The Roots of the Mountains

ew deed, but is not yet deep in the story; his new friends noted that, for they smiled each in their own way, and the woman drew her hand away from his. Fa

thou, fair woman, tell me thine;

art wary; and be assured! We shall hurt thee no more than thou hast been hurt. Now as to my name; the name that was born with me is gone: the name that was given me hath

man and over-lovely woman were nought mortal, and they withal dealing with him as father and mother deal with a wayward child: then for a moment his heart failed him, and he longed for the peace of Burgdale, and

hioned, and yet as though it were deft in the crafts that the daughters of menfolk use, his fear departed, and the pleasure of his longing

hand, heeding the kiss n

lawful to guess, I would say that thy nam

in the Dale those that love m

l-beloved. But come in now, Gold-mane, for night is at hand, and here have we meat and lodgin

he hall, and it seemed to him as if she were the faire

ing chamber dight very fairly with broidered cloths. The hangings on the walls, though they left some places bare which were hung with fresh boughs, were fairer than any he had ever seen, so that he deemed that they must come from far countries and the City of Cities: therein were images wrought of warriors and fair women of old time and their dealings with the Gods and the Giants, and Wondrous wights; and he deemed that this was the story of some great kindred, and that thei

s if one of the Ladies of the Heavenly Burg were doing him service. Then she went away by a door at the lower end of the hall, and Wild-wearer came and sat down by Gold-mane, and fell a-talking with him about the ways of the Dalesmen, and their garths, and the pastures and

short-skirted she was and clad as a hunter, with a bow in her hand and a quiver at her back: she unslung a pouch, which she

or to-morrow, not for to-day; the

alled to mind his home-coming o

e told me of the coming gu

arer, 'she looked

e why went I forth this afternoon,

ue work or go play; I meddle not with meat! a

said, 'it is no otherwise; s

he; 'now tarry if thou wilt, and if t

t Face-of-god, and departed through

en the three fell to dighting the board, and when it was all ready, and Gold-mane and Wild-wearer were set down to it, and with them the fair woman and the huntress, the old woman threw good store of fresh brands on the hearth, so that the light shone into every corner; and even therewith the outer door opened, and four more men entered, whereof one was old, but big and stalwarth, the other three young: they were all clad roughly in sheep-brown weed, but had helms upo

them: 'Well, lads, have y

young men, 'as was but due after las

and let thy tongue help thy teeth to deal wit

e swains, 'since here is a new man

that talk best, Wood-wont; it is not

oomers, and elders, and wardens, and guarded castles? If the new man listeth to

cked, hold thy peace, and forget the s

ld-mane somewhat fiercely, now that words had stirred them, and he had sat there saying

the Dale, who hath sought the wood in peace, and hath found us. His hand is ready and his heart is guileless: if ye fear him, run aw

then wilt thou be of the House of the Face, and thy name will be Face-of-god; for th

ind to journey west to the cities to see what manner of man I be: that were ill husb

ell in the bow: and this old carline is my eme's wife, and now belike my mother, if I need one. But thou, fair-faced Dalesman, little dost thou n

as no great plenty; wine lacked not, and that of the best; and Gold-mane noted that the cups and the apparel of the horns

d, and she seemed most pleased when he spoke best, and led him on to do so. Wild-wearer was but of few words, and those s

her healths also he called, the meaning of which was dark to Gold-mane; to wit, the Jaws of the Wolf; the Silver Arm; the Red Hand; the Golden

the guest is weary: therefore whoso of you hath in him any mins

y fiddle, and he stood on the floor amidst of the hall and Bow-may his cousin with him; and he laid his bow on the fiddle and woke up song in it, and when it was we

sing

e rain up

ry wate

then to we

her will

sin

re on the

es lap t

e wind-worn

h grass a

sing

to the r

eed fair

waters w

rks to t

sin

day, and d

p are wa

ves gather f

ening maw

sing

this, and w

's band,

r of our

ing wolve

sin

hen we wen

ith death

of our Fa

the wind

sing

maidens th

hall save

hall kiss our

hath mas

sin

s won, the

leth man

hay knee-dee

the grass

ng all

efall the m

the play

efall the

o lives s

dly, but to the others it was we

gainst thy new-come guest. Therefore, Dalesman, sing us a song of the Dale, and if ye will, let it be of gardens and pleasant houses of stone, and fair da

gainst the song that cometh from the heart of a noble house; yet may I not gainsay thee

t and clear voice: and this

through the

he meads

brush the b

g short

he gables

sheth the

ur fallow he

l the fig

t mend of m

h the clo

our feet red

was blent

willowy st

d we to

across its

eth there

t gleameth

the wat

blood the mo

the ri

n to the r

the gras

dainty ban

ns fair

eeds must tak

hides th

arms the go

the ford

the garden

e flowers

eet kiss th

ies clos

sing; here

grey wall

t lived from

hat fought

weet. Yet did Wild-wearer smile somewhat; and Bow-may said outright: 'Soft is

to please; the guest is kind, and hath given us tha

he Friend looked kindly on him; and he thought he saw that once or twice she put out her ha

oth a river; and this is good to come between our dreams of what hath been and what shal

all be to thy scathe. And when thou wakest in the morning, if we are yet here, it is well; but if we are not, then abide us no long while, but break thy

all. And when she was gone, once more he had a deeming of her that she was of the kindred of the Gods. At her departure him-seeme