There was scarce a man astir, he deemed, and no
sound reached him save the crowing of the cocks muffled by their
houses, and a faint sound of beasts in the byres.
Thus he stood a while, his thoughts wandering now, till presently he
heard footsteps coming his way down the street and turned toward
them, and lo it was the old man Stone-face. He had seen Gold-mane go
out, and had risen and followed him that he might talk with him
apart. Gold-mane greeted him kindly, though, sooth to say, he was
but half content to see him; since he doubted, what was verily the
case, that his foster-father would give him many words, counselling
him to refrain from going to the wood, and this was loathsome to him;
but he spake and said:
'Meseems, father, that the eastern sky is brightening toward dawn.'
'Yea,' quoth Stone-face.
'It will be light in an hour,' said Face-of-god.
'Even so,' said Stone-face.
'And a fair day for the morrow of Yule,' said the swain.
'Yea,' said Stone-face, 'and what wilt thou do with the fair day?
Wilt thou to the wood?'
'Maybe, father,' said Gold-mane; 'Hall-face and some of the swains
are talking of elks up the fells which may be trapped in the drifts,
and if they go a-hunting them, I may go in their company.
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