The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 35

  Ralph Cometh To the Vale of the Tower

  But when it was morning Ralph awoke, and saw that the sun was shiningbrightly; so he cast his shirt on him, and went out at once, and turnedhis face eastward, and, scarce awake, said to himself that the cloudslay heavy in the eastward heavens after last night's haze: butpresently his eyes cleared, and he saw that what he had taken forclouds was a huge wall of mountains, black and terrible, that rose upsharp and clear into the morning air; for there was neither cloud normist in all the heavens.

  Now Ralph, though he were but little used to the sight of greatmountains, yet felt his heart rather rise than fall at the sight ofthem; for he said: "Surely beyond them lieth some new thing for me,life or death: fair fame or the forgetting of all men." And it waslong that he could not take his eyes off them.

  As he looked, came up the Captain Otter, and said: "Well, Knight, thouhast seen them this morn, even if ye die ere nightfall." Said Ralph:"What deemest thou to lie beyond them?"

  "Of us none knoweth surely," said Otter; "whiles I deem that if onewere to get to the other side there would be a great plain like tothis: whiles that there is naught save mountains beyond, and yet againmountains, like the waves of a huge stone sea. Or whiles I think thatone would come to an end of the world, to a place where is naught but aledge, and then below it a gulf filled with nothing but the howling ofwinds, and the depth of darkness. Moreover this is my thought, thatall we of these parts should be milder men and of better conditions, ifyonder terrible wall were away. It is as if we were thralls of thegreat mountains."

  Said Ralph, "Is this then the Wall of the World?" "It may well be so,"said Otter; "but this word is at whiles said of something else, whichno man alive amongst us has yet seen. It is a part of the tale of theseekers for the Well at the World's End, whereof we said a word thatother day."

  "And the Dry Tree," said Ralph, "knowest thou thereof?" said Ralph."Such a tree, much beworshipped," said Otter, "we have, not very farfrom Utterbol, on the hither side of the mountains. Yet I have heardold men say that it is but a toy, and an image of that which is verilyanigh the Well at the World's End. But now haste thee to do on thyraiment, for we must needs get to horse in a little while." "Yet onemore word," said Ralph; "thou sayest that none alive amongst you haveseen the Wall of the World?" "None alive," quoth Otter; "forsooth whatthe dead may see, that is another question." Said Ralph: "But have yenot known of any who have sought to the Well from this land, which isso nigh thereunto?" "Such there have been," said Otter; "but if theyfound it, they found something beyond it, or came west again by someway else than by Utterbol; for they never came back again to us."

  Therewith he turned on his heel, and went his ways, and up came Davidand one with him bringing victual; and David said: "Now, thou luckyone, here is come thy breakfast! for we shall presently be on our way.Cast on thy raiment, and eat and strengthen thyself for the day's work.Hast thou looked well on the mountains?" "Yea," said Ralph, "and thesight of them has made me as little downhearted as thou art. For thouart joyous of mood this morning." David nodded and smiled, and lookedso merry that Ralph wondered what was toward. Then he went into histent and clad himself, and ate his breakfast, and then gat to horse androde betwixt two of the men-at-arms, he and Otter; for David was riddenforward to speak with the Lord. Otter talked ever gaily enough; butRalph heeded him little a while, but had his eyes ever on themountains, and could see that for all they were so dark, and filled upso much of the eastward heaven, they were so far away that he could seebut little of them save that they were dark blue and huge, and onerising up behind the other.

  Thus they rode the down country, till at last, two hours before noon,coming over the brow of a long down, they had before them a shallowdale, pleasanter than aught they had yet seen. It was well-grassed,and a little river ran through it, from which went narrow leats held upby hatches, so that the more part of the valley bottom was awater-meadow, wherein as now were grazing many kine and sheep. Therewere willows about the banks of the river, and in an ingle of it stooda grange or homestead, with many roofs half hidden by clumps of tallold elm trees. Other houses there were in the vale; two or three cots,to wit, on the slope of the hither down, and some half-dozen about thehomestead; and above and beyond all these, on a mound somewhat awayfrom the river and the grange, a great square tower, with barriers andbailey all dight ready for war, and with a banner of the Lord's hangingout. But between the tower and the river stood as now a great pavilionof snow-white cloth striped with gold and purple; and round about itwere other tents, as though a little army were come into the vale.

  So when they looked into that fair place, Otter the Captain rose in thestirrups and cast up his hand for joy, and cried out aloud: "Now,young knight, now we are come home: how likest thou my Lord's land?"

  "It is a fair land," said Ralph; "but is there not come some one to bidthy Lord battle for it? or what mean the tents down yonder?"

  Said Otter, laughing: "Nay, nay, it hath not come to that yet. Yonderis my Lord's lady-wife, who hath come to meet him, but in love, so tosay, not in battle--not yet. Though I say not that the cup of lovebetwixt them be brim-full. But this it behoveth me not to speak of,though thou art to be my brother-in-arms, since we are to tilt togetherpresently: for lo! yonder the tilt-yard, my lad."

  Therewith he pointed to the broad green meadow: but Ralph said: "Howcanst thou, a free man, be brother-in-arms to a thrall?" "Nay, lad,"quoth Otter, "let not that wasp sting thee: for even such was I, timewas. Nay, such am I now, but that a certain habit of keeping my witsin a fray maketh me of avail to my Lord, so that I am well looked to.Forsooth in my Lord's land the free men are of little account, sincethey must oftenest do as my Lord and my Lord's thralls bid them.Truly, brother, it is we who have the wits and the luck to rise abovethe whipping-post and the shackles that are the great men hereabouts.I say we, for I deem that thou wilt do no less, whereas thou hast thelucky look in thine eyes. So let to-day try it."

  As he spake came many glittering figures from out of those tents, andtherewithal arose the sound of horns and clashing of cymbals, and theirown horns gave back the sound of welcome. Then Ralph saw a man ingolden armour of strange, outlandish fashion, sitting on a great blackhorse beside the Lord's litter; and Otter said: "Lo! my Lord, armedand a-horseback to meet my lady: she looketh kinder on him thus; thoughin thine ear be it said, he is no great man of war; nor need he be,since he hath us for his shield and his hauberk."

  Herewith were they come on to the causeway above the green meadows, andpresently drew rein before the pavilion, and stood about in a half-ringfacing a two score of gaily clad men-at-arms, who had come with theLady and a rout of folk of the household. Then the Lord gat off hishorse, and stood in his golden armour, and all the horns and othermusic struck up, and forth from the pavilion came the Lady with ahalf-score of her women clad gaily in silken gowns of green, and blue,and yellow, broidered all about with gold and silver, but with nakedfeet, and having iron rings on their arms, so that Ralph saw that theywere thralls. Something told him that his damsel should be amongstthese, so he gazed hard on them, but though they were goodly enoughthere was none of them like to her.

  As to the Queen, she was clad all in fine linen and gold, with goldshoes on her feet: her arms came bare from out of the linen: greatthey were, and the hands not small; but the arms round and fair, andthe hands shapely, and all very white and rosy: her hair was as yellowas any that can be seen, and it was plenteous, and shed all down abouther. Her eyes were blue and set wide apart, her nose a little snubbed,her mouth wide, full-lipped and smiling. She was very tall, a fullhalf-head taller than any of her women: yea, as tall as a man who isabove the middle height of men.

  Now she came forward hastily with long strides, and knelt adown beforethe Lord, but even as she kneeled looked round with a laughing face.The Lord stooped down to her and took her by both hands, and raised herup, and kissed her on the cheek (and he looked but little and of nopr
esence beside her:) and he said: "Hail to thee, my Lady; thou artcome far from thine home to meet me, and I thank thee therefor. Is itwell with our House?"

  She spake seeming carelessly and loud; but her voice was somewhathusky: "Yea, my Lord, all is well; few have done amiss, and the harvestis plenteous." As she spake the Lord looked with knit brows at thedamsels behind her, as if he were seeking something; and the Ladyfollowed his eyes, smiling a little and flushing as if with merriment.

  But the Lord was silent a while, and then let his brow clear and said:"Yea, Lady, thou art thanked for coming to meet us; and timely is thycoming, since there is game and glee for thee at hand; I have cheapeneda likely thrall of Morfinn the Unmanned, and he is a gift to thee; andhe hath given out that he is no ill player with the spear after thefashion of them of the west; and we are going to prove his word here inthis meadow presently."

  The Lady's face grew glad, and she said, looking toward the ring of newcomers: "Yea, Lord, and which of these is he, if he be here?"

  The Lord turned a little to point out Ralph, but even therewith theLady's eyes met Ralph's, who reddened for shame of being so shown to agreat lady; but as for her she flushed bright red all over her face andeven to her bosom, and trouble came into her eyes, and she lookedadown. But the Lord said: "Yonder is the youngling, the swordless onein the green coat; a likely lad, if he hath not lied about his prowess;and he can sing thee a song withal, and tell a piteous tale of old, anddo all that those who be reared in the lineages of the westlands deemmeet and due for men of knightly blood. Dost thou like the looks ofhim, lady! wilt thou have him?"

  The Lady still held her head down, and tormented the grass with herfoot, and murmured somewhat; for she could not come to herself again asyet. So the Lord looked sharply on her and said: "Well, when thistilting is over, thou shalt tell me thy mind of him; for if he turn outa dastard I would not ask thee to take him."

  Now the lady lifted up her face, and she was grown somewhat pale; butshe forced her speech to come, and said: "It is well, Lord, but nowcome thou into my pavilion, for thy meat is ready, and it lacketh but aminute or so of noon." So he took her hand and led her in to thepavilion, and all men got off their horses, and fell to pitching thetents and getting their meat ready; but Otter drew Ralph apart into anook of the homestead, and there they ate their meat together.