But he said: "Then from the wide meadow come we into a close of corn, and then into an orchard-close beyond it. There in the ancient walnut-tree the owl sitteth breathing hard in the night-time; but thou shalt not hear him for the joy of the nightingales singing from the apple-trees of the close. Then from out of the shadowed orchard shall we come into the open town-meadow, and over its daisies shall the moonlight be lying in a grey flood of brightness.
"Short is the way across it to the brim of the Weltering Water, and across the water lieth the fair garden of the Face; and I have dight for thee there a little boat to waft us across the night-dark waters, that shall be like wavering flames of white fire where the moon smites them, and like the void of all things where the shadows hang over them. There then shall we be in the garden, beholding how the hall-windows are yellow, and hearkening the sound of the hall-glee borne across the flowers and blending with the voice of the nightingales in the trees. There then shall we go along the gra.s.s paths whereby the pinks and the cloves and the lavender are sending forth their fragrance, to cheer us, who faint at the scent of the over-worn roses, and the honey-sweetness of the lilies.
"All this is for thee, and for nought but for thee this even; and many a blossom whereof thou knowest nought shall grieve if thy foot tread not thereby to-night; if the path of thy wedding which I have made, be void of thee, on the even of the Chamber of Love.
"But lo! at last at the garden"s end is the yew-walk arched over for thee, and thou canst not see whereby to enter it; but I, I know it, and I lead thee into and along the dark tunnel through the moonlight, and thine hand is not weary of mine as we go. But at the end shall we come to a wicket, which shall bring us out by the gable-end of the Hall of the Face. Turn we about its corner then, and there are we blinking on the torches of the torch-bearers, and the candles through the open door, and the hall ablaze with light and full of joyous clamour, like the bale-fire in the dark night kindled on a ness above the sea by fisher-folk remembering the G.o.ds."
"O nay," she said, "but by the Portway must we go; the straightest way to the Gate of Burgstead."
In vain she spake, and knew not what she said; for even as he was speaking he led her away, and her feet went as her will went, rather than her words; and even as she said that last word she set her foot on the first board of the foot-bridge; and she turned aback one moment, and saw the long line of the rock-wall yet glowing with the last of the sunset of midsummer, while as she turned again, lo!
before her the moon just beginning to lift himself above the edge of the southern cliffs, and betwixt her and him all Burgdale, and Face- of-G.o.d moreover.
Thus then they crossed the bridge into the green meadows, and through the closes and into the garden of the Face and unto the Hall-door; and other brides and grooms were there before them (for six grooms had brought home brides to the House of the Face); but none deemed it amiss in the War-leader of the folk and the love that had led him.
And old Stone-face said: "Too many are the rows of bee-skeps in the gardens of the Dale that we should begrudge wayward lovers an hour"s waste of candle-light."
So at last those twain went up the sun-bright Hall hand in hand in all their loveliness, and up on to the dais, and stood together by the middle seat; and the tumult of the joy of the kindred was hushed for a while as they saw that there was speech in the mouth of the War-leader.
Then he spread his hands abroad before them all and cried out: "How then have I kept mine oath, whereas I swore on the Holy Boar to wed the fairest woman of the world?"
A mighty shout went rattling about the timbers of the roof in answer to his word; and they that looked up to the gable of the Hall said that they saw the ray-ringed image of the G.o.d smile with joy over the gathered folk.
But spake Iron-face unheard amidst the clamour of the Hall: "How fares it now with my darling and my daughter, who dwelleth amongst strangers in the land beyond the wild-wood?"
CHAPTER LIX. THE BEHEST OF FACE-OF-G.o.d TO THE BRIDE ACCOMPLISHED: A MOTE-STEAD APPOINTED FOR THE THREE FOLKS, TO WIT, THE MEN OF BURGDALE, THE SHEPHERDS, AND THE CHILDREN OF THE WOLF
Three years and two months thereafter, three hours after noon in the days of early autumn, came a wain tilted over with precious webs of cloth, and drawn by eight white oxen, into the Market-place of Silver-stead: two score and ten of spearmen of the tallest, clad in goodly war-gear, went beside it, and much people of Silver-dale thronged about them. The wain stayed at the foot of the stair that led up to the door of the Mote-house, and there lighted down therefrom a woman goodly of fashion, with wide grey eyes, and face and hands brown with the sun"s burning. She had a helm on her head and a sword girt to her side, and in her arms she bore a yearling child.
And there was come Bow-may with the second man-child born to Face-of- G.o.d.
She stayed not amidst the wondering folk, but hastened up the stair, which she had once seen running with the blood of men: the door was open, and she went in and walked straight-way, with the babe in her arms, up the great Hall to the dais.
There were men on the dais: amidmost sat Folk-might, little changed since the last day she had seen him, yet fairer, she deemed, than of old time; and her heart went forth to meet the Chieftain of her Folk, and the glad tears started in her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she drew near to him.
By his side sat the Bride, and her also Bow-may deemed to have waxed goodlier. Both she and Folk-might knew Bow-may ere she had gone half the length of the hall; and the Bride rose up in her place and cried out Bow-may"s name joyously.
With these were sitting the elders of the Wolf and the Woodlanders, the more part of whom Bow-may knew well.
On the dais also stood aside a score of men weaponed, and looking as if they were awaiting the word which should send them forth on some errand.
Now stood up Folk-might and said: "Fair greeting and love to my friend and the daughter of my Folk! How farest thou, Bow-may, best of all friendly women? How fareth my sister, and Face-of-G.o.d my brother? and how is it with our friends and helpers in the goodly Dale?"
Said Bow-may: "It is well both with all those and with me; and my heart laughs to see thee, Folk-might, and to look on the elders of the valiant, and our lovely sister the Bride. But I have a message for thee from Face-of-G.o.d: wilt thou that I deliver it here?"
"Yea surely," said Folk-might, and came forth. and took her hand, and kissed her cheeks and her mouth. The Bride also came forth and cast her arms about her, and kissed her; and they led her between them to a seat on the dais beside Folk-might.
But all men looked on the child in her arms and wondered what it was.
But Bow-may took the babe, which was both fair and great, and set it on the knees of the Bride, and said:
"Thus saith Face-of-G.o.d: "Friend and kinswoman, well-beloved playmate, the gift which thou badest of me in sorrow do thou now take in joy, and do all the good thou wouldest to the son of thy friend.
The ring which I gave thee once in the garden of the Face, give thou to Bow-may, my trusty and well-beloved, in token of the fulfilment of my behest.""
Then the Bride kissed Bow-may again, and fell to fondling of the child, which was loth to leave Bow-may.
But she spake again: "To thee also, Folk-might, I have a message from Face-of-G.o.d, who saith: "Mighty warrior, friend and fellow, all things thrive with us, and we are happy. Yet is there a hollow place in our hearts which grieveth us, and only thou and thine may amend it. Though whiles we hear tell of thee, yet we see thee not, and fain were we, might we see thee, and wot if the said tales be true.
Wilt thou help us somewhat herein, or wilt thou leave us all the labour? For sure we be that thou wilt not say that thou rememberest us no more, and that thy love for us is departed." This is his message, Folk-might, and he would have an answer from thee."
Then laughed Folk-might and said: "Sister Bow-may, seest thou these weaponed men hereby?"
"Yea," she said.
Said he: "These men bear a message with them to Face-of-G.o.d my brother. Crow the Shaft-speeder, stand forth and tell thy friend Bow-may the message I have set in thy mouth, every word of it."
Then Crow stood forth and greeted Bow-may friendly, and said: "Friend Bow-may, this is the message of our Alderman: "Friend and helper, in the Dale which thou hast given to us do all things thrive; neither are we grown old in three years" wearing, nor are our memories worsened. We long sore to see you and give you guesting in Silver-dale, and one day that shall befall. Meanwhile, know this: that we of the Wolf and the Woodland, mindful of the earth that bore us, and the pit whence we were digged, have a mind to go see Shadowy Vale once in every three years, and there to hold high-tide in the ancient Hall of the Wolf, and sit in the Doom-ring of our Fathers.
But since ye have joined yourselves to us in battle, and have given us this Dale, our health and wealth, without price and without reward, we deem you our very brethren, and small shall be our hall- glee, and barren shall our Doom-ring seem to us, unless ye sit there beside us. Come then, that we may rejoice each other by the sight of face and sound of voice; that we may speak together of matters that concern our welfare; so that we three Kindreds may become one Folk.
And if this seem good to you, know that we shall be in Shadowy Vale in a half-month"s wearing. Grieve us not by forbearing to come."
Lo, Bow-may, this is the message, and I have learned it well, for well it pleaseth me to bear it."
Then said Folk-might: "What say"st thou to the message, Bow-may?"
"It is good in all ways," said she, "but is it timely? May our folk have the message and get to Shadowy Vale, so as to meet you there?"
"Yea surely," said Folk-might, "for our kinsmen here shall take the road through Shadowy Vale, and in four days" time they shall be in Burgdale, and as thou wottest, it is scant a two days" journey thence to Shadowy Vale."
Therewith he turned to those men again, and said: "Kinsman Crow, depart now, and use all diligence with thy message."
So the messengers began to stir; but Bow-may cried out: "Ho! Folk- might, my friend, I perceive thou art little changed from the man I knew in Shadowy Vale, who would have his dinner before the fowl were plucked. For shall I not go back with these thy messengers, so that I also may get all ready to wend to the Mote-house of Shadowy Vale?"
But the Bride looked kindly on her, and laughed and said: "Sister Bow-may, his meaning is that thou shouldest abide here in Silver-dale till we depart for the Folk-thing, and then go thither with us; and this I also pray thee to do, that thou mayst rejoice the hearts of thine old friends; and also that thou mayst teach me all that I should know concerning this fair child of my brother and my sister."
And she looked on her so kindly as she caressed the babe, that Bow- may"s heart melted, and she cried out:
"Would that I might never depart from the house wherein thou dwellest, O Bride of my Kinsman! And this that thou biddest me is easy and pleasant for me to do. But afterwards I must get me back to Burgdale; for I seem to have left much there that calleth for me."
"Yea," said Folk-might, "and art thou wedded, Bow-may? Shalt thou never bend the yew in battle again?"
Said Bow-may soberly: "Who knoweth, chieftain? Yea, I am wedded now these two years; and nought I looked for less when I followed those twain through the wild-wood to Burgdale."
She sighed therewith, and said: "In all the Dale there is no better man of his hands than my man, nor any goodlier to look on, and he is even that Hart of Highcliff whom thou knowest well, O Bride!"
Said the Bride: "Thou sayest sooth, there is no better man in the Dale."
Said Bow-may: "Sun-beam bade me wed him when he pressed hard upon me." She stayed awhile, and then said: "Face-of-G.o.d also deemed I should not naysay the man; and now my son by him is of like age to this little one."
"Good is thy story," said Folk-might; "or deemest thou, Bow-may, that such strong and goodly women as thou, and women so kind and friendly, should forbear the wedding and the bringing forth of children? Yea, and we who may even yet have to gather to another field before we die, and fight for life and the goods of life."