn," she sighed, "here is thy token that the king may know thatthou hast met me face to face."

  He thought it was a diamond at first, that sparkled there beside thestar, but when he looked again, lo, nothing but a tear.

  Then went he back unto the joyous garden by slow degrees, for he was nowsore spent. And after that the summons came full often. Whenever all theworld seemed loveliest and life most sweet, then was the call most sureto come. But never once he faltered. Never was he faithless to theking's behest. Up weary mountain steps he toiled to find the sombre faceof Disappointment there in waiting, and Suffering and Pain were often athis journey's end, and once a sore Defeat. But bravely as the monthswent by he learned to smile into their eyes, no matter which one handedout to him the pledge of Duty well performed.

  One day, when he no longer was a beardless youth, but grown to pleasingstature and of great brawn, he heard the hoped-for call of which he longhad dreamed: "Ederyn! Ederyn! The king himself awaits thee. Midsummermorn at lark-song, keep tryst beside the palace gate."

  As travellers on the desert, spent and worn, see far across the sand thepalm-tree's green that marks life-giving wells, so Ederyn hailed thissummons to the king. The soul-consuming thirst that long had urged himon grew fiercer as the well of consummation came in sight. Hope shod hisfeet with wings, as thus with every nerve a-strain he pushed toward thefinal tryst. So fearful was he some mishap might snatch the cup away ereit had touched his thirsty lips, that three full days
before the time hereached the Vale of Avalon, and sat him down outside the entrance to thepalace.

  Now there came prowling through the wood that edged the fair domain thegnarled dwarfs that do the will of Shudderwain. And Shudderwain, of allthe giants thereabouts, most cruel was and to be feared. Knowing fullwell what pleasure it would give the bloody monster, these dwarfs laidevil hands on Ederyn. Sleeping they found him, and bound him with hardleathern thongs, and then with gibes and impish laughter dragged himinto a dungeon past the help of man.

  Two days and nights he lay there, raging at fate and at hishelplessness, till he was well-nigh mad, bethinking him of all hisbaffled hopes. And like a madman gnawed he on the leathern thongs tillhe was free, and beat his hands against the stubborn rock that would notyield, and threw himself against the