"Now, neighbours, have I told you of a valley which seemeth to be Shadowy Vale; and this is true and no made-up story."
The Alderman nodded kindly to him, and then said to Face-of-G.o.d: "Kinsman, is this word according with what thou knowest of Shadowy Vale?"
"Yea, on all points," said Face-of-G.o.d; "he hath put before me a picture of the valley. And whereas he saith, that in his youth it was waste, this also goeth with my knowledge thereof. For once was it peopled, and then was waste, and now again is it peopled."
"Tell us then more of the folk thereof," said the Alderman; "are they many?"
"Nay," said Face-of-G.o.d, "they are not. How might they be many, dwelling in that narrow Vale amid the wastes? But they are valiant, both men and women, and strong and well-liking. Once they dwelt in a fair dale called Silver-dale, the name whereof will be to you as a name in a lay; and there were they wealthy and happy. Then fell upon them this murderous Folk, whom they call the Dusky Men; and they fought and were overcome, and many of them were slain, and many enthralled, and the remnant of them escaped through the pa.s.ses of the mountains and came back to dwell in Shadowy Vale, where their forefathers had dwelt long and long ago; and this overthrow befell them ten years agone. But now their old foemen have broken out from Silver-dale and have taken to scouring the wood seeking prey; so they fall upon these Dusky Men as occasion serves, and slay them without pity, as if they were adders or evil dragons; and indeed they be worse. And these valiant men know for certain that their foemen are now of mind to fall upon this Dale and destroy it, as they have done with others nigher to them. And they will slay our men, and lie with our women against their will, and enthrall our children, and torment all those that lie under their hands till life shall be worse than death to them. Therefore, O Alderman and Wardens, and ye neighbours all, it behoveth you to take counsel what we shall do, and that speedily."
There was again a murmur, as of men nothing daunted, but intent on taking some way through the coming trouble. But no man said aught till the Alderman spake:
"When didst thou first happen upon this Earl-folk, son?"
"Late last autumn," said Face-of-G.o.d.
Said Iron-face: "Then mightest thou have told us of this tale before."
"Yea," said his son, "but I knew it not, or but little of it, till two days agone. In the autumn I wandered in the woodland, and on the fell I happened on a few of this folk dwelling in a booth by the pine-wood; and they were kind and guest-fain with me, and gave me meat and drink and lodging, and bade me come to Shadowy Vale in the spring, when I should know more of them. And that was I fain of; for they are wise and goodly men. But I deemed no more of those that I saw there save as men who had been outlawed by their own folk for deeds that were unlawful belike, but not shameful, and were biding their time of return, and were living as they might meanwhile. But of the whole Folk and their foemen knew I no more than ye did, till two days agone, when I met them again in Shadowy Vale. Also I think before long ye shall see their chieftain in Burgstead, for he hath a word for us. Lastly, my mind it is that those brown-clad men who helped Hall-face and his company in the wood were nought but men of this Earl-kin seeking their foemen; for indeed they told me that they had come upon a battle in the woodland wherein they had slain their foemen. Now have I told you all that ye need to know concerning these matters."
Again was there silence as Iron-face sat pondering a question for his son; then a goodman of the Upper Dale, Gritgarth to wit, spake and said:
"Gold-mane mine, tell us how many is this folk; I mean their fighting-men?"
"Well asked, neighbour," said Iron-face.
Said Face-of-G.o.d: "Their fighting-men of full age may be five score; but besides that there shall be some two or three score of women that will fight, whoever says them nay; and many of these are little worse in the field than men; or no worse, for they shoot well in the bow.
Moreover, there will be a full score of swains not yet twenty winters old whom ye may not hinder to fight if anything is a-doing."
"This is no great host," said the Alderman; "yet if they deem there is little to lose by fighting, and nought to gain by sitting still, they may go far in winning their desire; and that more especially if they may draw into their quarrel some other valiant Folk more in number than they be. I marvel not, though, they were kind to thee, son Gold-mane, if they knew who thou wert."
"They knew it," said Face-of-G.o.d.
"Neighbours," said the Alderman, "have ye any rede hereon, and aught to say to back your rede?"
Then spake the Fiddle: "As ye know and may see, I am now very old, and, as the word goes, unmeet for battle: yet might I get me to the field, either on mine own legs or on the legs of some four-foot beast, I would strike, if it were but one stroke, on these pests of the earth. And, Alderman, meseemeth we shall do amiss if we bid not the Earl-folk of Shadowy Vale to be our fellows in arms in this adventure. For look you, how few soever they be, they will be sure to know the ways of our foemen, and the mountain pa.s.ses, and the surest and nighest roads across the necks and the mires of the waste; and though they be not a host, yet shall they be worth a host to us?"
When men heard his words they shouted for joy of them; for hatred of the Dusky Men who should so mar their happy life in the Dale was growing up in them, and the more that hatred waxed, the more waxed their love of those valiant ones.
Now Red-coat of Waterless spake again: he was a big man, both tall and broad, ruddy-faced and red-haired, some forty winters old. He said:
"Life hath been well with us of the Lower Dale, and we deem that we have much to lose in losing it. Yet ill would the bargain be to buy life with thralldom: we have been over-merry hitherto for that.
Therefore I say, to battle! And as to these men, these well-wishers of Face-of-G.o.d, if they also are minded for battle with our foes, we were fools indeed if we did not join them to our company, were they but one score instead of six."
Men shouted again, and they said that Red-coat had spoken well. Then one after other the goodmen of the Dale came and gave their word for fellowship in arms with the Men of Shadowy Vale, if there were such as Face-of-G.o.d had said, which they doubted not; and amongst them that spake were Fox of Nethertown, and Warwell, and Gritgarth, and Bearswain, and Warcliff, and Hart of Highcliff, and Worm of Willowholm, and Bullsbane, and Highneb of the Marsh: all these were stout men-at-arms and men of good counsel.
Last of all the Alderman spake and said:
"As to the war, that must we needs meet if all be sooth that we have heard, and I doubt it not.
"Now therefore let us look to it like wise men while time yet serves.
Ye shall know that the muster of the Dalesmen will bring under shield eight long hundreds of men well-armed, and of the Shepherd-Folk four hundreds, and of the Woodlanders two hundreds; and this is a goodly host if it be well ordered and wisely led. Now am I your Alderman and your Doomster, and I can heave up a sword as well as another maybe, nor do I think that I shall blench in the battle; yet I mis...o...b.. me that I am no leader or orderer of men-of-war: therefore ye will do wisely to choose a wiser man-at-arms than I be for your War-leader; and if at the Great Folk-mote, when all the Houses and Kindreds are gathered, men yeasay your choosing, then let him abide; but if they naysay it, let him give place to another. For time presses. Will ye so choose?"
"Yea, yea!" cried all men.
"Good is that, neighbours," said the Alderman. "Whom will ye have for War-leader? Consider well."
Short was their rede, for every man opened his mouth and cried out "Face-of-G.o.d!" Then said the Alderman:
"The man is young and untried; yet though he is so near akin to me, I will say that ye will do wisely to take him; for he is both deft of his hands and brisk; and moreover, of this matter he knoweth more than all we together. Now therefore I declare him your War-leader till the time of the Great Folk-mote."
Then all men shouted with great glee and clashed their weapons; but some few put their heads together and spake apart a little while, and then one of them, Red-coat of Waterless to wit, came forward and said: "Alderman, some of us deem it good that Stone-face, the old man wise in war and in the ways of the Wood, should be named as a counsellor to the War-leader; and Hall-face, a very brisk and strong young man, to be his right hand and sword-bearer."
"Good is that," said Iron-face. "Neighbours, will ye have it so?"
This also they yeasaid without delay, and the Alderman declared Stone-face and Hall-face the helpers of Face-of-G.o.d in this business.
Then he said:
"If any hath aught to say concerning what is best to be done at once, it were good that he said it now before all and not to murmur and grudge hereafter."
None spake save the Fiddle, who said: "Alderman and War-leader, one thing would I say: that if these foemen are anywise akin to those overrunners of the Folks of whom the tales went in my youth (for I also as well as Stone-face mind me well of those tales concerning them), it shall not avail us to sit still and await their onset. For then may they not be withstood, when they have gathered head and burst out and over the folk that have been happy, even as the waters that overtop a d.y.k.e and cover with their muddy ruin the deep green gra.s.s and the flower-buds of spring. Therefore my rede is, as soon as may be to go seek these folk in the woodland and wheresoever else they may be wandering. What sayest thou, Face-of-G.o.d?"
"My rede is as thine," said he; "and to begin with, I do now call upon ten tens of good men to meet me in arms at the beginning of Wildlake"s Way to-morrow morning at daybreak; and I bid my brother Hall-face to summon such as are most meet thereto. For this I deem good, that we scour the wood daily at present till we hear fresh tidings from them of Shadowy Vale, who are nigher than we to the foemen. Now, neighbours, are ye ready to meet me?"
Then all shouted, "Yea, we will go, we will go!"
Said the Alderman: "Now have we made provision for the war in that which is nearest to our hands. Yet have we to deal with the matter of the fellowship with the Folk whom Face-of-G.o.d hath seen. This is a matter for thee, son, at least till the Great Folk-mote is holden.
Tell me then, shall we send a messenger to Shadowy Vale to speak with this folk, or shall we abide the chieftain"s coming?"
"By my rede," said Face-of-G.o.d, "we shall abide his coming: for first, though I might well make my way thither, I doubt if I could give any the bearings, so that he could come there without me; and belike I am needed at home, since I am become War-leader. Moreover, when your messenger cometh to Shadowy Vale, he may well chance to find neither the chieftain there, nor the best of his men; for whiles are they here, and whiles there, as they wend following after the Dusky Men."
"It is well, son," said the Alderman, "let it be as thou sayest: soothly this matter must needs be brought before the Great Folk-mote.
Now will I ask if any other hath any word to say, or any rede to give before this Gate-thing sundereth?"
But no man came forward, and all men seemed well content and of good heart; and it was now well past noontide.
CHAPTER XXVI. THE ENDING OF THE GATE-THING
But just as the Alderman was on the point of rising to declare the breaking-up of the Thing, there came a stir in the throng and it opened, and a warrior came forth into the innermost of the ring of men, arrayed in goodly glittering War-gear; clad in such wise that a tunicle of precious gold-wrought web covered the hauberk all but the sleeves thereof, and the hem of it beset with blue mountain-stones smote against the ankles and well-nigh touched the feet, shod with sandals gold-embroidered and gemmed. This warrior bore a goodly gilded helm on the head, and held in hand a spear with gold-garlanded shaft, and was girt with a sword whose hilts and scabbard both were adorned with gold and gems: beardless, smooth-cheeked, exceeding fair of face was the warrior, but pale and somewhat haggard-eyed: and those who were nearby beheld and wondered; for they saw that there was come the Bride arrayed for war and battle, as if she were a messenger from the House of the G.o.ds, and the Burg that endureth for ever.
Then she fell to speech in a voice which at first was somewhat hoa.r.s.e and broken, but cleared as she went on, and she said:
"There sittest thou, O Alderman of Burgdale! Is Face-of-G.o.d thy son anywhere nigh, so that he can hear me?"
But Iron-face wondered at her word, and said: "He is beside thee, as he should be." For indeed Face-of-G.o.d was touching her, shoulder to shoulder. But she looked not to the right hand nor the left, but said: