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
But now, as they chased, came a rush of men upon them again, as though a
new onset were at hand. That saw Face-of-god and Hall-ward and War-well,
and other wise leaders of men, and they bade their folk forbear the
chase, and lock their ranks to meet the onfall of this new wave of
foemen. And they did so, and stood fast as a wall; but lo! the onrush
that drave up against them was but a fleeing shrieking throng, and no
longer an array of warriors, for many had cast away their weapons, and
were rushing they knew not whither; for they were being thrust on the
bitter edges of Face-of-god’s companies by the terror of the fleers from
the onset of the men of the Face, the Sickle, and the Vine, whom
Hall-face and Stone-face were leading, along with Folk-might. Then once
again the men of Face-of-god gave forth the whoop of victory, and pressed
forward again, hewing their way through the throng of fleers, but turning
not to chase to the right or the left; while at their backs came on the
Shepherd-folk, who had swept down all that withstood them; for now indeed
was the Market-stead getting thinner of living men.
So led the War-leader his ordered ranks, till at last over the tangled
crowd of runaways he saw the banners of the Burg and the Face flashing
against the sun, and heard the roar of the kindreds as they drave the
chase towards them. Then he lifted up his sword, and stood still, and
all the host behind him stayed and cast a huge shout up to the heavens,
and there they abode the coming of the other Dalesmen.
But the War-leader sent a message to Hound-under-Greenbury, bidding him
lead the Shepherds to the chase of the Dusky Men, who were now all
fleeing toward the northern outgate of the Market. Howbeit he called to
mind the throng he had seen on the northern road before they were come
into the Market-stead, and deemed that way also death awaited the foemen,
even if the men of the kindreds forbore them.
But presently the space betwixt the Woodlanders and the men of the Face
was clear of all but the dead, so that friend saw the face of friend; and
it could be seen that the warriors of the Face were ruddy and smiling for
joy, because the battle had been easy to them, and but few of them had
fallen; for the Dusky Men who had left the Market-stead to fall on them,
had had room for fleeing behind them, and had speedily turned their backs
before the spear-casting of the men of the Face and the onrush of the
swordsmen.
There then stood these victorious men facing one another, and the
banner-bearers on either side came through the throng, and brought the
banners together between the two hosts; and the Wolf kissed the Face, and
the Sickle and the Vine met the Steer and the Bridge and the Bull: but
the Shepherds were yet chasing the fleers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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