The Story of the Glittering Plain

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So the horns blew a cheerful strain, and when they were done, there
came into the hall a tall man clad in black, and with black armour
and weapons saving the white blade of his sword. He had a vizard
over his face, but his hair came down from under his helm like the
tail of a red horse.

So he stood amidst the floor and cried out: "I am the champion of
the Ravagers. But I swear by the Treasure of the Sea that I will
cross no blade to-night save with an alien, a foeman of the kindred.
Hearest thou, O chieftain, O Erne of the Sea-eagles?"

"Hear it I do," said the chieftain, "and I deem that thy meaning is
that we should go supperless to bed; and this cometh of thy
perversity: for we know thee despite thy vizard. Belike thou
deemest that thou shalt not be met this even, and that there is no
free alien in the island to draw sword against thee. But beware!
For when we came aland this morning we found a skiff of the aliens
tied to a great spear stuck in the bank of the haven; so that there
will be one foeman at least abroad in the island. But we said if we
should come on the man, we would set his head on the gable of the
hall with the mouth open toward the North for a token of reproach to
the dwellers in the land over sea. But now give out the prize of
victory, and I swear by the Treasure of the Sea that we will abide by
thy word."

Said the champion: "These are the terms and conditions of the
battle; that whichso of us is vanquished, he shall either die, or
serve the vanquisher for twelve moons, to fare with him at his will,
to go his errands, and do according to his commandment in all wise.
Hearest thou, chieftain?"

"Yea," said he, "and by the Undying King, both thou and we shall
abide by this bargain. So look to it that thou smite great strokes,
lest our hall lack a gable-knop. Horns, blow up for the alien
champion!"

So again the horns were winded; and ere their voice had died, in from
the buttery screens came a glittering image of war, and there stood
the alien champion over against the warrior of the sea; and he too
had a vizard over his face.

Now when the folk saw him, and how slim and light and small he looked
beside their champion, and they beheld the Raven painted on his white
shield, they hooted and laughed for scorn of him and his littleness.
But he tossed his sword up lightly and caught it by the hilts as it
fell, and drew nigher to the champion of the sea and stood facing him
within reach of his sword. Then the chieftain on the high-seat put
his two hands to his mouth and roared out: "Fall on, ye champions,
fall on!"

But the folk in the hall were so eager that they stood on the benches
and the boards, and craned over each other's shoulders, so that they
might lose no whit of the hand-play. Now flashed the blades in the
candle-lit hall, and the red-haired champion hove up his sword and
smote two great strokes to right and to left; but the alien gave way
before him, and the folk cried out at him in scorn and in joy of
their champion, who fell to raining down great strokes like the hail
amidst the lightning. But so deft was the alien, that he stood
amidst it unhurt, and laid many strokes on his foeman, and did all so
lightly and easily, that it seemed as if he were dancing rather than
fighting; and the folk held their peace and began to doubt if their
huge champion would prevail. Now the red-haired fetched a mighty
stroke at the alien, who leapt aside lightly and gat his sword in his
left hand and dealt a great stroke on the other's head, and the red-
haired staggered, for he had over-reached himself; and again the
alien smote him a left-handed stroke so that he fell full length on
the floor with a mighty clatter, and the sword flew out of his hand:
and the folk were dumb-founded.

Then the alien threw himself on the sea-champion, and knelt upon him,
and shortened his sword as if to slay him with a thrust. But thereon
the man overthrown cried out: "Hold thine hand, for I am vanquished!
Now give me peace according to the bargain struck between us, that I
shall serve thee year-long, and follow thee wheresoever thou goest."

Therewith the alien champion arose and stood off from him, and the
man of the sea gat to his feet, and did off his helm, so that all men
could see that he was the Puny Fox.

Then the victorious champion unhelmed himself, and lo, it was
Hallblithe! And a shout arose in the hall, part of wonder, part of
wrath.

Then cried out the Puny Fox: "I call on all men here to bear witness
that by reason of this battle, Hallblithe of the Ravens is free to
come and go as he will in the Isle of Ransom, and to take help of any
man that will help him, and to depart from the isle when he will and
how he will, taking me with him if so he will."

Said the chieftain: "Yea, this is right and due, and so shall it be.
But now, since no freeman, who is not a foe of the passing hour, may
abide in our hall without eating of our meat, come up here,
Hallblithe, and sit by me, and eat and drink of the best we have,
since the Norns would not give us thine head for a gable-knop. But
what wilt thou do with thy thrall the Puny Fox; and whereto in the
hall wilt thou have him shown? Or wilt thou that he sit fasting in
the darkness to-night, laid in gyves and fetters? Or shall he have
the cheer of whipping and stripes, as befitteth a thrall to whom the
master oweth a grudge? What is thy will with him?"

Said Hallblithe: "My will is that thou give him a seat next to me,
whether that be high or low, or the bench of thy prison-house. That
he eat of my dish, and drink of my cup, whatsoever the meat and drink
may be. For to-morrow I mean that we twain shall go under the earth-
collar together, and that our blood shall run together and that we
shall be brothers in arms henceforward." Then Hallblithe did on his
helm again and drew his sword, and looked aside to the Puny Fox to
bid him do the like, and he did so, and Hallblithe said: "Chieftain,
thou hast bidden me to table, and I thank thee; but I will not set my
teeth in meat, out of our own house and land, which hath not been
truly given to me by one who wotteth of me, unless I have conquered
it as a prey of battle; neither will I cast a lie into the loving-cup
which shall pass from thy lips to mine: therefore I will tell thee,
that though I laid a stroke or two on the Puny Fox, and those no
light ones, yet was this battle nought true and real, but a mere
beguiling, even as that which I saw foughten in this hall aforetime,
when meseemeth the slain men rose up in time to drink the good-night
cup. Therefore, O men of the Ravagers, and thou, O Puny Fox, there
is nought to bind your hands and refrain your hearts, and ye may slay
me if ye will without murder or dishonour, and may make the head of
Hallblithe a knop for your feast-hall. Yet shall one or two fall to
earth before I fall."

Therewith he shook his sword aloft, and a great roar arose, and
weapons came down from the wall, and the candles shone on naked
steel. But the Puny Fox came and stood by Hallblithe, and spake in
his ear amidst the uproar: "Well now, brother-in-arms, I have been
trying to learn thee the lore of lies, and surely thou art the worst
scholar who was ever smitten by master. And the outcome of it is
that I, who have lied so long and well, must now pay for all, and die
for a barren truth."

Said Hallblithe: "Let all be as it will! I love thee, lies and all;
but as for me I cannot handle them. Lo you! great and grim shall be
the slaying, and we shall not fall unavenged."

Said the Puny Fox: "Hearken! for still they hang back. Belike it is
I that have drawn this death on thee and me. My last lie was a
fool's lie and we die for it: for what wouldst thou have done hadst
thou wotted that thy beloved, the Hostage of the Rose--" He broke
off perforce; for Hallblithe was looking to right and left and
handling his sword, and heard not that last word of his; and from
both sides of the hall the throng was drawing round about those
twain, weapon in hand. Then Hallblithe set his eyes on a big man in
front who was heaving up a heavy short-sword and thought that he
would at least slay this one. But or ever he might smite, the great
horn blared out over the tumult, and men forbore a while and fell
somewhat silent.

Then came down to them the voice of the chieftain, a loud voice, but
clear and with mirth mingled with anger in it, and he said: "What do
these fools of the Ravagers cumbering the floor of the feast-hall,
and shaking weapons when there is no foeman anigh? Are they
dreaming-drunk before the wine is poured? Why do they not sit down
in their places, and abide the bringing in of the meat? And ye
women, where are ye, why do ye delay our meat, when ye may well wot
that our hearts are drooping for hunger; and all hath been duly done,
the battle of the champions fought and won, and the prize of war
given forth and taken? How long, O folk, shall your chieftains sit
fasting?"

Then there arose great laughter in the hall, and men withdrew them
from those twain and went and sat them down in their places.

Then the chieftain said: "Come up hither, I say, O Hallblithe, and
bring thy war-thrall with thee if thou wilt. But delay not, unless
it be so that thou art neither hungry nor thirsty; and good sooth
thou shouldst be both; for men say that the ravens are hard to
satisfy. Come then and make good cheer with us!"

So Hallblithe thrust his sword into the sheath, and the Puny Fox did
the like, and they went both together up the hall to the high-seat.
And Hallblithe sat down on the chieftain's right hand, and the Puny
Fox next to him; and the chieftain, the Erne, said: "O Hallblithe,
dost thou need thine armour at table; or dost thou find it handy to
take thy meat clad in thy byrny and girt with a sword?"

Then laughed Hallblithe and said: "Nay, meseemeth to-night I shall
need war-gear no more." And he stood up and did off all his armour
and gave it, sword and all, into the hands of a woman, who bore it
off, he knew not whither. And the Erne looked on him and said:
"Well is that! and now I see that thou art a fair young man, and it
is no marvel though maidens desire thee."

As he spake came in the damsels with the victual and the cheer was
exceeding good, and Hallblithe grew light-hearted.

But when the healths had been drunk as aforetime, and men had drunk a
cup or two thereafter, there rose a warrior from one of the endlong
benches, a big young man, black-haired and black-bearded, ruddy of
visage, and he said in a voice that was rough and fat: "O Erne, and
ye other chieftains, we have been talking here at our table
concerning this guest of thine who hath beguiled us, and we are not
wholly at one with thee as to thy dealings with him. True it is, now
that the man hath our meat in his belly, that he must depart from
amongst us with a whole skin, unless of his own will he stand up to
fight some man of us here. Yet some of us think that he is not so
much our friend that we should help him to a keel whereon to fare
home to those that hate us: and we say that it would not be unlawful
to let the man abide in the isle, and proclaim him a wolf's-head
within a half-moon of today. Or what sayest thou?"

Said the Erne: "Wait for my word a while, and hearken to another!
Is the Grey-goose of the Ravagers in the hall? Let him give out his
word on this matter."

Then arose a white-headed carle from a table nigh to the dais, whose
black raiment was well adorned with gold. Despite his years his face
was fair and little wrinkled; a man with a straight nose and a well-
fashioned mouth, and with eyes still bright and grey. He spake: "O
folk, I find that the Erne hath done well in cherishing this guest.
For first, if he hath beguiled us, he did it not save by the
furtherance and sleight of our own kinsman; therefore if any one is
to die for beguiling us, let it be the Puny Fox. Secondly, we may
well wot that heavy need hath driven the man to this beguilement; and
I say that it was no unmanly deed for him to enter our hall and
beguile us with his sleight; and that he hath played out the play
right well and cunningly with the wisdom of a warrior. Thirdly, the
manliness of him is well proven, in that having overcome us in
sleight, he hath spoken out the sooth concerning our beguilement and
hath made himself our foeman and captive, when he might have sat down
by us as our guest, freely and in all honour. And this he did, not
as contemning the Puny Fox and his lies and crafty wiles (for he hath
told us that he loveth him); but so that he might show himself a man
in that which trieth manhood. Moreover, ye shall not forget that he
is the rebel of the Undying King, who is our lord and master;
therefore in cherishing him we show ourselves great-hearted, in that
we fear not the wrath of our master. Therefore I naysay the word of
the War-brand that we should make this man a wolf's-head; for in so
doing we shall show ourselves lesser-hearted than he is, and of no
account beside of him; and his head on our hall-gable should be to us
a nithing-stake, and a tree of reproach. So I bid thee, O Erne, to
make much of this man; and thou shalt do well to give him worthy
gifts, such as warriors may take, so that he may show them at home in
the House of the Raven, that it may be the beginning of peace betwixt
us and his noble kindred. This is my say, and later on I shall wax
no wiser."

Therewith he sat down, and there arose a murmur and stir in the hall;
but the more part said that the Grey-goose had spoken well, and that
it was good to be at peace with such manly fellows as the new guest
was.

But the Erne said: "One word will I lay hereto, to wit, that he who
desireth mine enmity let him do scathe to Hallblithe of the Ravens
and hinder him."

Then he bade fill round the cups, and called a health to Hallblithe,
and all men drank to him, and there was much joyance and merriment.

But when the night was well worn, the Erne turned to Hallblithe and
said: "That was a good word of the Grey-goose which he spake
concerning the giving of gifts: Raven-son, wilt thou take a gift of
me and be my friend?"

"Thy friend will I be," said Hallblithe, "but no gift will I take of
thee or any other till I have the gift of gifts, and that is my
troth-plight maiden. I will not be glad till I can be glad with
her."

Then laughed the Erne, and the Puny Fox grinned all across his wide
face, and Hallblithe looked from one to the other of them and
wondered at their mirth, and when they saw his wondering eyes, they
did but laugh the more; and the Erne said: "Nevertheless, thou shalt
see the gift which I would give thee; and then mayst thou take it or
leave it as thou wilt. Ho ye! bring in the throne of the Eastland
with them that minister to it!"

Certain men left the hall as he spake, and came back bearing with
them a throne fashioned most goodly of ivory, parcel-gilt and
begemmed, and adorned with marvellous craftsmanship: and they set it
down amidst of the hall-floor and went aback to their places, while
the Erne sat and smiled kindly on the folk and on Hallblithe. Then
arose the sound of fiddles and the lesser harp, and the doors of the
screen were opened, and there flowed into the hall a company of fair
damsels not less than a score, each one with a rose on her bosom, and
they came and stood in order behind the throne of the Eastlands, and
they strewed roses on the ground before them: and when they were
duly ranged they fell to singing:

Now waneth spring,
While all birds sing,
And the south wind blows
The earliest rose
To and fro
By the doors we know,
And the scented gale
Fills every dale.
Slow now are brooks running because of the weed,
And the thrush hath no cunning to hide her at need,
So swift as she flieth from hedge-row to tree
As one that toil trieth, and deedful must be.

And O! that at last,
All sorrows past,
This night I lay
'Neath the oak-beams grey!
O, to wake from sleep,
To see dawn creep
Through the fruitful grove
Of the house that I love!
O! my feet to be treading the threshold once more,
O'er which once went the leading of swords to the war!
O! my feet in the garden's edge under the sun,
Where the seeding grass hardens for haysel begun!

Lo, lo! the wind blows
To the heart of the Rose,
And the ship lies tied
To the haven side!
But O for the keel
The sails to feel!
And the alien ness
Growing less and less;
As down the wind driveth and thrusts through the sea
The sail-burg that striveth to turn and go free,
But the lads at the tiller they hold her in hand,
And the wind our well-willer drives fierce to the land.

We shall wend it yet,
The highway wet;
For what is this
That our bosoms kiss?
What lieth sweet
Before our feet?
What token hath come
To lead us home?
'Tis the Rose of the garden walled round from the croft
Where the grey roof its warden steep riseth aloft,
'Tis the Rose 'neath the oaken-beamed hall, where they bide,
The pledges unbroken, the hand of the bride.

Hallblithe heard the song, and half thought it promised him somewhat;
but then he had been so misled and mocked at, that he scarce knew how
to rejoice at it.

Now the Erne spake: "Wilt thou not take the chair and these dainty
song-birds that stand about it? Much wealth might come into thine
hall if thou wert to carry them over sea to rich men who have no
kindred, nor affinity wherein to wed, but who love women as well as
other men."

Said Hallblithe: "I have wealth enow were I once home again. As to
these maidens, I know by the fashion of them that they are no women
of the Rose, as by their song they should be. Yet will I take any of
these maidens that have will to go with me and be made sisters of my
sisters, and wed with the warriors of the Rose; or if they are of a
kindred, and long to sit each in the house of her folk, then will we
send them home over the sea with warriors to guard them from all
trouble. For this gift I thank thee. As to thy throne, I bid thee
keep it till a keel cometh thy way from our land, bringing fair gifts
for thee and thine. For we are not so unwealthy."

Those that sat nearby heard his words and praised them; but the Erne
said: "All this is free to thee, and thou mayst do what thou wilt
with the gifts given to thee. Yet shalt thou have the throne; and I
have thought of a way to make thee take it. Or what sayst thou, Puny
Fox?"

Said the Puny Fox: "Yea if thou wilt, thou mayst, but I thought it
not of thee that thou wouldst. Now is all well."

Again Hallblithe looked from one to the other and wondered what they
meant. But the Erne cried out: "Bring in now the sitter, who shall
fill the empty throne!"

Then again the screen-doors opened, and there came in two weaponed
men, leading between them a woman clad in gold and garlanded with
roses. So fair was the fashion of her face and all her body, that
her coming seemed to make a change in the hall, as though the sun had
shone into it suddenly. She trod the hall-floor with firm feet, and
sat down on the ivory chair. But even before she was seated therein
Hallblithe knew that the Hostage was under that roof and coming
toward him. And the heart rose in his breast and fluttered therein,
so sore he yearned toward the Daughter of the Rose, and his very
speech-friend. Then he heard the Erne saying, "How now, Raven-son,
wilt thou have the throne and the sitter therein, or wilt thou
gainsay me once more?"

Thereafter he himself spake, and the sound of his voice was strange
to him and as if he knew it not: "Chieftain, I will not gainsay
thee, but will take thy gift, and thy friendship therewith,
whatsoever hath betided. Yet would I say a word or two unto the
woman that sitteth yonder. For I have been straying amongst wiles
and images, and mayhappen I shall yet find this to be but a dream of
the night, or a beguilement of the day." Therewith he arose from the
table, and walked slowly down the hall; but it was a near thing that
he did not fall a-weeping before all those aliens, so full his heart
was.

He came and stood before the Hostage, and their eyes were upon each
other, and for a little while they had no words. Then Hallblithe
began, wondering at his voice as he spake: "Art thou a woman and my
speech-friend? For many images have mocked me, and I have been
encompassed with lies, and led astray by behests that have not been
fulfilled. And the world hath become strange to me, and empty of
friends."

Then she said: "Art thou verily Hallblithe? For I also have been
encompassed by lies, and beset by images of things unhelpful."

"Yea," said he, "I am Hallblithe of the Ravens, wearied with desire
for my troth-plight maiden."

Then came the rosy colour into the fairness of her face, as the
rising sun lighteth the garden of flowers in the June morning; and
she said: "If thou art Hallblithe, tell me what befell to the
finger-gold-ring that my mother gave me when we were both but
little."

Then his face grew happy, and he smiled, and he said: "I put it for
thee one autumntide in the snake's hole in the bank above the river,
amidst the roots of the old thorn-tree, that the snake might brood
it, and make the gold grow greater; but when winter was over and we
came to look for it, lo! there was neither ring nor snake, nor thorn-
tree: for the flood had washed it all away."

Thereat she smiled most sweetly, and whereas she had been looking on
him hitherto with strained and anxious eyes, she now beheld him
simply and friendly; and she said: "O Hallblithe, I am a woman
indeed, and thy speech-friend. This is the flesh that desireth thee,
and the life that is thine, and the heart which thou rejoicest. But
now tell me, who are these huge images around us, amongst whom I have
sat thus, once in every moon this year past, and afterwards I was
taken back to the women's bower? Are they men or mountain-giants?
Will they slay us, or shut us up from the light and air? Or hast
thou made peace with them? Wilt thou then dwell with me here, or
shall we go back again to Cleveland by the Sea? And when, oh when,
shall we depart?"

He smiled and said: "Quick come thy questions, beloved. These are
the folks of the Ravagers and the Sea-eagles: they be men, though
fierce and wild they be. Our foes they have been, and have sundered
us; but now are they our friends, and have brought us together. And
to-morrow, O friend, shall we depart across the waters to Cleveland
by the Sea."

She leaned forward, and was about to speak softly to him, but
suddenly started back, and said: "There is a big, red-haired man, as
big as any here, behind thy shoulder. Is he also a friend? What
would he with us?"

So Hallblithe turned about, and beheld the Puny Fox beside him, who
took up the word and spoke, smiling as a man in great glee: "O
maiden of the Rose, I am Hallblithe's thrall, and his scholar, to
unlearn the craft of lying, whereby I have done amiss towards both
him and thee. Whereof I will tell thee all the tale soon. But now I
will say that it is true that we depart to-morrow for Cleveland by
the Sea, thou and he, and I in company. Now I would ask thee,
Hallblithe, if thou wouldst have me bestow this gift of thine in
safe-keeping to-night, since there is an end of her sitting in the
hall like a graven image: and to-morrow the way will be long and
wearisome, What sayest thou?"

Said the Hostage: "Shall I trust this man and go with him?"

"Yea, thou shalt trust him," said Hallblithe, "for he is trusty. And
even were he not, it is meet for us of the Raven and the Rose to do
as our worth biddeth us, and not to fear this folk. And it behoveth
us to do after their customs since we are in their house."

"That is sooth," she said; "big man, lead me out of the hall to my
place. Farewell, Hallblithe, for a little while, and then shall
there be no more sundering for us."

Therewith she departed with the Puny Fox, and Hallblithe went back to
the high-seat and sat down by the Erne, who laughed on him and said:
"Thou hast taken my gift, and that is well: yet shall I tell thee
that I would not have given it to thee if I could have kept it for
myself in such plight as thou wilt have it. But all I could do, and
the Puny Fox to help withal, availed me nought. So good luck go with
thine hands. Now will we to bed, and to-morrow I will lead thee out
on thy way; for to say sooth, there be some here who are not well
pleased with either thee or me; and thou knowest that words are
wasted on wilful men, but that deeds may avail somewhat."

Therewith he cried out for the cup of good-night, and when it was
drunken, Hallblithe was shown to a fair shut-bed; even that wherein
he had lain aforetime; and there he went to sleep in joy, and in good
liking with all men.

CHAPTER XXII: THEY GO FROM THE ISLE OF RANSOM AND COME TO CLEVELAND
BY THE SEA

In the morning early Hallblithe arose from his bed, and when he came
into the mid-hall, there was the Puny Fox and the Hostage with him;
Hallblithe kissed her and embraced her, and she him; yet not like
lovers long sundered, but as a man and maid betrothed are wont to do,
for there were folk coming and going about the hall. Then spake the
Puny Fox: "The Erne is abiding us out in the meadow yonder; for now
nought will serve him but he must needs go under the earth-collar
with us. How sayest thou, is he enough thy friend?"

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