Now the night wore and the morning came; and Face-of-god was abroad
very early in the morning, as his custom was; and he washed the night
from off him in the Carles' Bath of the Shivering Flood, and then
went round through the encampment of the host, and saw none stirring
save here and there the last watchmen of the night. He spake with
one or two of these, and then went up to the head of the Vale, where
was the pass that led to Silver-dale; and there he saw the watch, and
spake with them, and they told him that none had as yet come forth
from the pass, and he bade them to blow the horn of warning to rouse
up the Host as soon as the messengers came thence. For forerunners
had been sent up the pass, and had been set to hold watch at divers
places therein to pass on the word from place to place.
Thence went Face-of-god back toward the Hall; but when he was yet
some way from it, he saw a slender glittering warrior come forth from
the door thereof, who stood for a moment looking round about, and
then came lightly and swiftly toward him; and lo! it was the Sun-
beam, with a long hauberk over her kirtle falling below her knees, a
helm on her head and plated shoes on her feet.
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