And in the
night again we fled and reached the wild-wood before dawn, and well-
nigh fell into the hands of those who were hunting us, and had
outgone us the day before, as we lay hid. Well, what is to say?
They saw us not, else had we not been here, but scattered piece-meal
over the land. This carle knew the passes of the wood, because he
had followed his master therein, who was a great hunter in the
wastes, contrary to the wont of these men, and he had lain a night on
the burg yonder; therefore he brought me thither, because he knew
that thereabout was plenty of prey easy to take, and he had a bow
with him; and there we fell in with others of our folk who had fled
before, and with Dallach; who e'en now told us what was hard to
believe, that there was a fair young man like one of the Gods leading
a band of goodly warriors, and seeking for us to bring us into a
peaceful and happy land; and this man would not have gone with him
because he feared that he might fall into thralldom of other folk,
who would take me away from him; but for me, I said I would go in any
case, for I was weary of the wood and its roughness and toil, and
that if I had a new master he would scarcely be worse than my old one
was at his best, and him I could endure.
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