Yet was she as
lowly and simple of speech and demeanour as if she were a gooseherd
of fourteen winters.
In the Hall was a goodly company, and all the leaders of the Folk
were therein, and Folk-might and the War-leader sitting in the midst
of those stone seats on the days. There then they agreed on the
whole ordering of the battle and the wending of the host, as shall be
told later on; and this matter was long a-doing, and when it was
done, men went to their places to sleep, for the night was well worn.
But when men had departed and all was still, Folk-might, light-clad
and without a weapon, left the Hall and walked briskly toward the
nether end of the Vale. He passed by all the tents, the last whereof
were of the House of the Steer, and came to a place where was a great
rock rising straight up from the plain like sheaves of black staves
standing close together; and it was called Staff-stone, and tales of
the elves had been told concerning it, so that Stone-face had beheld
it gladly the day before.
The moon was just shining into Shadowy Vale, and the grass was bright
wheresoever the shadows of the high cliffs were not, and the face of
Staff-stone shone bright grey as Folk-might came within sight of it,
and he beheld someone sitting at the base of the rock, and as he drew
nigher he saw that it was a woman, and knew her for the Bride; for he
had prayed her to abide him there that night, because it was nigh to
the tents of the House of the Steer; and his heart was glad as he
drew nigh to her.
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