The Wood Beyond the World
Page 31
CHAPTER XXXI: THEY COME UPON NEW FOLK
With that they went down from the bent again, and came to where the passnarrowed so much, that they went betwixt a steep wall of rock on eitherside; but after an hour's going, the said wall gave back suddenly, and,or they were ware almost, they came on another dale like to that whichthey had left, but not so fair, though it was grassy and well watered,and not so big either. But here indeed befell a change to them; for lo!tents and pavilions pitched in the said valley, and amidst of it a throngof men, mostly weaponed, and with horses ready saddled at hand. So theystayed their feet, and Walter's heart failed him, for he said to himself:Who wotteth what these men may be, save that they be aliens? It is mostlike that we shall be taken as thralls; and then, at the best, we shallbe sundered; and that is all one with the worst.
But the Maid, when she saw the horses, and the gay tents, and the pennonsfluttering, and the glitter of spears, and gleaming of white armour,smote her palms together for joy, and cried out: "Here now are come thefolk of the city for our welcoming, and fair and lovely are they, and ofmany things shall they be thinking, and a many things shall they do, andwe shall be partakers thereof. Come then, and let us meet them, fairfriend!"
But Walter said: "Alas! thou knowest not: would that we might flee! Butnow is it over late; so put we a good face on it, and go to them quietly,as erewhile we did in the Bear-country."
So did they; and there sundered six from the men-at-arms and came tothose twain, and made humble obeisance to Walter, but spake no word. Thenthey made as they would lead them to the others, and the twain went withthem wondering, and came into the ring of men-at-arms, and stood beforean old hoar knight, armed all, save his head, with most goodly armour,and he also bowed before Walter, but spake no word. Then they took themto the master pavilion, and made signs to them to sit, and they broughtthem dainty meat and good wine. And the while of their eating arose up astir about them; and when they were done with their meat, the ancientknight came to them, still bowing in courteous wise, and did them to witby signs that they should depart: and when they were without, they sawall the other tents struck, and men beginning to busy them with strikingthe pavilion, and the others mounted and ranked in good order for theroad; and there were two horse-litters before them, wherein they werebidden to mount, Walter in one, and the Maid in the other, and nootherwise might they do. Then presently was a horn blown, and all tookto the road together; and Walter saw betwixt the curtains of the litterthat men-at-arms rode on either side of him, albeit they had left him hissword by his side.
So they went down the mountain-passes, and before sunset were gotten intothe plain; but they made no stay for nightfall, save to eat a morsel anddrink a draught, going through the night as men who knew their way well.As they went, Walter wondered what would betide, and if peradventure theyalso would be for offering them up to their Gods; whereas they werealiens for certain, and belike also Saracens. Moreover there was a coldfear at his heart that he should be sundered from the Maid, whereas theirmasters now were mighty men of war, holding in their hands that which allmen desire, to wit, the manifest beauty of a woman. Yet he strove tothink the best of it that he might. And so at last, when the night wasfar spent, and dawn was at hand, they stayed at a great and mighty gatein a huge wall. There they blew loudly on the horn thrice, andthereafter the gates were opened, and they all passed through into astreet, which seemed to Walter in the glimmer to be both great and goodlyamongst the abodes of men. Then it was but a little ere they came into asquare, wide-spreading, one side whereof Walter took to be the front of amost goodly house. There the doors of the court opened to them or everthe horn might blow, though, forsooth, blow it did loudly three times;all they entered therein, and men came to Walter and signed to him toalight. So did he, and would have tarried to look about for the Maid,but they suffered it not, but led him up a huge stair into a chamber,very great, and but dimly lighted because of its greatness. Then theybrought him to a bed dight as fair as might be, and made signs to him tostrip and lie therein. Perforce he did so, and then they bore away hisraiment, and left him lying there. So he lay there quietly, deeming itno avail for him, a mother-naked man, to seek escape thence; but it waslong ere he might sleep, because of his trouble of mind. At last, pureweariness got the better of his hopes and fears, and he fell into slumberjust as the dawn was passing into day.