'
'Yea,' said Hall-face; 'and I pray thee, brother, let me have an
hundred of men and thy Dallach, and let us go somewhat deep into the
wood towards Rose-dale, and see what we may come across; peradventure
it might be something better than hart or wild-swine.'
Said Face-of-god: 'I see no harm therein, if Dallach goeth with thee
freely; for I will have no force put on him or any other of the
Runaways. Yet meseemeth it were not ill for thee to find the road to
Rose-dale; for I have it in my mind to send a company thither to give
those Rose-dale man-quellers somewhat to do at home when we fall upon
Silver-dale. Therefore go find Dallach, and get thy men together at
once; for the sooner thou art gone on thy way the better. But this I
bid thee, go no further than three days out, that ye may be back home
betimes.'
At this word Hall-face's eyes gleamed with joy, and he went out from
the Hall straightway and sought Dallach, and found him at the Gate.
Iron-face had given him a new sword, a good one, and had bidden him
call it Thicket-clearer, and he would not leave it any moment of the
day or night, but would lay it under his pillow at night as a child
does with a new toy; and now he was leaning against a buttress and
drawing the said sword half out of the scabbard and poring over its
blade, which was indeed fair enough, being wrought with dark grey
waving lines like the eddies of the Weltering Water.
Pages:
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358