And, truly, so soon as my Spirit and Reason perceived that we did be no
more to suffer from the Evil Thing, I remembered that I did know that
Mine Own had swooned. And, in verity, you shall mind how that she did
face her death so utter sweet and brave, and had given no cry, but made
quietly to help me in that dreadful moment, and did stand brave and
gentle to the stroke. And so fell into a swoon, as you have seen,
because that she did suffer an hundred deaths as she did stand so brave,
waiting to be slain, for the blow did be so long delayed, yet to come in
any moment.
And I gat her to come-to unto her life again, and I set the lovely tale
very swift to ease her, and surely with love and warmth, and kist her
with a great joy. And I showed how I did honour her for her good
courage.
And she to weep a little, with the ease come so sudden upon her; and
afterward to kiss me upon the lips an hundred times, and to need that
she be very safe in mine arms, because that I had meant that I do so
dread an office to her. And surely I do wonder whether you perceive all
that did be then in her heart.
And the holy light that did be over us, she did watch with a sweetness
of awe; and rest did come more great upon her in the heart, as she did
learn how sure was the seeming of that Lovely Power to deliver us.
And, presently, we made forward again in the Valley. And did go
steadfast, and newly-loving each to the other, and so through twelve
great and body-weary hours; but our hearts could never be done singing
within us, nor our hands to cease from the hands of the other, because
that we did so crave each unto the beloved.
And in the ninth hour, a monstrous way off in the dark of the Valley,
there did seem as that there went a far and dreadful screaming in the
night. And it did be as that our spirits perceived the sound of
something Spinning in the night; yet faint and a great way off; but yet
had we no surety that we did truly hear the sound of the Spinning; only
we did be so shaken in the heart, for truly there was some horror done
unto humans, downward in the mighty darkness of the Valley. And to think
upon the sound of the Spinning, was to be in a shaking trouble of the
spirit; and to bless the quiet and holy light that went above us in all
that time; and to ache only that it should stay to be to our protecting.
And surely it did be plain that there were the signs of great Forces in
that Land.
And three hours after that time when we did hear the far-off screaming,
we were come up over the edge of the Valley, and did be once more unto
such light as did be general in the Land; and truly it did seem a
wondrous lightness, after so utter a dark.
And we did be all exhaust, and Mine Own drew her feet so weary that it
was as that she must go no more, until we did rest; for indeed it was
three and thirty hours since last that we had slept; and a bitter
trouble and work there had been in that space, as you do know.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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