世界尽头的那口井-CHAPTER 4 They Ride the Wood Under the Mountains
When Ralph woke on the morrow it was broad day as far as the trees
would have it so. He rose at once, and looked about for his fellow,
but saw her not, and for some moments of time he thought he had but
dreamed of her; but he saw that the fire had been quickened from its
embers, and close by lay the hauberk and strange-fashioned helm, and
the sword of the damsel, and presently he saw her coming through the
trees barefoot, with the green-sleeved silken surcoat hanging below the
knees and her hair floating loose about her. She stepped lightly up to
Ralph with a cheerful smiling countenance and a ruddy colour in her
cheeks, but her eyes moist as if she could scarce keep back the tears
for joy of the morning's meeting. He thought her fairer than erst, and
made as if he would put his arms about her, but she held a little aloof
from him, blushing yet more. Then she said in her sweet clear voice:
"Hail fellow-farer! now begins the day's work. I have been down
yonder, and have found a bright woodland pool, to wash the night off
me, and if thou wilt do in likewise and come back to me, I will dight
our breakfast meantime, and will we speedily to the road." He did as
she bade him, thinking of her all the while till he came back to her
fresh and gay. Then he looked to their horses and gave them fodder
gathered from the pool-side, and so turned to Ursula and found her with
the meat ready dight; so they ate and were glad.
When they had broken their fast Ralph went to saddle the horses, and
coming back found Ursula binding up her long hair, and she smiled on
him and said: "Now we are for the road I must be an armed knight again:
forsooth I unbound my hair e'en now and let my surcoat hang loose about
me in token that thou wottest my secret. Soothly, my friend, it irks
me that now we have met after a long while, I must needs be clad thus
graceless. But need drave me to it, and withal the occasion that was
given to me to steal this gay armour from a lad at Utterbol, the nephew
of the lord; who like his eme was half my lover, half my tyrant. Of
all which I will tell thee hereafter, and what wise I must needs steer
betwixt stripes and kisses these last days. But now let us arm and to
horse. Yet first lo you, here are some tools that in thine hands shall
keep us from sheer famine: as for me I am no archer; and forsooth no
man-at-arms save in seeming."
Therewith she showed him a short Turk bow and a quiver of arrows, which
he took well pleased. So then they armed each the other, and as she
handled Ralph's wargear she said: "How well-wrought and trusty is this
hauberk of thine, my friend; my coat is but a toy to it, with its gold
and silver rings and its gemmed collar: and thy plates be thick and
wide and well-wrought, whereas mine are little more than adornments to
my arms and legs."
He looked on her lovingly and loved her shapely hands amidst the dark
grey mail, and said: "That is well, dear friend, for since my breast
is a shield for thee it behoves it to be well covered." She looked at
him, and her lips trembled, and she put out her hand as if to touch his
cheek, but drew it back again and said: "Come now, let us to horse,
dear fellow in arms."
So they mounted and went their ways through a close pine-wood, where
the ground was covered with the pine-tree needles, and all was still
and windless. So as they rode said Ursula: "I seek tokens of the way
to the Sage of Swevenham. Hast thou seen a water yesterday?" "Yea,"
said Ralph, "I rode far along it, but left it because I deemed that it
turned north overmuch." "Thou wert right," she said, "besides that thy
turning from it hath brought us together; for it would have brought
thee to Utterbol at last. But now have we to hit upon another that
runneth straight down from the hills: not the Great Mountains, but the
high ground whereon is the Sage's dwelling. I know not whether the
ride be long or short; but the stream is to lead us."
On they rode through the wood, wherein was little change for hours; and
as they rested Ursula gave forth a deep breath, as one who has cast off
a load of care. And Ralph said: "Why sighest thou, fellow-farer?"
"O," she said, "it is for pleasure, and a thought that I had: for a
while ago I was a thrall, living amongst fears that sickened the heart;
and then a little while I was a lonely wanderer, and now...Therefore I
was thinking that if ever I come back to mine own land and my home, the
scent of a pine-wood shall make me happy."
Ralph looked on her eagerly, but said naught for a while; but at last
he spoke: "Tell me, friend," said he, "if we be met by strong-thieves
on the way, what shall we do then?"
"It is not like to befall," she said, "for men fear the wood, therefore
is there little prey for thieves therein: but if we chance on them,
the token of Utterbol on mine armour shall make them meek enough."
Then she fell silent a while, and spoke again: "True it is that we may
be followed by the Utterbol riders; for though they also fear the wood,
they fear it not so much as they fear their Lord. Howbeit, we be well
ahead, and it is little like that we shall be overtaken before we have
met the Sage; and then belike he shall provide."
"Yea," said Ralph, "but what if the chase come up with us: shall we
suffer us to be taken alive?" She looked on him solemnly, laid her
hand on the beads about her neck, and answered: "By this token we must
live as long as we may, whatsoever may befall; for at the worst may
some road of escape be opened to us. Yet O, how far easier it were to
die than to be led back to Utterbol!"
A while they rode in silence, both of them: but at last spake Ralph,
but slowly and in a dull and stern voice: "Maybe it were good that
thou told me somewhat of the horrors and evil days of Utterbol?"
"Maybe," she said, "but I will not tell thee of them. Forsooth there
are some things which a man may not easily tell to a man, be he never
so much his friend as thou art to me. But bethink thee" (and she
smiled somewhat) "that this gear belieth me, and that I am but a woman;
and some things there be which a woman may not tell to a man, nay, not
even when he hath held her long in his arms." And therewith she flushed
exceedingly. But he said in a kind voice: "I am sorry that I asked
thee, and will ask thee no more thereof." She smiled on him friendly,
and they spake of other matters as they rode on.
But after a while Ralph said: "If it were no misease to thee to tell
me how thou didst fall into the hands of the men of Utterbol, I were
fain to hear the tale."
She laughed outright, and said: "Why wilt thou be forever harping on
the time of my captivity, friend? And thou who knowest the story
somewhat already? Howbeit, I may tell thee thereof without
heart-burning, though it be a felon tale."
He said, somewhat shame-facedly: "Take it not ill that I am fain to
hear of thee and thy life-days, since we are become fellow-farers."
"Well," she said, "this befell outside Utterbol, so I will tell thee.
"After I had stood in the thrall-market at Cheaping Knowe, and not been
sold, the wild man led me away toward the mountains that are above
Goldburg; and as we drew near to them on a day, he said to me that he
was glad to the heart-root that none had cheapened me at the said
market; and when I asked him wherefore, he fell a weeping as he rode
beside me, and said: 'Yet would God that I had never taken thee.' I
asked what ailed him, though indeed I deemed that I knew. He said:
'This aileth me, that though thou art not of the blood wherein I am
bound to wed, I love thee sorely, and would have thee to wife; and now
I deem that thou wilt not love me again.' I said that he guessed
aright, but that if he would do friendly with me, I would be no less
than a friend to him. 'That availeth little,' quoth he; 'I would have
thee be mine of thine own will.' I said that might not be, that I could
love but one man alone. 'Is he alive?' said he. 'Goodsooth, I hope
so,' said I, 'but if he be dead, then is desire of men dead within me.'
"So we spake, and he was downcast and heavy of mood; but thenceforward
was he no worse to me than a brother. And he proffered it to lead me
back, if I would, and put me safely on the way to Whitwall; but, as
thou wottest, I had need to go forward, and no need to go back.
"Thus we entered into the mountains of Goldburg; but one morning, when
he arose, he was heavier of mood than his wont, and was restless
withal, and could be steadfast neither in staying nor going, nor aught
else. So I asked what ailed him, and he said: 'My end draweth nigh; I
have seen my fetch, and am fey. My grave abideth me in these
mountains.' 'Thou hast been dreaming ugly dreams,' said I, 'such
things are of no import.' And I spoke lightly, and strove to comfort
him. He changed not his mood for all that; but said: 'This is ill for
thee also; for thou wilt be worser without me than with me in these
lands.' Even so I deemed, and withal I was sorry for him, for though he
were uncouth and ungainly, he was no ill man. So against my will I
tumbled into the samelike mood as his, and we both fared along
drearily. But about sunset, as we came round a corner of the cliffs of
those mountains, or ever we were ware we happed upon a half-score of
weaponed men, who were dighting a camp under a big rock thereby: but
four there were with them who were still a-horseback; so that when Bull
Nosy (for that was his name) strove to flee away with me, it was of no
avail; for the said horsemen took us, and brought us before an
evil-looking man, who, to speak shortly, was he whom thou hast seen, to
wit, the Lord of Utterbol: he took no heed of Bull Nosy, but looked on
me closely, and handled me as a man doth with a horse at a cheaping, so
that I went nigh to smiting him, whereas I had a knife in my bosom, but
the chaplet refrained me. To make a short tale of it, he bade Bull
sell me to him, which Bull utterly naysaid, standing stiff and stark
before the Lord, and scowling on him. But the Lord laughed in his face
and said: 'So be it, for I will take her without a price, and thank
thee for sparing my gold.' Then said Bull: 'If thou take her as a
thrall, thou wert best take me also; else shall I follow thee as a free
man and slay thee when I may. Many are the days of the year, and on
some one of them will betide the occasion for the knife.'
"Thereat the Lord waxed very pale, and spake not, but looked at that
man of his who stood by Bull with a great sword in his fist, and lifted
up his hand twice, and let it fall twice, whereat that man stepped back
one pace, and swung his sword, and smote Bull, and clave his skull.
"Then the colour came into the Lord's face again, and he said: 'Now,
vassals, let us dine and be merry, for at least we have found something
in the mountains.' So they fell to and ate and drank, and victual was
given to me also, but I had no will to eat, for my soul was sick and my
heart was heavy, foreboding the uttermost evil. Withal I was sorry for
Bull Nosy, for he was no ill man and had become my friend.
"So they abode there that night, leaving Bull lying like a dog unburied
in the wilderness; and on the morrow they took the road to Utterbol,
and went swiftly, having no baggage, and staying but for victual, and
for rest every night. The Lord had me brought to him on that first
evening of our journey, and he saw me privily and spake to me, bidding
me do shameful things, and I would not; wherefore he threatened me
grievously; and, I being alone with him, bade him beware lest I should
slay him or myself. Thereat he turned pale, as he had done before Bull
Nosy, yet sent for none to slay me, but only bade me back to my
keepers. And so I came to Utterbol unscathed."
"And at Utterbol," said Ralph, "what befell thee there?" Ursula smiled
on him, and held up her finger; yet she answered: "Utterbol is a very
great house in a fair land, and there are sundry roofs and many fair
chambers. There was I brought to a goodly chamber amidst a garden; and
women servants were given me who led me to the bath and clad me in
dainty raiment, and gave me to eat and to drink, and all that I needed.
That is all my tale for this time."