The Story of the Glittering Plain, Page 4

  CHAPTER IV: NOW HALLBLITHE TAKETH THE SEA

  Now must it be told of Hallblithe that he rode fiercely down to the sea-shore, and from the top of the beach he gazed about him, and there belowhim was the Ship-stead and Rollers of his kindred, whereon lay the threelong-ships, the Seamew, and the Osprey and the Erne. Heavy and huge theyseemed to him as they lay there, black-sided, icy-cold with the washingof the March waves, their golden dragon-heads looking seaward wistfully.But first had he looked out into the offing, and it was only when he hadlet his eyes come back from where the sea and sky met, and they hadbeheld nothing but the waste of waters, that he beheld the Ship-steadclosely; and therewith he saw where a little to the west of it lay askiff, which the low wave of the tide lifted and let fall from time totime. It had a mast, and a black sail hoisted thereon and flapping withslackened sheet. A man sat in the boat clad in black raiment, and thesun smote a gleam from the helm on his head. Then Hallblithe leapt offhis horse, and strode down the sands shouldering his spear; and when hecame near to the man in the boat he poised his spear and shook it andcried out: "Man, art thou friend or foe?"

  Said the man: "Thou art a fair young man: but there is grief in thy voicealong with wrath. Cast not till thou hast heard me, and mayst deemwhether I may do aught to heal thy grief."

  "What mayst thou do?" said Hallblithe; "art thou not a robber of the sea,a harrier of the folks that dwell in peace?"

  The man laughed: "Yea," said he, "my craft is thieving and carrying offthe daughters of folk, so that we may have a ransom for them. Wilt thoucome over the waters with me?"

  Hallblithe said wrathfully:

  "Nay, rather, come thou ashore here! Thou seemest a big man, and belikeshall be good of thine hands. Come and fight with me; and then he of uswho is vanquished, if he be unslain, shall serve the other for a year,and then shalt thou do my business in the ransoming."

  The man in the boat laughed again, and that so scornfully that he angeredHallblithe beyond measure: then he arose in the boat and stood on hisfeet swaying from side to side as he laughed. He was passing big, long-armed and big-headed, and long hair came from under his helm like thetail of a red horse; his eyes were grey and gleaming, and his mouth wide.

  In a while he stayed his laughter and said: "O Warrior of the Raven, thiswere a simple game for thee to play; though it is not far from my mind,for fighting when I needs must win is no dull work. Look you, if I slayor vanquish thee, then all is said; and if by some chance stroke thouslayest me, then is thine only helper in this matter gone from thee. Nowto be short, I bid thee come aboard to me if thou wouldst ever hearanother word of thy damsel betrothed. And moreover this need not hinderthee to fight with me if thou hast a mind to it thereafter; for we shallsoon come to a land big enough for two to stand on. Or if thou listestto fight in a boat rocking on the waves, I see not but there may bemanhood in that also."

  Now was the hot wrath somewhat run off Hallblithe, nor durst he lose anychance to hear a word of his beloved; so he said: "Big man, I will comeaboard. But look thou to it, if thou hast a mind to bewray me; for thesons of the Raven die hard."

  "Well," said the big man, "I have heard that their minstrels are of manywords, and think that they have tales to tell. Come aboard and loiternot." Then Hallblithe waded the surf and lightly strode over the gunwaleof the skiff and sat him down. The big man thrust out into the deep andhaled home the sheet; but there was but little wind.

  Then said Hallblithe: "Wilt thou have me row, for I wot not whitherwardto steer?"

  Said the red carle: "Maybe thou art not in a hurry; I am not: do as thouwilt." So Hallblithe took the oars and rowed mightily, while the aliensteered, and they went swiftly and lightly over the sea, and the waveswere little.