Now the men with the slug-horns set them to their mouths and blew a
long blast; while the first of the new-comers set hand to the clasps
of the fur cloak and let it fall to the ground, and lo! a woman
exceeding beauteous, clad in glistering raiment of gold and fine web;
her hair wreathed with bay, and in her hand a naked sword with
goodly-wrought golden hilt and polished blue-gleaming blade.
Face-of-god started up in his sear, and stared like a man new-wakened
from a strange dream: because for one moment he deemed verily that
it was the Woman of the Mountain arrayed as he had last seen her, and
he cried aloud 'The Friend, the Friend!'
His father brake out into loud laughter thereat, and clapped his son
on the shoulder and said: 'Yea, yea, lad, thou mayst well say the
Friend; for this is thine old playmate whom thou hast been looking
round the hall for, arrayed this eve in such fashion as is meet for
her goodliness and her worthiness. Yea, this is the Friend indeed!'
Then waxed Face-of-god as red as blood for shame, and he sat him down
in his place again: for now he wotted what was toward, and saw that
this fair woman was the Bride.
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