The Roots of the Mountains: Wherein Is Told Somewhat of the Lives of the Men of Burgdale, Their Friends, Their Neighbours, Their Foemen, and Their Fellows in ArmsMorris, William
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The Roots of the Mountains: Wherein Is Told Somewhat of the Lives of the Men of Burgdale, Their Friends, Their Neighbours, Their Foemen, and Their Fellows in Arms
Morris, William
Fantasy fiction
So the young man took the shoes from his feet and then sat watching the
women and lads arraying the boards, till Kettel came again to him with an
old woman bearing the ewer and basin, who washed his feet and poured the
water over his hands, and gave him the towel with fair-broidered ends to
dry them withal.
Scarce had he made an end of this ere through the outer door came in
three men and a young woman with them; the foremost of these was a man
younger by some two years than the first-comer, but so like him that none
might misdoubt that he was his brother; the next was an old man with a
long white beard, but hale and upright; and lastly came a man of
middle-age, who led the young woman by the hand. He was taller than the
first of the young men, though the other who entered with him outwent him
in height; a stark carle he was, broad across the shoulders, thin in the
flank, long-armed and big-handed; very noble and well-fashioned of
countenance, with a straight nose and grey eyes underneath a broad brow:
his hair grown somewhat scanty was done about with a fillet of golden
beads like the young men his sons. For indeed this was their father, and
the master of the House.
His name was Iron-face, for he was the deftest of weapon-smiths, and he
was the Alderman of the Dalesmen, and well-beloved of them; his kindred
was deemed the noblest of the Dale, and long had they dwelt in the House
of the Face. But of his sons the youngest, the new-comer, was named
Hall-face, and his brother the elder Face-of-god; which name was of old
use amongst the kindred, and many great men and stout warriors had borne
it aforetime: and this young man, in great love had he been gotten, and
in much hope had he been reared, and therefore had he been named after
the best of the kindred. But his mother, who was hight the Jewel, and
had been a very fair woman, was dead now, and Iron-face lacked a wife.
Face-of-god was well-beloved of his kindred and of all the Folk of the
Dale, and he had gotten a to-name, and was called Gold-mane because of
the abundance and fairness of his hair.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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