She was now clad in her woman's attire again, to wit a light flame-
coloured gown over a green kirtle; but she yet bore a gilded helm on
her head and a sword girt to her side in token of her oath to the
God. She had been in Hall-face's company in that last battle, and
had done a man's service there, fighting very valiantly, but had not
been hurt, and had come back to Burgstead when the shift of men was.
Now she drew herself up and stood a little way before the Gate and
looked forth on the throng, and when her eyes beheld the Runaways
amidst of the weaponed carles of Burgdale, her face flushed, and her
eyes filled with tears as she stood, partly wondering, partly deeming
what they were. She waited till Stone-face came by her, and then she
took the old man by the sleeve, and drew him apart a little and said
to him: 'What meaneth this show, my friend? Who hath clad these
folk thus strangely; and who be these three naked tall ones, so
fierce-looking, but somewhat noble of aspect?'
For indeed those three men of the kindreds, when they had gotten into
the Dale, and had rested them, and drunk a cup of wine, and when they
had seen the chaplets and wreaths of the spring-flowers wherewith
they were bedecked, and had smelt the sweet savour of them, fell to
walking proudly, heeding not their nakedness; for no rag had they
upon them save breech-clouts of deer-skin: they had changed weapons
with the Burgdale carles; and one had gotten a great axe, which he
bore over his shoulder, and the shaft thereof was all done about with
copper; and another had shouldered a long heavy thrusting-spear, and
the third, an exceeding tall man, bore a long broad-bladed war-sword.
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