The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 3

  They Winter With the Sage; and Thereafter Come Again to Vale Turris

  Thus with no peril and little pain they came to the Sage's hermitage;and whereas the autumn was now wearing, and it was not to be looked forthat they should cross even the mountains west of Goldburg, let alonethose to the west of Cheaping Knowe, when winter had once set in, Ralphand Ursula took the Sage's bidding to abide the winter through withhim, and set forth on their journey again when spring should be fairlycome and the mountain ways be clear of snow.

  So they dwelt there happily enough; for they helped the Sage in hishusbandry, and he enforced him to make them cheer, and read in theancient book to them, and learned them as much as it behoved them tohearken; and told them tales of past time.

  Thereafter when May was at hand they set out on their road, and whereasthe Sage knew the wood well, he made a long story short by bringingthem to Vale Turris in four days' time. But when they rode down intothe dale, they saw the plain meads below the Tower all bright withtents and booths, and much folk moving about amidst them; here andthere amidst the roofs of cloth withal was showing the half finishedframe of a timber house a-building. But now as they looked and wonderedwhat might be toward, a half score of weaponed men rode up to them andbade them, but courteously, to come with them to see their Lord. TheSage drew forth his let-pass thereat; but the leader of the riderssaid, as he shook his head: "That is good for thee, father; but thesetwo knights must needs give an account of themselves: for my lord isminded to put down all lifting throughout his lands; therefore hath hemade the meshes of his net small. But if these be thy friends it willbe well. Therefore thou art free to come with them and bear witness totheir good life."

  Here it must be said that since they were on the road again Ursula haddonned her wargear once more, and as she rode was to all men's eyesnaught but a young and slender knight.

  So without more ado they followed those men-at-arms, and saw how thebanner of the Bull was now hung out from the Tower; and the sergeantsbrought them into the midst of the vale, where, about those tents andthose half-finished frame-houses (whereof they saw six) was a markettoward and much concourse of folk. But the sergeants led through themand the lanes of the booths down to the side of the river, where on agreen knoll, with some dozen of men-at-arms and captains about him, satthe new Lord of Utterbol.

  Now as the others drew away from him to right and left, the Lord satbefore Ralph with naught to hide him, and when their eyes met Ralphgave a cry as one astonished; and the Lord of Utterbol rose up to hisfeet and shouted, and then fell a laughing joyously, and then criedout: "Welcome, King's Son, and look on me! for though the feathers befine 'tis the same bird. I am Lord of Utterbol and therewithal BullShockhead, whose might was less than thine on the bent of the mountainvalley."

  Therewith he caught hold of Ralph's hand, and sat himself down and drewRalph down, and made him sit beside him.

  "Thou seest I am become great?" said he. "Yea," said Ralph, "I givethee joy thereof!" Said the new Lord: "Perchance thou wilt be deemingthat since I was once thy war-taken thrall I should give myself up tothee: but I tell thee I will not: for I have much to do here.Moreover I did not run away from thee, but thou rannest from me, lad."

  Thereat in his turn Ralph fell a laughing, and when he might speak hesaid: "What needeth the lord of all these spears to beg off his serviceto the poor wandering knight?"

  Then Bull put his arms about him, and said: "I am fain at the sight ofthee, time was thou wert a kind lad and a good master; yet naught somerry as thou shouldest have been; but now I see that gladness playsall about thy face, and sparkles in thine eyes; and that is good. Butthese thy fellows? I have seen the old carle before: he was dwellingin the wildwood because he was overwise to live with other folk. Butthis young man, who may he be? Or else--yea, verily, it is a youngwoman. Yea, and now I deem that it is the thrall of my brother BullNosy. Therefore by heritage she is now mine."

  Ralph heard the words but saw not the smiling face, so wroth he was;therefore the bare sword was in his fist in a twinkling. But ere hecould smite Bull caught hold of his wrist, and said: "Master, master,thou art but a sorry lawyer, or thou wouldst have said: 'Thou art mythrall, and how shall a thrall have heritage?' Dost thou not see that Icannot own her till I be free, and that thou wilt not give me myfreedom save for hers? There, now is all the matter of the serviceduly settled, and I am free and a Lord. And this damsel is free also,and--yea, is she not thy well-beloved, King's Son?"

  Ralph was somewhat abashed, and said: "I crave thy pardon, Lord, formisdoubting thee: but think how feeble are we two lovers amongst thehosts of the aliens."

  "It is well, it is well," said Bull, "and in very sooth I deem thee myfriend; and this damsel was my brother's friend. Sit down, dearmaiden, I bid thee; and thou also, O man overwise; and let us drink acup, and then we will talk about what we may do for each other."

  So they sat down all on the grass, and the Lord of Utterbol called forwine, and they drank together in the merry season of May; and the newLord said: "Here be we friends come together, and it were pity of ourlives if we must needs sunder speedily: howbeit, it is thou must ruleherein, King's Son; for in my eyes thou art still greater than I, O mymaster. For I can see in thine eyes and thy gait, and in thine also,maiden, that ye have drunk of the Well at the World's End. Therefore Ipray you gently and heartily that ye come home with me to Utterbol."

  Ralph shook his head, and answered: "Lord of Utterbol, I bid thee allthanks for thy friendliness, but it may not be."

  "But take note," said Bull, "that all is changed there, and it hathbecome a merry dwelling of men. We have cast down the Red Pillar, andthe White and the Black also; and it is no longer a place of tormentand fear, and cozening and murder; but the very thralls are happy andfree-spoken. Now come ye, if it were but for a moon's wearing: I shallbe there in eight days' time. Yea, Lord Ralph, thou would'st see oldacquaintance there withal: for when I slew the tyrant, who forsoothowed me no less than his life for the murder of my brother, I madeatonement to his widow, and wedded her: a fair woman as thou wottest,lord, and of good kindred, and of no ill conditions, as is well seennow that she lives happy days. Though I have heard say that while shewas under the tyrant she was somewhat rough with her women when she wassad. Eh, fair sir! but is it not so that she cast sheep's eyes onthee, time was, in this same dale?"

  Ralph reddened and answered naught; and Bull spake again, laughing:"Yea, so it is: she told me that much herself, and afterwards I heardmore from her damsel Agatha, who told me the merry tale of that devicethey made to catch thee, and how thou brakest through the net.Forsooth, though this she told me not, I deem that she would have hadthe same gift of thee as her mistress would. Well, lad, lucky are theywith whom all women are in love. So now I prithee trust so much in thyluck as to come with me to Utterbol."

  Quoth Ralph: "Once again, Lord of Utterbol, we thank thee; but whereasthou hast said that thou hast much to do in this land; even so I have aland where deeds await me. For I stole myself away from my father andmother, and who knows what help they need of me against foemen, andevil days; and now I might give help to them were I once at home, andto the people of the land also, who are a stout-hearted and valiant andkindly folk."

  The new Lord's face clouded somewhat, as he said: "If thine heartdraweth thee to thy kindred, there is no more to say. As for me, whatI did was for kindred's sake, and then what followed after was the workof need. Well, let it be! But since we must needs part hastily, thisat least I bid you, that ye abide with me for to-night, and the banquetin the great pavilion. Howsoever ye may be busied, gainsay me notthis; and to-morrow I shall further you on your way, and give you ascore of spears to follow thee to Goldburg. Then as for Goldburg andCheaping Knowe, see ye to it yourselves: but beyond Cheaping Knowe andthe plain country, thy name is known, and the likeness of thee told inwords; and no man in those mountains shall hurt or hinder thee, but allthou meetest shall aid and furth
er thee. Moreover, at the feastto-night thou shalt see thy friend Otter, and he and I betwixt us shalltell thee how I came to Utterbol, and of the change of days, and how itbetid. For he is now my right-hand man, as he was of the dead man.Forsooth, after the slaying I would have had him take the lordship ofUtterbol, but he would not, so I must take it perforce or be slain, andlet a new master reign there little better than the old. Well then,how sayest thou? Or wilt thou run from me without leave-taking, asthou didst ere-while at Goldburg?"

  Ralph laughed at his word, and said that he would not be so churlishthis time, but would take his bidding with a good heart; and thereafterthey fell to talking of many things. But Ralph took note of Bull, thatnow his hair and beard were trim and his raiment goodly, for all hisrough speech and his laughter and heart-whole gibes and mocking, hisaspect and bearing was noble and knightly.