The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 18

  A Change of Days in the Burg of the Four Friths

  There is naught to tell of their ways till they came out of the thicketinto the fields about the Burg of the Four Friths; and even there was alook of a bettering of men's lives; though forsooth the husbandmenthere were much the same as had abided in the fields aforetime, whereasthey were not for the most part freemen of the Burg, but aliens who didservice in war and otherwise thereto. But, it being eventide, therewere men and women and children, who had come out of gates, walkingabout and disporting themselves in the loveliness of early summer, andthat in far merrier guise than they had durst do in the bygone days.Moreover, there was scarce a sword or spear to be seen amongst them,whereat Roger grudged somewhat, and Richard said: "Meseems this folktrusts the peace of the Burg overmuch since, when all is told, unpeaceis not so far from their borders."

  But as they drew a little nigher Ralph pointed out to his fellows thegleam of helms and weapons on the walls, and they saw a watchman oneach of the high towers of the south gate; and then quoth Roger: "Nay,the Burg will not be won so easily; and if a few fools get themselvesslain outside it is no great matter."

  Folk nowise let them come up to the gate unheeded, but gathered aboutthem to look at the newcomers, but not so as to hinder them, and theycould see that these summerers were goodly folk enough, and demeanedthem as though they had but few troubles weighing on them. But thewayfarers were not unchallenged at the gate, for a stout man-at-armsstayed them and said: "Ye ride somewhat late, friends. What are ye?"Quoth Ralph: "We be peaceful wayfarers save to them that would fall onus, and we seek toward Upmeads." "Yea?" said the man, "belike ye shallfind something less than peace betwixt here and Upmeads, for rumourgoes that there are alien riders come into the lands of Higham, and foraught I know the said unpeace may spread further on. Well if ye willgo to the Flower de Luce and abide there this night, ye shall have alet-pass to-morn betimes."

  Then Ralph spake a word in Roger's ear, and Roger nodded his head, and,throwing his cowl aback, went up to the man-at-arms and said: "Stephena-Hurst, hast thou time for a word with an old friend?" "Yea, Roger,"said the man "is it verily thou? I deemed that thou hadst fled awayfrom all of us to live in the wilds."

  "So it was, lad," said Roger, "but times change from good to bad andback again; and now am I of this good lord's company; and I shall tellthee, Stephen, that though he rideth but few to-day, yet merry shall hebe that rideth with him to-morrow if unpeace be in the land. Lo you,Stephen, this is the Child of Upmeads, whom belike thou hast heard of;and if thou wilt take me into the chamber of thy tower, I will tellthee things of him that thou wottest not."

  Stephen turned to Ralph and made obeisance to him and said: "Fair Sir,there are tales going about concerning thee, some whereof are strangeenow, but none of them ill; and I deem by the look of thee that thoushalt be both a stark champion and a good lord; and I deem that itshall be my good luck, if I see more of thee, and much more. Now ifthou wilt, pass on with thine other fellows to the Flower de Luce, andleave this my old fellow-in-arms with me, and he shall tell me of thymind; for I see that thou wouldest have somewhat of us; and since, Idoubt not by the looks of thee, that thou wilt not bid us aughtunknightly, when we know thy will, we shall try to pleasure thee."

  "Yea, Lord Ralph," said Roger, "thou mayest leave all the business withme, and I will come to thee not later than betimes to-morrow, and letthee wot how matters have sped. And methinks ye may hope to wendout-a-gates this time otherwise than thou didest before."

  So Ralph gave him yeasay and thanked the man-at-arms and rode his wayswith the others toward the Flower de Luce, and whereas the sun was butnewly set, Ralph noted that the booths were gayer and the housesbrighter and more fairly adorned than aforetimes. As for the folk,they were such that the streets seemed full of holiday makers, sojoyous and well dight were they; and the women like to those fairthralls whom he had seen that other time, saving that they were notclad so wantonly, however gaily. They came into the great square, andthere they saw that the masons and builders had begun on the masterchurch to make it fairer and bigger; the people were sporting there asin the streets, and amongst them were some weaponed men, but the mostpart of these bore the token of the Dry Tree.

  So they entered the Flower de Luce, and had good welcome there, as ifthey were come home to their own house; for when its people saw such agoodly old man in the Sage, and so stout and trim a knight as wasRichard, and above all when they beheld the loveliness of Ralph andUrsula, they praised them open-mouthed, and could scarce make enough ofthem. And when they had had their meat and were rested came two of themaids there and asked them if it were lawful to talk with them; andRalph laughed and bade them sit by them, and eat a dainty morsel; andthey took that blushing, for they were fair and young, and Ralph's faceand the merry words of his mouth stirred the hearts within them: andforsooth it was not so much they that spake as Ursula and the Sage; forRalph was somewhat few spoken, whereas he pondered concerning thecoming days, and what he half deemed that he saw a-doing at Upmeads.But at last they found their tongues, and said how that already rumourwas abroad that they were in the Burg who had drunk of the Water of theWell at the World's End; and said one: "It is indeed a fair sight tosee you folk coming back in triumph; and so methinks will many deem ifye abide with us over to-morrow, and yet, Lady, for a while we arewell-nigh as joyous as ye can be, whereas we have but newly come intonew life also: some of us from very thralldom of the most grievous, andI am of those; and some of us in daily peril of it, like to my sisterhere. So mayhappen," said she, smiling, "none of us shall seek to theWell until we have worn our present bliss a little threadbare."

  Ursula smiled on her, but the Sage said: "Mayhappen it is of no availspeaking of such things to a young and fair woman; but what wouldbetide you if the old Burgers were to come back and win their wallsagain?" The maid who had been a thrall changed countenance at hisword; but the other one said: "If the Burgers come back, they will findthem upon the walls who have already chaced them. Thou mayst deem meslim and tender, old wise man; but such as mine arm is, it has upheavedthe edges against the foe; and if it be a murder to slay a Burger, thenam I worthy of the gallows." "Yea, yea," quoth Richard, laughing, "yeshall be double-manned then in this good town: ye may well win, unlessthe sight of you shall make the foe over fierce for the gain."

  Said the Sage "It is well, maiden, and if ye hold to that, and keepyour carles in the same road, ye need not to fear the Burgers: and tosay sooth, I have it in my mind, that before long ye shall have bothwar and victory."

  Then Ralph seemed to wake up as from a dream, and he arose, and said:"Thou art in the right, Sage, and to mine eyes it seemeth that boththou and I shall be sharers in the war and the victory." And therewithhe fell to striding up and down the hall, while the two maidens satgazing on him with gleaming eyes and flushed cheeks.

  But in a little while he came back to his seat and sat him down, andfell to talk with the women, and asked them of the town and thebuilding therein, and the markets, whether they throve; and they andtwo or three of the townsmen or merchants answered all, and told himhow fair their estate was, and how thriving was the lot of one and allwith them. Therewith was Ralph well pleased, and they sat talkingthere in good fellowship till the night was somewhat worn, and all menfared to bed.