At last Gold-mane took up the word and said:
'Sweet friend, tell me the uttermost of what thou would'st have of
me. Is it not that I should stand by thee and thine in the Folk-mote
of the Dalesmen, and speak for you when ye pray us for help against
your foemen; and then again that I do my best when ye and we are
arrayed for battle against the Dusky Men? This is easy to do, and
great is the reward thou offerest me.'
'I look for this service of thee,' she said, 'and none other.'
'And when I go down to the battle,' said he, 'shalt thou be sorry for
our sundering?'
She said: 'There shall be no sundering; I shall wend with thee.'
Said he: 'And if I were slain in the battle, would'st thou lament
me?'
'Thou shalt not be slain,' she said.
Again was there silence betwixt them, till at last he said:
'This then is why thou didst draw me to thee in the Wild-wood?'
'Yea,' said she.
Again for a while no word was spoken, and Face-of-god looked on her
till she cast her eyes down before him.
Then at last he spake, and the colour came and went in his face as he
said: 'Tell me thy name what it is.
Pages:
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202