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The Roots of the Mountains

Chapter X. New Tidings in the Dale

Word Count: 2054    |    Released on: 17/11/2017

t of Wildlake; but he had gone scant half a mile ere he fell in with a throng of folk going to Burgstead. They were of the Shepherds; they had weapons with them, and some

him into their midmost; so he mingled with them, and they stood in a ring about

ashion, covered with a crimson network like a pippin; his lips thin and not well hiding his few teeth; his nose long like a snipe's

starve-all fool of the Shepherds; and his name was now bec

d: 'What aileth you, neighbours? Your weapons, are bare, but I

; but a stout carle who stood by with a

rong-thieves of the wood are astir; and some

he deed they have d

Thou knowest Penn

are the water-meadows about it; grea

within the house

said Go

ant gear: we gather for others to sca

there is little gear therein now; for the strong-

s that?' sai

e carle, 'the door was smitten on, and

humb, 'a host entere

work for him; and one of them, Rusty to wit, was the worst man of the hill-country. These then the host whereof the goodm

nny-thumb; 'they took

er man said: 'Well, neighbour Penny-thumb, if it was so little, thou

e going there for us shepherds, who are used to the bare downs, save Rusty, who was a good woodsman and lifted the slot for us; so he outwent us all, and ran out of sight of us, so presently we came upon him dead-slain, with the manslayer's spear in his breast. What then could we do but turn back again, for now was the wood blind now Rusty was dead, and we knew n

n-faced tall wiry man, somewhat foxy of aspect

was no good man, yet was he of our people, and the feud is with us; so we would see the Alderman, and do him to wit of the tidin

hat ye found in Rust

'Hither with it, neighbours; g

to his hand, and he

the blood-trench as clean and trim as though it were an Earl's sword. See you withal this inlaying of runes on the steel? It is done with no tin or copper, but with very silver; and these bands about the shaft be of silver also. It is a fair weapo

e of the ransackers they might have a blood-wite of him, if they could find him. Gold-mane

nd a finding uttered, and outlawry given forth for the manslaying and the ransacking a

uld they live in that place. And he marvelled that they should risk drawing the Dalesmen's wrath upon them; whereas they of the Dale were strong men not easily daunted, albeit peaceable enough if not stirred to wrath. For in good sooth he had no doubt concernin

that he thought of, he kept in hi

emed to most men's eyes nought changed from what he had been. But the Bride noted that he saw her less often than his wont was, and abode with her a lesser space when he met her; and she could not think what this might mean

ntofts had been ransacked there, and none knew by whom. Now the goodman of Greentofts was little loved of the neighbours: he was grasping and overbearing, and had often cowed others out of their due: he was very cross-grained, both at home and abroad: his wife had fled from his hand, neither did his sons find it good to abide with him: therewithal he was wealthy of goods, a strong man and a deft man-at-arms. When his sons and his wife departed from him, and none other of the Dalesmen cared to abide w

w in the dimness (for all lights but the fire on the hearth had been quenched) certain things tumbling in which at first they deemed were wolves; but when they took swords and staves against them, lo they were met by swords and axes, and they saw that the seeming wolves were men with wolf-skins drawn over them. So the new-comers c

e fierce storm, and none could tell whether they had lived or died in it; but at least neither the men nor

his friends of the Mountain; but he held his peace,

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1 Chapter I. Of Burgstead and its Folk and its Neighbours2 Chapter II. Of Face-Of-God and His Kindred3 Chapter III. They Talk of Divers Matters in the Hall4 Chapter IV. Face-Of-God Fareth to the Wood Again5 Chapter V. Face-Of-God Falls in with Menfolk on the Mountain6 Chapter VI. Of Face-Of-God and Those Mountain-Dwellers7 Chapter VII. Face-Of-God Talketh with the Friend on the Mountain8 Chapter VIII. Face-Of-God Cometh Home Again to Burgstead9 Chapter IX. Those Brethren Fare to the Yewwood with the Bride10 Chapter X. New Tidings in the Dale11 Chapter XI. Men Make Oath at Burgstead on the Holy Boar12 Chapter XII. Stone-Face Telleth Concerning the Wood-Wights13 Chapter XIII. They Fare to the Hunting of the Elk14 Chapter XIV. Concerning Face-Of-God and the Mountain15 Chapter XV. Murder Amongst the Folk of the Woodlanders16 Chapter XVI. The Bride Speaketh with Face-Of-God17 Chapter XVII. The Token Cometh from the Mountain18 Chapter XVIII. Face-Of-God Talketh with the Friend in Shadowy Vale19 Chapter XIX. The Fair Woman Telleth Face-Of-God of Her Kindred20 Chapter XX. Those Two Together Hold the Ring of the Earth-God21 Chapter XXI. Face-Of-God Looketh on the Dusky Men22 Chapter XXII. Face-Of-God Cometh Home to Burgstead23 Chapter XXIII. Talk in the Hall of the House of the Face24 Chapter XXIV. Face-Of-God Giveth that Token to the Bride25 Chapter XXV. Of the Gate-Thing at Burgstead26 Chapter XXVI. The Ending of the Gate-Thing27 Chapter XXVII. Face-Of-God Leadeth a Band Through the Wood28 Chapter XXVIII. The Men of Burgdale Meet the Runaways29 Chapter XXIX. They Bring the Runaways to Burgstead30 Chapter XXX. Hall-Face Goeth Toward Rose-Dale31 Chapter XXXI. Of the Weapon-Show of the Men of Burgdale and Their Neighbours32 Chapter XXXII. The Men of Shadowy Vale Come to the Spring Market at Burgstead33 Chapter XXXIII. The Alderman Gives Gifts to Them of Shadowy Vale34 Chapter XXXIV. The Chieftains Take Counsel in the Hall of the Face35 Chapter XXXV. Face-Of-God Talketh with the Sun-Beam36 Chapter XXXVI. Folk-Might Speaketh with the Bride37 Chapter XXXVII38 Chapter XXXVIII. Of the Great Folk-Mote Atonements Given, and Men Made Sackless39 Chapter XXXIX40 Chapter XL. Of the Hosting in Shadowy Vale41 Chapter XLI. The Host Departeth from Shadowy Vale The First Day's Journey42 Chapter XLII. The Host Cometh to the Edges of Silver-Dale43 Chapter XLIII. Face-Of-God Looketh on Silver-Dale The Bowmen's Battle44 Chapter XLIV. Of the Onslaught of the Men of the Steer, the Bridge, and the Bull45 Chapter XLV. Of Face-Of-God's Onslaught46 Chapter XLVI. Men Meet in the Market of Silver-Stead47 Chapter XLVII. The Kindreds Win the Mote-House48 Chapter XLVIII. Men Sing in the Mote-House49 Chapter XLIX50 Chapter L. Folk-Might Seeth the Bride and Speaketh with Her51 Chapter LI. The Dead Borne to Bale The Mote-House Re-Hallowed52 Chapter LII. Of the New Beginning of Good Days in Silver-Dale53 Chapter LIII. Of the Word which Hall-Ward of the Steer had for Folk-Might54 Chapter LIV. Tidings of Dallach A Folk-Mote in Silver-Dale55 Chapter LV. Departure from Silver-Dale56 Chapter LVI. Talk Upon the Wild-Wood Way57 Chapter LVII. How the Host Came Home Again58 Chapter LVIII. How the Maiden Ward was Held in Burgdale59 Chapter LIX