The Story of the Glittering Plain, Page 5

  CHAPTER V: THEY COME UNTO THE ISLE OF RANSOM

  So the sun grew low, and it set; the stars and the moon shone a while andthen it clouded over. Hallblithe still rowed and rested not, though hewas weary; and the big man sat and steered, and held his peace. But whenthe night was grown old and it was not far from the dawn, the alien said:"Youngling of the Ravens, now shalt thou sleep and I will row."

  Hallblithe was exceeding weary; so he gave the oars to the alien and laydown in the stern and slept. And in his sleep he dreamed that he waslying in the House of the Raven, and his sisters came to him and said,"Rise up now, Hallblithe! wilt thou be a sluggard on the day of thywedding? Come thou with us to the House of the Rose that we may bearaway the Hostage." Then he dreamed that they departed, and he arose andclad himself: but when he would have gone out of the hall, then was it nolonger daylight, but moonlight, and he dreamed that he had dreamed:nevertheless he would have gone abroad, but might not find the door; sohe said he would go out by a window; but the wall was high and smooth(quite other than in the House of the Raven, where were low windows allalong one aisle), nor was there any way to come at them. But he dreamedthat he was so abashed thereat, and had such a weakness on him, that hewept for pity of himself: and he went to his bed to lie down; and lo!there was no bed and no hall; nought but a heath, wild and wide, andempty under the moon. And still he wept in his dream, and his manhoodseemed departed from him, and he heard a voice crying out, "Is this theLand? Is this the Land?"

  Therewithal he awoke, and as his eyes cleared he beheld the big manrowing and the black sail flapping against the mast; for the wind hadfallen dead and they were faring on over a long smooth swell of the sea.It was broad daylight, but round about them was a thick mist, whichseemed none the less as if the sun were ready to shine through it.

  As Hallblithe caught the red man's eye, he smiled and nodded on him andsaid: "Now has the time come for thee first to eat and then to row. Buttell me what is that upon thy cheeks?"

  Hallblithe, reddening somewhat, said: "The night dew hath fallen on me."

  Quoth the sea-rover, "It is no shame for thee a youngling to remember thybetrothed in thy sleep, and to weep because thou lackest her. But nowbestir thee, for it is later than thou mayest deem."

  Therewith the big man drew in the oars and came to the afterpart of theboat, and drew meat and drink out of a locker thereby; and they ate anddrank together, and Hallblithe grew strong and somewhat less downcast;and he went forward and gat the oars into his hands.

  Then the big red man stood up and looked over his left shoulder and said:"Soon shall we have a breeze and bright weather."

  Then he looked into the midmost of the sail and fell a-whistling such atune as the fiddles play to dancing men and maids at Yule-tide, and hiseyes gleamed and glittered therewithal, and exceeding big he looked. ThenHallblithe felt a little air on his cheek, and the mist grew thinner, andthe sail began to fill with wind till the sheet tightened: then, lo! themist rising from the face of the sea, and the sea's face rippling gailyunder a bright sun. Then the wind increased, and the wall of mistdeparted and a few light clouds sped over the sky, and the sail swelledand the boat heeled over, and the seas fell white from the prow, and theysped fast over the face of the waters.

  Then laughed the red-haired man, and said: "O croaker on the dead branch,now is the wind such that no rowing of thine may catch up with it: so inwith the oars now, and turn about, and thou shalt see whitherward we aregoing."

  Then Hallblithe turned about on the thwart and looked across the sea, andlo! before them the high cliffs and crags and mountains of a new landwhich seemed to be an isle, and they were deep blue under the sun, whichnow shone aloft in the mid heaven. He said nought at all, but satlooking and wondering what land it might be; but the big man said: "Otomb of warriors, is it not as if the blueness of the deep sea had heaveditself up aloft, and turned from coloured air into rock and stone, sowondrous blue it is? But that is because those crags and mountains areso far away, and as we draw nigher to them, thou shalt see them as theyverily are, that they are coal-black; and yonder land is an isle, and iscalled the Isle of Ransom. Therein shall be the market for thee wherethou mayst cheapen thy betrothed. There mayst thou take her by the handand lead her away thence, when thou hast dealt with the chapman ofmaidens and hast pledged thee by the fowl of battle, and the edge of thefallow blade to pay that which he will have of thee."

  As the big man spoke there was a mocking in his voice and his face and inhis whole huge body, which made the sword of Hallblithe uneasy in hisscabbard; but he refrained his wrath, and said: "Big man, the longer Ilook, the less I can think how we are to come up on to yonder island; forI can see nought but a huge cliff, and great mountains rising beyond it."

  "Thou shalt the more wonder," said the alien, "the nigher thou drawestthereto; for it is not because we are far away that thou canst see nobeach or strand, or sloping of the land seaward, but because there isnought of all these things. Yet fear not! am I not with thee? thou shaltcome ashore on the Isle of Ransom."

  Then Hallblithe held his peace, and the other spake not for a while, butgave a short laugh once or twice; and said at last in a big voice,"Little Carrion-biter, why dost thou not ask me of my name?"

  Now Hallblithe was a tall man and a fell fighter; but he said: "Because Iwas thinking of other things and not of thee."

  "Well," said the big man, in a voice still louder, "when I am at home mencall me the Puny Fox."

  Then Hallblithe said: "Art thou a Fox? It may well be that thou shaltbeguile me as such beasts will but look to it, that if thou dost I shallknow how to avenge me."

  Then rose up the big man from the helm, and straddled wide in the boat,and cried out in a great roaring voice: "Crag-nester, I am one of sevenbrethren, and the smallest and weakest of them. Art thou not afraid?"

  "No," said Hallblithe, "for the six others are not here. Wilt thou fighthere in boat, O Fox?"

  "Nay," said Fox, "rather we will drink a cup of wine together."

  So he opened the locker again and drew out thence a great horn of somehuge neat of the outlands, which was girthed and stopped with silver, andalso a golden cup, and he filled the cup from the horn and gave it intoHallblithe's hand and said: "Drink, O black-fledged nestling! But call ahealth over the cup if thou wilt." So Hallblithe raised the cup aloftand cried: "Health to the House of the Raven and to them that love it! anill day to its foemen!" Then he set his lips to the cup and drank; andthat wine seemed to him better and stronger than any he had ever tasted.But when he had given the cup back again to Fox, that red one filled itagain, and cried over it, "The Treasure of the Sea! and the King thatdieth not!" Then he drank, and filled again for Hallblithe, and steeredwith his knees meanwhile; and thus they drank three cups each, and Foxsmiled and was peaceful and said but little, but Hallblithe sat wonderinghow the world was changed for him since yesterday.

  But now was the sky blown all clear of clouds and the wind piped shrillbehind them, and the great waves rose and fell about them, and the sunglittered on them in many colours. Fast flew the boat before the wind asthough it would never stop, and the day was waning, and the wind stillrising; and now the Isle of Ransom uphove huge before them, andcoal-black, and no beach and no haven was to be seen therein; and stillthey ran before the wind towards that black cliff-wall, against which thesea washed for ever, and no keel ever built by man might live for onemoment 'twixt the surf and the cliff of that grim land. The sun grewlow, and sank red under the sea, and that world of stone swallowed uphalf the heavens before them, for they were now come very nigh thereto;nor could Hallblithe see aught for it, but that they must be dashedagainst the cliff and perish in a moment of time.

  Still the boat flew on; but now when the twilight was come, and they hadjust opened up along reach of the cliff that lay beyond a high ness,Hallblithe thought he saw down by the edge of the sea something darkerthan the face of the rock-wall, and he deemed it was a cave: they came alittle nearer and he saw
it was a great cave high enough to let a round-ship go in with all her sails set.

  "Son of the Raven," quoth Fox, "hearken, for thy heart is not little.Yonder is the gate into the Isle of Ransom, and if thou wilt, thou maystgo through it. Yet it may be that if thou goest ashore on to the Islesomething grievous shall befall thee, a trouble more than thou canstbear: a shame it may be. Now there are two choices for thee: either togo up on to the Isle and face all; or to die here by my hand having donenothing unmanly or shameful: What sayest thou?"

  "Thou art of many words when time so presses, Fox," said Hallblithe. "Whyshould I not choose to go up on to the Island to deliver my trothplightmaiden? For the rest, slay me if thou canst, if we come alive out ofthis cauldron of waters."

  Said the big red man: "Look on then, and note Fox how he steereth, as itwere through a needle's eye."

  Now were they underneath the black shadow of the black cliff and amidstthe twilight the surf was tossed about like white fire. In the lowerheavens the stars were beginning to twinkle and the moon was bright andyellow, and aloft all was peaceful, for no cloud sullied the sky. Onemoment Hallblithe saw all this hanging above the turmoil of thunderingwater and dripping rock and the next he was in the darkness of the cave,the roaring wind and the waves still making thunder about him, though ofa different voice from the harsh hubbub without. Then he heard Fox say:"Sit down now and take the oars, for presently shall we be at home at thelanding place."

  So Hallblithe took the oars and rowed, and as they went up the cave thesea fell, and the wind died out into the aimless gustiness of hollowplaces; and for a little while was all as dark as dark might be. ThenHallblithe saw that the darkness grew a little greyer, and he looked overhis shoulder and saw a star of light before the bows of the boat, and Foxcried out: "Yea, it is like day; bright will the moon be for such asneeds must be wayfaring to-night! Cease rowing, O Son of the coal-bluefowl, for there is way enough on her."

  Then Hallblithe lay on his oars, and in a minute the bows smote the land;then he turned about and saw a steep stair of stone, and up the slopingshaft thereof the moonlit sky and the bright stars. Then Fox arose andcame forward and leapt out of the boat and moored her to a big stone:then he leapt back again and said: "Bear a hand with the victuals; wemust bring them out of the boat unless thou wilt sleep supperless, as Iwill not. For to-night must we be guests to ourselves, since it is farto the dwelling of my people, and the old man is said to be askin-changer, a flit-by-night. And as to this cave, it is deemed to benowise safe to sleep therein, unless the sleeper have a double share ofluck. And thy luck, meseemeth, O Son of the Raven, is as now somewhatless than a single share. So to-night we shall sleep under the nakedheaven."

  Hallblithe yea-said this, and they took the meat and drink, such as theyneeded, from out the boat, and climbed the steep stair no little way, andso came out on to a plain place, which seemed to Hallblithe bare andwaste so far as he saw it by the moonlight; for the twilight was gonenow, and nought was left of the light of day save a glimmer in the west.

  This Hallblithe deemed wonderful, that no less out on the open heath andbrow of the land than in the shut-in cave, all that tumult of the windhad fallen, and the cloudless night was calm, and with a little airblowing from the south and the landward.

  Therewithal was Fox done with his loud-voiced braggart mood, and spokegently and peaceably like to a wayfarer, who hath business of his to lookto as other men. Now he pointed to certain rocks or low crags that alittle way off rose like a reef out of the treeless plain; then said he:"Shipmate, underneath yonder rocks is our resting-place for to-night; andI pray thee not to deem me churlish that I give thee no better harbour.But I have a charge over thee to bring thee safe thus far on thy quest;and thou wouldst find it hard to live among such housemates as thouwouldst find up yonder amongst our folks to-night. But to-morrow shaltthou come to speech with him who will deal with thee concerning theransom."

  "It is enough," said Hallblithe, "and I thank thee for thy leading: andas for thy rough and uncomely words which thou hast given me, I pardonthee for them: for I am none the worse of them: forsooth, if I had been,my sword would have had a voice in the matter."

  "I am well content as it is, Son of the Raven," quoth Fox; "I have donemy bidding and all is well."

  "Tell me then who it is hath bidden thee bring me hither?"

  "I may not tell thee," said Fox; "thou art here, be content, as I am."

  And he spake no more till they had come to the reef aforesaid, which wassome two furlongs from the place where they had come from out of thecave. There then they set forth their supper on the stones, and ate whatthey would, and drank of that good strong wine while the horn bare out.And now was Fox of few words, and when Hallblithe asked him concerningthat land, he had little to say. And at last when Hallblithe asked himof that so perilous house and those who manned it, he said to him:

  "Son of the Raven, it avails not asking of these matters; for if I tellthee aught concerning them I shall tell thee lies. Once again let it beenough for thee that thou hast passed over the sea safely on thy quest;and a more perilous sea it is forsooth than thou deemest. But now let ushave an end of vain words, and make our bed amidst these stones as bestwe may; for we should be stirring betimes in the morning." Hallblithesaid little in answer, and they arrayed their sleeping places cunningly,as the hare doth her form, and like men well used to lying abroad.

  Hallblithe was very weary and he soon fell asleep; and as he lay there,he dreamed a dream, or maybe saw a vision; whether he were asleep when hesaw it, or between sleeping and waking, I know not. But this was hisdream or his vision; that the Hostage was standing over him, and she ashe had seen her but yesterday, bright-haired and ruddy-cheeked and white-skinned, kind of hand and soft of voice, and she said to him:"Hallblithe, look on me and hearken, for I have a message for thee." Andhe looked and longed for her, and his soul was ravished by the sweetnessof his longing, and he would have leapt up and cast his arms about her,but sleep and the dream bound him, and he might not. Then the imagesmiled on him and said: "Nay, my love, lie still, for thou mayst nottouch me: here is but the image of the body which thou desirest. Hearkenthen. I am in evil plight, in the hands of strong-thieves of the sea,nor know I what they will do with me, and I have no will to be shamed; tobe sold for a price from one hand to another, yet to be bedded without aprice, and to lie beside some foe-man of our folk, and he to cast hisarms about me, will I, will I not: this is a hard case. Therefore to-morrow morning at daybreak while men sleep, I think to steal forth to thegunwale of the black ship and give myself to the gods, that they and notthese runagates may be masters of my life and my soul, and may do with meas they will: for indeed they know that I may not bear the strangekinless house, and the love and caressing of the alien house-master, andthe mocking and stripes of the alien house-mistress. Therefore let theHoary One of the sea take me and look to my matters, and carry me to lifeor death, which-so he will. Thin now grows the night, but lie still alittle yet, while I speak another word.

  "Maybe we shall meet alive again, and maybe not: and if not, though wehave never yet lain in one bed together, yet I would have thee rememberme: yet not so that my image shall come between thee and thyspeech-friend and bed-fellow of the kindred, that shall lie where I wasto have lain. Yet again, if I live and thou livest, I have been told andhave heard that by one way or other I am like to come to the GlitteringPlain, and the Land of Living Men. O my beloved, if by any way thoumightest come thither also, and we might meet there, and we two alive,how good it were! Seek that land then, beloved! seek it, whether or nowe once more behold the House of the Rose, or tread the floor of theRaven dwelling. And now must even this image of me sunder from thee.Farewell!"

  Therewith was the dream done and the vision departed; and Hallblithe satup full of anguish and longing; and he looked about him over the drearyland, and it was somewhat light and the sky was grown grey and cloudy,and he deemed that the dawn was come. So he leapt to his feet andst
ooped down over Fox, and took him by the shoulder, and shook him andsaid: "Faring-fellow, awake! the dawn is come, and we have much to do."

  Fox sat up and growled like a dog, and rubbed his eyes and looked abouthim and said: "Thou hast waked me for nought: it is the false dawn of themoon that shineth now behind the clouds and casteth no shadow; it is butan hour after midnight. Go to sleep again, and let me be, else will Inot be a guide to thee when the day comes." And he lay down and wasasleep at once. Then Hallblithe went and lay down again full of sorrow:Yet so weary was he that he presently fell asleep, and dreamed no more.