Chương Chương 26 · THEY COME TO THE FOLK OF THE BEARS

. THEY COME TO THE FOLK OF THE BEARS

On they went, and before long they were come up on to the down-country,

where was scarce a tree, save gnarled and knotty thorn-bushes here and

there, but nought else higher than the whin. And here on these upper

lands they saw that the pastures were much burned with the drought,

albeit summer was not worn old. Now they went making due south toward

the mountains, whose heads they saw from time to time rising deep blue

over the bleak greyness of the down-land ridges. And so they went, till

at last, hard on sunset, after they had climbed long over a high bent,

they came to the brow thereof, and, looking down, beheld new tidings.

There was a wide valley below them, greener than the downs which they had

come over, and greener yet amidmost, from the watering of a stream which,

all beset with willows, wound about the bottom. Sheep and neat were

pasturing about the dale, and moreover a long line of smoke was going up

straight into the windless heavens from the midst of a ring of little

round houses built of turfs, and thatched with reed. And beyond that,

toward an eastward-lying bight of the dale, they could see what looked

like to a doom-ring of big stones, though there were no rocky places in

that land. About the cooking-fire amidst of the houses, and here and

there otherwhere, they saw, standing or going to and fro, huge figures of

men and women, with children playing about betwixt them.

They stood and gazed down at it for a minute or two, and though all were

at peace there, yet to Walter, at least, it seemed strange and awful. He

spake softly, as though he would not have his voice reach those men,

though they were, forsooth, out of earshot of anything save a shout: "Are

these then the children of the Bear? What shall we do now?"

She said: "Yea, of the Bear they be, though there be other folks of them

far and far away to the northward and eastward, near to the borders of

the sea. And as to what we shall do, let us go down at once, and

peacefully. Indeed, by now there will be no escape from them; for lo

you! they have seen us."

Forsooth, some three or four of the big men had turned them toward the

bent whereon stood the twain, and were hailing them in huge, rough

voices, wherein, howsoever, seemed to be no anger or threat. So the Maid

took Walter by the hand, and thus they went down quietly, and the Bear-

folk, seeing them, stood all together, facing them, to abide their

coming. Walter saw of them, that though they were very tall and bigly

made, they were not so far above the stature of men as to be marvels. The

carles were long-haired, and shaggy of beard, and their hair all red or

tawny; their skins, where their naked flesh showed, were burned brown

with sun and weather, but to a fair and pleasant brown, nought like to

blackamoors. The queans were comely and well-eyed; nor was there

anything of fierce or evil-looking about either the carles or the queans,

but somewhat grave and solemn of aspect were they. Clad were they all,

saving the young men-children, but somewhat scantily, and in nought save

sheep-skins or deer-skins.

For weapons they saw amongst them clubs, and spears headed with bone or

flint, and ugly axes of big flints set in wooden handles; nor was there,

as far as they could see, either now or afterward, any bow amongst them.

But some of the young men seemed to have slings done about their

shoulders.

Now when they were come but three fathom from them, the Maid lifted up

her voice, and spake clearly and sweetly: "Hail, ye folk of the Bears! we

have come amongst you, and that for your good and not for your hurt:

wherefore we would know if we be welcome."

There was an old man who stood foremost in the midst, clad in a mantle of

deer-skins worked very goodly, and with a gold ring on his arm, and a

chaplet of blue stones on his head, and he spake: "Little are ye, but so

goodly, that if ye were but bigger, we should deem that ye were come from

the Gods' House. Yet have I heard, that how mighty soever may the Gods

be, and chiefly our God, they be at whiles nought so bigly made as we of

the Bears. How this may be, I wot not. But if ye be not of the Gods or

their kindred, then are ye mere aliens; and we know not what to do with

aliens, save we meet them in battle, or give them to the God, or save we

make them children of the Bear. But yet again, ye may be messengers of

some folk who would bind friendship and alliance with us: in which case

ye shall at the least depart in peace, and whiles ye are with us shall be

our guests in all good cheer. Now, therefore, we bid you declare the

matter unto us."

Then spake the Maid: "Father, it were easy for us to declare what we be

unto you here present. But, meseemeth, ye who be gathered round the fire

here this evening are less than the whole tale of the children of the

Bear."

"So it is, Maiden," said the elder, "that many more children hath the

Bear."

"This then we bid you," said the Maid, "that ye send the tokens round and

gather your people to you, and when they be assembled in the Doom-ring,

then shall we put our errand before you; and according to that, shall ye

deal with us."

"Thou hast spoken well," said the elder; "and even so had we bidden you

ourselves. To-morrow, before noon, shall ye stand in the Doom-ring in

this Dale, and speak with the children of the Bear."

Therewith he turned to his own folk and called out something, whereof

those twain knew not the meaning; and there came to him, one after

another, six young men, unto each of whom he gave a thing from out his

pouch, but what it was Walter might not see, save that it was little and

of small account: to each, also, he spake a word or two, and straight

they set off running, one after the other, turning toward the bent which

was over against that whereby the twain had come into the Dale, and were

soon out of sight in the gathering dusk.

Then the elder turned him again to Walter and the Maid, and spake: "Man

and woman, whatsoever ye may be, or whatsoever may abide you to-morrow,

to-night, ye are welcome guests to us; so we bid you come eat and drink

at our fire."

So they sat all together upon the grass round about the embers of the

fire, and ate curds and cheese, and drank milk in abundance; and as the

night grew on them they quickened the fire, that they might have light.

This wild folk talked merrily amongst themselves, with laughter enough

and friendly jests, but to the new-comers they were few-spoken, though,

as the twain deemed, for no enmity that they bore them. But this found

Walter, that the younger ones, both men and women, seemed to find it a

hard matter to keep their eyes off them; and seemed, withal, to gaze on

them with somewhat of doubt, or, it might be, of fear.

So when the night was wearing a little, the elder arose and bade the

twain to come with him, and led them to a small house or booth, which was

amidmost of all, and somewhat bigger than the others, and he did them to

wit that they should rest there that night, and bade them sleep in peace

and without fear till the morrow. So they entered, and found beds

thereon of heather and ling, and they laid them down sweetly, like

brother and sister, when they had kissed each other. But they noted that

four brisk men lay without the booth, and across the door, with their

weapons beside them, so that they must needs look upon themselves as

captives.

Then Walter might not refrain him, but spake: "Sweet and dear friend, I

have come a long way from the quay at Langton, and the vision of the

Dwarf, the Maid, and the Lady; and for this kiss wherewith I have kissed

thee e'en now, and the kindness of thine eyes, it was worth the time and

the travail. But to-morrow, meseemeth, I shall go no further in this

world, though my journey be far longer than from Langton hither. And now

may God and All Hallows keep thee amongst this wild folk, whenas I shall

be gone from thee."

She laughed low and sweetly, and said: "Dear friend, dost thou speak to

me thus mournfully to move me to love thee better? Then is thy labour

lost; for no better may I love thee than now I do; and that is with mine

whole heart. But keep a good courage, I bid thee; for we be not sundered

yet, nor shall we be. Nor do I deem that we shall die here, or

to-morrow; but many years hence, after we have known all the sweetness of

life. Meanwhile, I bid thee good-night, fair friend!"