CHAPTER 12
Ralph Falleth in With Friends and Rideth to Whitwall
Ralph looks on to the ford and sees folk riding through the thorpaforesaid and down to the river, and they take the water and are manyin company, some two score by his deeming, and he sees the sunglittering on their weapons.
Now he thought that he would abide their coming and see if he mightjoin their company, since if he crossed the water he would be on thebackward way: and it was but a little while ere the head of them cameup over the hill, and were presently going past Ralph, who rose up tolook on them, and be seen of them, but they took little heed of him.So he sees that though they all bore weapons, they were not allmen-at-arms, nay, not more than a half score, but those proper menenough. Of the others, some half-dozen seemed by their attire to bemerchants, and the rest their lads; and withal they had many sumpterhorses and mules with them. They greeted him not, nor he them, nor didhe heed them much till they were all gone by save three, and then heleapt into the road with a cry, for who should be riding there butBlaise, his eldest brother, and Richard the Red with him, both in goodcase by seeming; for Blaise was clad in a black coat welted with gold,and rode a good grey palfrey, and Richard was armed well and knightly.
They knew him at once, and drew rein, and Blaise lighted down from hishorse and cast his arms about Ralph, and said: "O happy day! when twoof the Upmeads kindred meet thus in an alien land! But what makeththee here, Ralph? I thought of thee as merry and safe in Upmeads?"
Ralph said smiling, for his heart leapt up at the sight of his kindred:"Nay, must I not seek adventures like the rest? So I stole myself awayfrom father and mother." "Ill done, little lord!" said Blaise,stroking Ralph's cheek.
Then up came Richard, and if Blaise were glad, Richard was twice glad,and quoth he: "Said I not, Lord Blaise, that this chick would be thehardest of all to keep under the coop? Welcome to the Highways, LordRalph! But where is thine horse? and whence and whither is it now?Hast thou met with some foil and been held to ransom?"
Ralph found it hard and grievous and dull work to answer; for now againhis sorrow had taken hold of him: so he said: "Yea, Richard, I havehad adventures, and have lost rather than won; but at least I am a freeman, and have spent but little gold on my loss."
"That is well," said Richard, "but whence gat ye any gold forspending?" Ralph smiled, but sadly, for he called to mind the gladsetting forth and the kind face of dame Katherine his gossip, and hesaid: "Clement Chapman deemed it not unmeet to stake somewhat on myluck, therefore I am no pauper."
"Well," said Blaise, "if thou hast no great errand elsewhere, thoumightest ride with us, brother. I have had good hap in these days,though scarce kingly or knightly, for I have been buying and selling:what matter? few know Upmeads and its kings to wite me with fouling afair name. Richard, go fetch a horse hither for Lord Ralph's riding,and we will tarry no longer." So Richard trotted on, and while theyabode him, Ralph asked after his brethren, and Blaise told him that hehad seen or heard naught of them. Then Ralph asked of whither away,and Blaise told him to Whitwall, where was much recourse of merchantsfrom many lands, and a noble market.
Back then cometh Richard leading a good horse while Ralph was ponderinghis matter, and thinking that at such a town he might well hear tidingsconcerning the Well at the World's End.
Now Ralph mounts, and they all ride away together. On the way, partlyfor brotherhood's sake, partly that he might not be questioned overmuchhimself, Ralph asked Blaise to tell him more of his farings; and Blaisesaid, that when he had left Upmeads he had ridden with Richard up anddown and round about, till he came to a rich town which had just beentaken in war, and that the Companions who had conquered it were lookingfor chapmen to cheapen their booty, and that he was the first or nearlythe first to come who had will and money to buy, and the Companions,who were eager to depart, had sold him thieves' penny-worths, so thathis share of the Upmeads' treasure had gone far; and thence he had goneto another good town where he had the best of markets for his newlycheapened wares, and had brought more there, such as he deemed handy tosell, and so had gone on from town to town, and had ever thriven, andhad got much wealth: and so at last having heard tell of Whitwall asbetter for chaffer than all he had yet seen, he and other chapmen hadarmed them, and waged men-at-arms to defend them, and so tried theadventure of the wildwoods, and come safe through.
Then at last came the question to Ralph concerning his adventures, andhe enforced himself to speak, and told all as truly as he might,without telling of the Lady and her woeful ending.
Thus they gave and took in talk, and Ralph did what he might to seemlike other folk, that he might nurse his grief in his own heart as farasunder from other men as might be.
So they rode on till it was even, and came to Whitwall before theshutting of the gates and rode into the street, and found it a fair andgreat town, well defensible, with high and new walls, and men-at-armsgood store to garnish them.
Ralph rode with his brother to the hostel of the chapmen, and therethey were well lodged.