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No doubt had Gold-mane but that these ransackers were his friends of the Mountain; but he held his peace, abiding till the winter should be over. A week after the ransacking at Greentofts the snow and the winter came on in earnest, and all the Dale lay in snow, and men went on skids when they fared up and down the Dale or on the Mountain.
The Sun-beam, who was anigh when that was spoken, heard it and smiled, and said: 'Gold-mane, deemest thou that it was my brother whom we blessed? 'I wot not, he said; 'but I would he were here, for this gear must speedily be looked to. Nevertheless it was nigh an hour before Folk-might came home to the House. He strode in lightly and gaily, and shaking the crest of his war-helm as he went.
And now, Gold-mane, thou art become a friend of the Wolf, and shalt before long be of affinity with our House; that other day thou didst ask me to tell thee of me and mine, and now will I do according to thine asking. Short shall my tale be; because maybe thou shalt hear it told again, and in goodly wise, before thine whole folk.
She said: 'Good spear-casting, forsooth! and far above what our folk can do, who be no great throwers of the spear. Gold-mane laughed: 'Sooth is that, said he, 'or hardly were I here to teach thee spear-throwing. 'Wilt thou NEVER be paid for that simple onslaught? she said. 'Have I been paid then? said he.
So they went forth, those brethren, from the House of the Face, but when they were gotten to the gate, who should be there but the Bride awaiting them, and she with an ass duly saddled for bearing the yew-sticks. Because Hall-face had told her that he and belike Gold-mane were going to hew in the wood, and she thought it good to be of the company, as oft had befallen erst.
So Face-of-god did on this hauberk over his kirtle, and over it he cast his foul-weather weed, so that none might see it: he girt a strong war-sword to his side, cast his quiver over his shoulder, and took his bow in his hand, although he had little lust to shoot elks that day, even as Stone-face had said; therewithal he took his skids, and went forth of the hall to the gate of the Burg; whereto gathered the whole company of twenty-three, and Gold-mane the twenty-fourth.
Let summer come, and who shall say? Great was his grief, and his shame kept him silent, and he had no word to say; and again she said: 'Tell me, Gold-mane, when goest thou thither? He said: 'I know not surely, may happen in two days, may happen in ten. Why askest thou?
Nevertheless he did as she bade him, and sat at the board and ate, while she leaned forward on the arm of her chair and spake to him in friendly wise. And he wondered as she spake that she knew so much of him and his: and he kept saying to himself: 'She drew me hither; wherefore did she so? But she said: 'Gold-mane, how fareth thy father the Alderman? is he as good a wright as ever?
Then Gold-mane took the Ring and thrust his right hand through it, and took her right hand in his; so that the Ring lay on both their hands, and therewith he spake aloud: 'I am Face-of-god of the House of the Face, and I do thee to wit, O God of the Earth, that I pledge my troth to this woman, the Sun-beam of the Kindred of the Wolf, to beget my offspring on her, and to live with her, and to die with her: so help me, thou God of the Earth, and the Warrior and the God of the Face!
There also was Gold-mane come back before them, yea for these two hours; and he stood clad in his holiday raiment and smiled on them.
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