The Story of the Glittering Plain

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By this time the sun was grown very hot, and they came to him again,
and lay down about him and watched his work, for they were weary.
And one of the women, still panting with the dance, spake as she
looked on the loveliness of her limbs, which one of the swains was
caressing: "Brother," said she, "great strokes thou smitest; when
wilt thou have smitten the last of them, and come to our house
again?"

"Not for many days, fair sister," said he, without looking up.

"Alas that thou shouldst talk so," said a carle, rising up from the
warm sand; "what shall all thy toil win thee?"

Spake Hallblithe: "Maybe a merry heart, or maybe death."

At that word they all rose up together, and stood huddled together
like sheep that have been driven to the croft-gate, and the shepherd
hath left them for a little and they know not whither to go. Little
by little they got them to the wain and harnessed their beasts
thereto, and departed silently by the way that they had come; but in
a little time Hallblithe heard their laughter and merry speech across
the flowery meadows. He heeded their departure little, but went on
working, and worked the sun down, and on till the stars began to
twinkle. Then he went home to his house in the wood, and slept and
dreamed not, and began again on the morrow with a good heart.

To be short, no day passed that he wrought not his full tale of work,
and the days wore, and his ship-wright's work throve. Often the folk
of that house, and from otherwhere round about, came down to the
strand to watch him working. Nowise did they wilfully hinder him,
but whiles when they could get no talk from him, they would speak of
him to each other, wondering that he should so toil to sail upon the
sea; for they loved the sea but little, and it soon became clear to
them that he was looking to nought else: though it may not be said
that they deemed he would leave the land for ever. On the other
hand, if they hindered him not, neither did they help, saving when he
prayed them for somewhat which he needed, which they would then give
him blithely.

Of the Sea-eagle and his damsel, Hallblithe saw nought; whereat he
was well content, for he deemed it of no avail to make a second
sundering of it.

So he worked and kept his heart up, and at last all was ready; he had
made him a mast and a sail, and oars, and whatso-other gear there was
need of. So then he thrust his skiff into the sea on an evening
whenas there were but two carles standing by; for there would often
be a score or two of folk. These two smiled on him and bespake him
kindly, but would not help him when he bade them set shoulder to her
bows and shove. Albeit he got the skiff into the water without much
ado, and got into her, and brought her to where a stream running from
out of his wood made a little haven for her up from the sea. There
he tied her to a tree-hole, and busied himself that even with getting
the gear into her, and victual and water withal, as much as he deemed
he should need: and so, being weary, he went to his house to sleep,
thinking that he should awake in the grey of the morning and thrust
out into the deep sea. And he was the more content to abide, because
on that eve, as oftenest betid, the wind blew landward from the sea,
whereas in the morning it oftenest blew seaward from the land. In
any case he thought to be astir so timely that he should come alone
to his keel, and depart with no leave-takings. But, as it fell out,
he overslept himself, so that when he came out into the wood clad in
all his armour, with his sword girt to his side, and his spear over
his shoulder, he heard the voices of folk, and presently found so
many gathered about his boat that he had some ado to get aboard.

The folk had brought many gifts for him of such things as they deemed
he might need for a short voyage, as fruit and wine, and woollen
cloths to keep the cold night from him; he thanked them kindly as he
stepped over the gunwale, and some of the women kissed him: and one
said (she it was, who had met him at the stead that morning when he
went to fetch timber): "Thou wilt be back this even, wilt thou not,
brother? It is yet but early, and thou shalt have time enough to
take all thy pleasure on the sea, and then come back to us to eat thy
meat in our house at nightfall."

She spake, knitting her brows in longing for his return; but he knew
that all those deemed he would come back again soon; else had they
deemed him a rebel of the King, and might, as he thought, have stayed
him. So he changed not countenance in any wise, but said only:
"farewell, sister, for this day, and farewell to all you till I come
back."

Therewith he unmoored his boat, and sat down and took the oars, and
rowed till he was out of the little haven, and on the green sea, and
the keel rose and fell on the waves. Then he stepped the mast and
hoisted sail, and sheeted home, for the morning wind was blowing
gently from the mountains over the meadows of the Glittering Plain,
so the sail filled, and the keel leapt forward and sped over the face
of the cold sea. And it is to be said that whether he wotted or not,
it was the very day twelve months since he had come to that shore
along with the Sea-eagle. So that folk stood and watched the skiff
growing less and less upon the deep till they could scarce see her.
Then they turned about and went into the wood to disport them, for
the sun was growing hot. Nevertheless, there were some of them (and
that damsel was one), who came back to the sea-shore from time to
time all day long; and even when the sun was down they looked seaward
under the rising moon, expecting to see Hallblithe's bark come into
the shining path which she drew across the waters round about the
Glittering Land.

CHAPTER XX: SO NOW SAILETH HALLBLITHE AWAY FROM THE GLITTERING PLAIN

But as to Hallblithe, he soon lost sight of the Glittering Plain and
the mountains thereof, and there was nought but sea all round about
him, and his heart swelled with joy as he sniffed the brine and
watched the gleaming hills and valleys of the restless deep; and he
said to himself that he was going home to his Kindred and the Roof of
his Fathers of old time.

He stood as near due north as he might; but as the day wore, the wind
headed him, and he deemed it not well to beat, lest he should make
his voyage overlong; so he ran on with the wind abeam, and his little
craft leapt merrily over the sea-hills under the freshening breeze.
The sun set and the moon and stars shone out, and he still sailed on,
and durst not sleep, save as a dog does, with one eye. At last came
dawn, and as the light grew it was a fair day with a falling wind,
and a bright sky, but it clouded over before sunset, and the wind
freshened from the north by east, and, would he, would he not,
Hallblithe must run before it night-long, till at sunrise it fell
again, and all day was too light for him to make much way beating to
northward; nor did it freshen till after the moon was risen some
while after sunset. And now he was so weary that he must needs
sleep; so he lashed the helm, and took a reef in the sail, and ran
before the wind, he sleeping in the stern.

But past the middle of the night, towards the dawning, he awoke with
the sound of a great shout in his ears. So he looked over the dark
waters, and saw nought, for the night was cloudy again. Then he
trimmed his craft, and went to sleep again, for he was over-burdened
with slumber.

When he awoke it was broad daylight; so he looked to the tiller and
got the boat's head a little up to the wind, and then gazed about him
with the sleep still in his eyes. And as his eyes took in the
picture before him he could not refrain a cry; for lo! there arose up
great and grim right ahead the black cliffs of the Isle of Ransom.
Straightway he got to the sheet, and strove to wear the boat; but for
all that he could do she drifted toward the land, for she was gotten
into a strong current of the sea that set shoreward. So he struck
sail, and took the oars and rowed mightily so that he might bear her
off shore; but it availed nothing, and still he drifted landward. So
he stood up from the oars, and turned about and looked, and saw that
he was but some three furlongs from the shore, and that he was come
to the very haven-mouth whence he had set sail with the Sea-eagle a
twelvemonth ago: and he knew that into that haven he needs must get
him, or be dashed to pieces against the high cliffs of the land: and
he saw how the waves ran on to the cliffs, and whiles one higher than
the others smote the rock-wall and ran up it, as if it could climb
over on to the grassy lip beyond, and then fell back again, leaving a
river of brine running down the steep.

Then he said that he would take what might befall him inside the
haven. So he hoisted sail again, and took the tiller, and steered
right for the midmost of the gate between the rocks, wondering what
should await him there. Then it was but a few minutes ere his bark
shot into the smoothness of the haven, and presently began to lose
way; for all the wind was dead within that land-locked water.
Hallblithe looked steadily round about seeking his foe; but the haven
was empty of ship or boat; so he ran his eye along the shore to see
where he should best lay his keel and as aforesaid there was no beach
there, and the water was deep right up to the grassy lip of the land;
though the tides ran somewhat high, and at low water would a little
steep undercliff go up from the face of the sea. But now it was near
the top of the tide, and there was scarce two feet betwixt the grass
and the dark-green sea.

Now Hallblithe steered toward an ingle of the haven; and beyond it, a
little way off, rose a reef of rocks out of the green grass, and
thereby was a flock of sheep feeding, and a big man lying down
amongst them, who seemed to be unarmed, as Hallblithe could not see
any glint of steel about him. Hallblithe drew nigh the shore, and
the big man stirred not; nor did he any the more when the keel ran
along the shore, and Hallblithe leapt out and moored his craft to his
spear stuck deep in the earth. And now Hallblithe deems that the man
must be either dead or asleep: so he drew his sword and had it in
his right hand, and in his left a sharp knife, and went straight up
to the man betwixt the sheep, and found him so lying on his side that
he could not see his face; so he stirred him with his foot, and cried
out: "Awake, O Shepherd! for dawn is long past and day is come, and
therewithal a guest for thee!"

The man turned over and slowly sat up, and, lo! who should it be but
the Puny Fox? Hallblithe started back at the sight of him, and cried
out at him, and said: "Have I found thee, O mine enemy?"

The Puny Fox sat up a little straighter, and rubbed his eyes and
said: "Yea, thou hast found me sure enough. But as to my being
thine enemy, a word or two may be said about that presently."

"What!" said Hallblithe, "dost thou deem that aught save my sword
will speak to thee?"

"I wot not," said the Puny Fox, slowly rising to his feet, "but I
suppose thou wilt not slay me unarmed, and thou seest that I have no
weapons."

"Get thee weapons, then," quoth Hallblithe, "and delay not; for the
sight of thee alive sickens me."

"Ill is that," said the Puny Fox, "but come thou with me at once,
where I shall find both the weapons and a good fighting-stead.
Hasten! time presseth, now thou art come at last."

"And my boat?" said Hallblithe.

"Wilt thou carry her in thy pouch?" said the Puny Fox; "thou wilt not
need her again, whether thou slay me, or I thee."

Hallblithe knit his brows on him in his wrath; for he deemed that
Fox's meaning was to threaten him with the vengeance of the kindred.
Howbeit, he said nought; for he deemed it ill to wrangle in words
with one whom he was presently to meet in battle; so he followed as
the Puny Fox led. Fox brought him past the reef of rock aforesaid,
and up a narrow cleft of the cliffs overlooking the sea, whereby they
came into a little grass-grown meadow well nigh round in shape, as
smooth and level as a hall-floor, and fenced about by a wall of rock:
a place which had once been the mouth of an earth-fire, and a
cauldron of molten stone.

When they stood on the smooth grass Fox said: "Hold thee there a
little, while I go to my weapon-chest, and then shall we see what is
to be done."

Therewith he turned aside to a cranny of the rock, and going down on
his hands and knees, fell to creeping like a worm up a hole therein,
which belike led to a cavern; for after his voice had come forth from
the earth, grunting and groaning, and cursing this thing, and that,
out he comes again feet first, and casts down an old rusty sword
without a sheath; a helm no less rusty, and battered withal, and a
round target, curled up and outworn as if it would fall to pieces of
itself. Then he stands up and stretches himself, and smiles
pleasantly on Hallblithe and says: "Now, mine enemy, when I have
donned helm and shield and got my sword in hand, we may begin the
play: as to a hauberk I must needs go lack; for I could not come by
it; I think the old man must have chaffered it away: he was ever too
money-fain."

But Hallblithe looked on him angrily and said: "Hast thou brought me
hither to mock me? Hast thou no better weapons wherewith to meet a
warrior of the Raven than these rusty shards, which look as if thou
hadst robbed a grave of the dead? I will not fight thee so armed."

"Well," said the Puny Fox, "and from out of a grave come they verily:
for in that little hole lieth my father's grandsire, the great Sea-
mew of the Ravagers, the father of that Sea-eagle whom thou knowest.
But since thou thinkest scorn of these weapons of a dead warrior, in
go the old carle's treasures again! It is as well maybe; since he
might be wrath beyond his wont if he were to wake and miss them; and
already this cold cup of the once-boiling rock is not wholly safe
because of him."

So he crept into the hole once more, and out of it presently, and
stood smiting his palms one against the other to dust them, like a
man who has been handling parchments long laid by; and Hallblithe
stood looking at him, still wrathful, but silent.

Then said the Puny Fox: "This at least was a wise word of thine,
that thou wouldst not fight me. For the end of fighting is slaying;
and it is stark folly to fight without slaying; and now I see that
thou desirest not to slay me: for if thou didst, why didst thou
refuse to fall on me armed with the ghosts of weapons that I borrowed
from a ghost? Nay, why didst thou not slay me as I crept out of
yonder hole? Thou wouldst have had a cheap bargain of me either way.
It would be rank folly to fight me."

Said Hallblithe hoarsely: "Why didst thou bewray me, and lie to me,
and lure me away from the quest of my beloved, and waste a whole year
of my life?"

"It is a long story," said the Puny Fox, "which I may tell thee some
day. Meantime I may tell thee this, that I was compelled thereto by
one far mightier than I, to wit the Undying King."

At that word the smouldering wrath blazed up in Hallblithe, and he
drew his sword hastily and hewed at the Puny Fox: but he leapt aside
nimbly and ran in on Hallblithe, and caught his sword-arm by the
wrist, and tore the weapon out of his hand, and overbore him by sheer
weight and stature, and drave him to the earth. Then he rose up, and
let Hallblithe rise also, and took his sword and gave it into his
hand again and said: "Crag-nester, thou art wrathful, but little.
Now thou hast thy sword again and mayst slay me if thou wilt. Yet
not until I have spoken a word to thee: so hearken! or else by the
Treasure of the Sea I will slay thee with my bare hands. For I am
strong indeed in this place with my old kinsman beside me. Wilt thou
hearken?"

"Speak," said Hallblithe, "I hearken."

Said the Puny Fox: "True it is that I lured thee away from thy
quest, and wore away a year of thy life. Yet true it is also that I
repent me thereof, and ask thy pardon. What sayest thou?"

Hallblithe spake not, but the heat died out of his face and he was
become somewhat pale. Said the Puny Fox: "Dost thou not remember, O
Raven, how thou badest me battle last year on the sea-shore by the
side of the Rollers of the Raven? and how this was to be the prize of
battle, that the vanquished should serve the vanquisher year-long,
and do all his will? And now this prize and more thou hast won
without battle; for I swear by the Treasure of the Sea, and by the
bones of the great Sea-mew yonder, that I will serve thee not year-
long but life-long, and that I will help thee in thy quest for thy
beloved. What sayest thou?"

Hallblithe stood speechless a moment, looking past the Puny Fox,
rather than at him. Then the sword tumbled out of his hand on to the
grass, and great tears rolled down his cheeks and fell on to his
raiment, and he reached out his hand to the Puny Fox and said: "O
friend, wilt thou not bring me to her? for the days wear, and the
trees are growing old round about the Acres of the Raven."

Then the Puny Fox took his hand; and laughed merrily in his face, and
said: "Great is thine heart, O Carrion-biter! But now that thou art
my friend I will tell thee that I have a deeming of the whereabouts
of thy beloved. Or where deemest thou was the garden wherein thou
sawest her standing on the page of the book in that dream of the
night? So it is, O Raven-son, that it is not for nothing that my
grandsire's father lieth in yonder hole of the rocks; for of late he
hath made me wise in mighty lore. Thanks have thou, O kinsman!" And
he turned him toward the rock wherein was the grave.

But Hallblithe said: "What is to do now? Am I not in a land of
foemen?"

"Yea, forsooth," said the Puny Fox, "and even if thou knewest where
thy love is, thou shouldst hardly escape from this isle unslain, save
for me."

Said Hallblithe: "Is there not my bark, that I might depart at once?
for I deem not that the Hostage is on the Isle of Ransom."

The Puny Fox laughed boisterously and said: "Nay, she is not. But
as to thy boat, there is so strong a set of the flood-tide toward
this end of the isle, that with the wind blowing as now, from the
north-north-east, thou mayst not get off the shore for four hours at
least, and I misdoubt me that within that time we shall have tidings
of a ship of ours coming into the haven. Thy bark they shall take,
and thee also if thou art therein; and then soon were the story told,
for they know thee for a rebel of the Undying King. Hearken! Dost
thou not hear the horn's voice? Come up hither and we shall see what
is towards."

So saying, he led hastily up a kind of stair in the rock-wall, until
they reached a cranny, whence through a hole in the cliff, they could
see all over the haven. And lo! as they looked, in the very gate and
entry of it came a great ship heaving up her bows on the last swell
of the outer sea (where the wind had risen somewhat), and rolling
into the smooth, land-locked water. Black was her sail, and the
image of the Sea-eagle enwrought thereon spread wide over it; and the
banner of the Flaming Sword streamed out from the stern. Many men
all-weaponed were on the decks, and the minstrels high up on the poop
were blowing a merry song of return on their battle-horns.

"Lo, you," said the Puny Fox, "thy luck or mine hath served thee this
time, in that the Flaming Sword did not overhaul thee ere thou madest
the haven. We are well here at least."

Said Hallblithe: "But may not some of them come up hither
perchance?"

"Nay, nay," said the Puny Fox; "they fear the old man in the cleft
yonder; for he is not over guest-fain. This mead is mine own, as for
other living men; it is my unroofed house, and I have here a house
with a roof also, which I will show thee presently. For now since
the Flaming Sword hath come, there is no need for haste; nay, we
cannot depart till they have gone up-country. So I will show thee
presently what we shall do to-night."

So there they sat and watched those men bring their ship to the shore
and moor her hard by Hallblithe's boat. They cried out when they saw
her, and when they were aland they gathered about her to note her
build, and the fashion of the spear whereto she was tied. Then in a
while the more part of them, some fourscore in number, departed up
the valley toward the great house and left none but a half dozen
ship-warders behind.

"Seest thou, friend of the Ravens," said the Fox, "hadst thou been
there, they might have done with thee what they would. Did I not
well to bring thee into my unroofed house?"

"Yea, verily," said Hallblithe; "but will not some of the ship-wards,
or some of the others returning, come up hither and find us? I shall
yet lay my bones in this evil island."

The Puny Fox laughed, and said: "It is not so bad as thy sour looks
would have it; anyhow it is good enough for a grave, and at this
present I may call it a casket of precious things."

"What meanest thou?" said Hallblithe eagerly.

"Nay, nay," said the other, "nought but what thou knowest. Art thou
not therein, and I myself? without reckoning the old carle in the
hole yonder. But I promise thee thou shalt not die here this time,
unless thou wilt. And as to folk coming up hither, I tell thee again
they durst not; because they fear my great-grandsire over much. Not
that they are far wrong therein; for now he is dead, the worst of him
seemeth to come out of him, and he is not easily dealt with, save by
one who hath some share of his wisdom. Thou thyself couldst see by
my kinsman, the Sea-eagle, how much of ill blood and churlish malice
there may be in our kindred when they wax old, and loneliness and
dreariness taketh hold of them. For I must tell thee that I have oft
heard my father say that his father the Sea-eagle was in his youth
and his prime blithe and buxom, a great lover of women, and a very
friendly fellow. But ever, as I say, as the men of our kind wax in
years, they worsen; and thereby mayst thou deem how bad the old man
in yonder must be, since he hath lain so long in the grave. But now
we will go to that house of mine on the other side of the mead, over
against my kinsman's."

Therewith he led Hallblithe down from the rock while Hallblithe said
to him: "What! art thou also dead that thou hast a grave here?"

"Nay, nay," said Fox, smiling, "am I so evil-conditioned then? I am
no older than thou art."

"But tell me," said Hallblithe, "wilt thou also wax evil as thou
growest old?"

"Maybe not," said Fox, looking hard at him, "for in my mind it is
that I may be taken into another house, and another kindred, and
amongst them I shall be healed of much that might turn to ill."

Therewith were they come across the little meadow to a place where
was a cave in the rock closed with a door, and a wicket window
therein. Fox led Hallblithe into it, and within it was no ill
dwelling; for it was dry and clean, and there were stools therein and
a table, and shelves and lockers in the wall. When they had sat them
down Fox said: "Here mightest thou dwell safely as long as thou
wouldst, if thou wouldst risk dealings with the old carle. But, as I
wot well that thou art in haste to be gone and get home to thy
kindred, I must bring thee at dusk to-day close up to our feast-hall,
so that thou mayst be at hand to do what hath to be done to-night, so
that we may get us gone to-morrow. Also thou must do off thy Raven
gear lest we meet any in the twilight as we go up to the house; and
here have I to hand home-spun raiment such as our war-taken thralls
wear, which shall serve thy turn well enough; but this thou needst
not do on till the time is at hand for our departure; and then I will
bring thee away, and bestow thee in a bower hard by the hall; and
when thou art within, I may so look to it that none shall go in
there, or if they do, they shall see nought in thee save a carle
known to them by name. My kinsman hath learned me to do harder
things than this. But now it is time to eat and drink."

Therewith he drew victual from out a locker and they fell to. But
when they had eaten, Fox taught Hallblithe what he should do in the
hall that night, as shall be told hereafter. And then, with much
talk about many things, they wore away the day in that ancient cup of
the seething rock, and a little before dusk set out for the hall,
bearing with them Hallblithe's gear bundled up together, as though it
had been wares from over sea. So they came to the house before the
tables were set, and the Puny Fox bestowed Hallblithe in a bower
which gave into the buttery, so that it was easy to go straight into
the mid-most of the hall. There was Hallblithe clad and armed in his
Raven gear; but Fox gave him a vizard to go over his face, so that
none might know him when he entered therein.

CHAPTER XXI: OF THE FIGHT OF THE CHAMPIONS IN THE HALL OF THE
RAVAGERS

Now it is to be told that the chieftains came into the hall that
night and sat down at the board on the dais, even as Hallblithe had
seen them do aforetime. And the chieftain of all, who was called the
Erne of the Sea-eagles, rose up according to custom and said:
"Hearken, folk! this is a night of the champions, whereon we may not
eat till the pale blades have clashed together, and one hath
vanquished and another been overcome. Now let them stand forth and
give out the prize of victory which the vanquished shall pay to the
vanquisher. And let it be known, that, whosoever may be the champion
that winneth the battle, whether he be a kinsman, or an alien, or a
foeman declared; yea, though he have left the head of my brother at
the hall-door, he shall pass this night with us safe from sword, safe
from axe, safe from hand: he shall eat as we eat, drink as we drink,
sleep as we sleep, and depart safe from any hand or weapon, and shall
sail the sea at his pleasure in his own keel or in ours, as to him
and us may be meet. Blow up horns for the champions!"

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