The Roots of the Mountains
Page 57
CHAPTER LVI. TALK UPON THE WILD-WOOD WAY.
ON the morrow morning when they were on their way again Face-of-god lefthis own folk to go with the House of the Steer a while; and amongst themhe fell in with the Sun-beam going along with Bow-may. So they greetedhim kindly, and Face-of-god fell into talk with the Sun-beam as they wentside by side through a great oak-wood, where for a space was plaingreen-sward bare of all underwood.
So in their talk he said to her: ‘What deemest thou, my speech-friend,concerning our coming back to guest in Silver-dale one day?’
‘The way is long,’ she said.
‘That may hinder us but not stay us,’ said Face-of-god.
‘That is sooth,’ said the Sun-beam.
Said Face-of-god: ‘What things shall stay us? Or deemest thou that weshall never see Silver-dale again?’
She smiled: ‘Even so I think thou deemest, Gold-mane. But many thingsshall hinder us besides the long road.’
Said he: ‘Yea, and what things?’
‘Thinkest thou,’ said the Sun-beam, ‘that the winning of Silver-stead isthe last battle which thou shalt see?’
‘Nay,’ said he, ‘nay.’
‘Shall thy Dale—our Dale—be free from all trouble within itselfhenceforward? Is there a wall built round it to keep out for ever storm,pestilence, and famine, and the waywardness of its own folk?’
‘So it is as thou sayest,’ quoth Face-of-god, ‘and to meet such troublesand overcome them, or to die in strife with them, this is a great part ofa man’s life.’
‘Yea,’ she said, ‘and hast thou forgotten that thou art now a greatchieftain, and that the folk shall look to thee to use thee many days inthe year?’
He laughed and said: ‘So it is. How many days have gone by since Iwandered in the wood last autumn, that the world should have changed somuch!’
‘Many deeds shall now be in thy days,’ she said, ‘and each deed as thecorn of wheat from which cometh many corns; and a man’s days on the earthare not over many.’
‘Then farewell, Silver-dale!’ said he, waving his hand toward the north.‘War and trouble may bring me back to thee, but it maybe nought elseshall. Farewell!’
She looked on him fondly but unsmiling, as he went beside her strong andwarrior-like. Three paces from him went Bow-may, barefoot, in her whitekirtle, but bearing her bow in her hand; a leash of arrows was in hergirdle, her quiver hung at her back, and she was girt with a sword. Onthe other side went Wood-wont and Wood-wise, lightly clad but weaponed.Wood-mother was riding in an ox-wain just behind them, and Wood-fatherwent beside her bearing an axe. Scattered all about them were the men ofthe Steer, gaily clad, bearing weapons, so that the oak-wood was brightwith them, and the glades merry with their talk and singing and laughter,and before them down the glades went the banner of the Steer, and theWhite Beast led them the nearest way to Burgdale.