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
Great game it was now to see the stark Burgdale carles dragging the Men
of the Plain, little loth, up to the front of the ring, that they might
stretch out their hands for a cup, and how many a one, as he took it,
took as much as he might of the damsel’s hand withal. As for the
damsels, they played the Holy Play very daintily, neither reddening nor
laughing, but faring so solemnly, and withal so sweetly and bright-faced,
that it might well have been deemed that they were in very sooth Maidens
of the God of Earth sent from the ever-enduring Hall to cheer the hearts
of men.
So simply and blithely did the Men of Burgdale disport them after the
manner of their fathers, trusting in their valour and beholding the good
days to be.
So wore the evening, and when night was come, men feasted throughout the
Burg from house to house, and every hall was full. But the Guests from
Shadowy Vale feasted in the Hall of the Face in all glee and goodwill;
and with them were the chief of the chapmen and two others; but the rest
of them had been laid hold of by goodmen of the Burg, and dragged into
their feast-halls, for they were fain of those guests and their tales.
One of the chapmen in the House of the Face knew Folk-might, and hailed
him by the name he had borne in the Cities, Regulus to wit; indeed, the
chief chapman knew him, and even somewhat over-well, for he had been held
to ransom by Folk-might in those past days, and even yet feared him,
because he, the chapman, had played somewhat of a dastard’s part to him.
But the other was an open-hearted and merry fellow, and no weakling; and
Folk-might was fain of his talk concerning times bygone, and the fields
they had foughten in, and other adventures that had befallen them, both
good and evil.
As for Face-of-god, he went about the Hall soberly, and spake no more
than behoved him, so as not to seem a mar-feast; for the image of the
slaughter to be yet abode with him, and his heart foreboded the
after-grief of the battle. He had no speech with the Sun-beam till men
were sundering after the feast, and then he came close to her amidst of
the turmoil, and said:
‘Time presses on me these days; but if thou wouldest speak with me
to-morrow as I would with thee, then mightest thou go on the Bridge of
the Burg about sunrise, and I will be there, and we two only.’
Her face, which had been somewhat sad that evening (for she had been
watching his), brightened at that word, and she took his hand as folk
came thronging round about them, and said:
‘Yea, friend, I shall be there, and fain of thee.’ And therewithal they
sundered for that night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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