United States or Pakistan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Said the sad man: "It is lawful for thee to rest. So say I, who was once a master of law." Said the long-hoary elder: "And I command thee to rest; I who was once the king of a mighty folk." In sooth Hallblithe was now exceeding weary; so he laid him down and slept sweetly in the stony wilderness amidst those three seekers, the old, the sad, and the very old.
But when they were all jingling and clashing on together, the dust arising from the sun-dried turf, the earth shaking with the thunder of the horse-hoofs, then the heart of the long-hoary one stirred within him as he bethought him of the days of his youth, and to his old nostrils came the smell of the horses and the savour of the sweat of warriors riding close together knee to knee adown the meadow.
Quoth Ralph: "For me, little enough I know, save that I must come to the Rock of the Fighting Man, and that thou knowest the way thither." "And thou, damsel," quoth the long-hoary, "what knowest thou? Must I tell thee of the way through the mountains and the Wall of the World, and the Winter Valley, and the Folk Innocent, and the Cot on the Way, and the Forest of Strange Things and the Dry Tree?"
Said the Long-hoary: "I swear it by the Treasure of the Sea, that she is not here: the tale was but a lie of the Puny Fox." Hallblithe pondered his answer awhile with downcast eyes and said at last: "Have ye a mind to ransom me, now that I have walked into the trap?"
Why should not I go, since there are men to bear me aboard?" Said Hallblithe, "And when thou art come aland there, what wilt thou do?" "Thou shalt see, my son," said the Long-hoary. "It may be that thy good wishes shall be of avail to me.
Hasten thou! or I shall deem thee a double fool who will not fare to fetch his meat, though he be hungry." Then Hallblithe laughed, and went down the hall into the buttery and found the meat, and ate his fill, and came away with the drink back to the Long-hoary man, who chuckled as he came and said: "Fill up now for thee and for me, and call a health to me and wish me somewhat."
"How do ye live, what work win ye?" "We win diverse work," said the elder, "but the gainfullest is robbing men by the high hand." "Is it ye who have stolen from me the Hostage of the Rose?" said Hallblithe. Said the Long-hoary, "Maybe; I wot not; in diverse ways my kinsmen traffic, and they visit many lands. Why should they not have come to Cleveland also?"
"I wish thee luck," said Hallblithe, and drank. Said the elder: "And I wish thee more wits; is luck all that thou mayst wish me? What luck may an outworn elder have?" "Well then," quoth Hallblithe, "what shall I wish thee? Wouldst thou have me wish thee youth?" "Yea, certes," said the Long-hoary, "that and nought else."
Close by Birdalone's right hand as she entered were standing in a row along the screen big men-at-arms all weaponed, and their faces hidden by their sallets; and down below the dais on either side of the high table was again a throng of all-armed men; and at the high-table itself; and looking down the hall, sat three crowned kings, each with his drawn sword lying across his knees, and three long-hoary wise men stood before them at the nether side of the board.
But amidmost of the said Ring was a big stone, fashioned as a chair, whereon sat a very old man, long-hoary and white-bearded, and on either side of him stood a great-limbed woman clad in war-gear, holding, each of them, a long spear, and with a flint- bladed knife in the girdle; and there were no other women in all the Mote.
Word Of The Day