House of the Wolfings: The William Morris Book that Inspired J. R. R. Tolkiena *s The Lord of the Rings (21 page)

“Now have I told thee what I needs must and
there is no need to question me more, for thou hast it all—do thou
what thou hast to do!”

With that word she cast herself down on the
grass by the mound-side, and was presently asleep, for she was very
weary.

But all the time she had been telling her
tale had the horn been sounding, and there were now a many warriors
gathered and more coming in every moment: so Otter stood up on the
mound after he had bidden a man of his House to bring him his horse
and war-gear, and abided a little, till, as might be said, the
whole host was gathered: then he bade cry silence, and spake:

“Sons of Tyr, now hath an Host of the Romans
gotten into the Mark; a mighty host, but not so mighty that it may
not be met. Few words are best: let the Steerings, who are not
many, but are men well-tried in war and wisdom abide in the Burg
along with the fighting thralls: but let the Burg be broken up and
moved from the place, and let its warders wend towards Mid-mark,
but warily and without haste, and each night let them make the
wain-garth and keep good watch.

“But know ye that the Romans shall fall with
all their power on the Wolfing dwellings, deeming that when they
have that, they shall have all that is ours with ourselves also.
For there is the Hall-Sun under the Great Roof, and there hath
Thiodolf, our War-duke, his dwelling-place; therefore shall all of
us, save those that abide with the wains, take horse, and ride
without delay, and cross the water at Battleford, so that we may
fall upon the foe before they come west of the water; for as ye
know there is but one ford whereby a man wending straight from the
Bearings may cross Mirkwood-water, and it is like that the foe will
tarry at the Bearing stead long enough to burn and pillage it.

“So do ye order yourselves according to your
kindreds, and let the Shieldings lead. Make no more delay! But for
me I will now send a messenger to Thiodolf to tell him of the
tidings, and then speedily shall he be with us. Geirbald, I see
thee; come hither!”

Now Geirbald stood amidst the Shieldings,
and when Otter had spoken, he came forth bestriding a white horse,
and with his bow slung at his back. Said Otter: “Geirbald, thou
shalt ride at once through the wood, and find Thiodolf; and tell
him the tidings, and that in nowise he follow the Roman fleers away
from the Mark, nor to heed anything but the trail of the foemen
through the south-eastern heaths of Mirkwood, whether other Romans
follow him or not: whatever happens let him lead the Goths by that
road, which for him is the shortest, towards the defence of the
Wolfing dwellings. Lo thou, my ring for a token! Take it and depart
in haste. Yet first take thy fellow Viglund the Woodman with thee,
lest if perchance one fall, the other may bear the message. Tarry
not, nor rest till thy word be said!”

Then turned Geirbald to find Viglund who was
anigh to him, and he took the ring, and the twain went their ways
without more ado, and rode into the wild-wood.

But about the Wain-burg was there plenteous
stir of men till all was ordered for the departure of the host,
which was no long while, for there was nothing to do but on with
the war-gear and up on to the horse.

Forth then they went duly ordered in their
kindreds towards the head of the Upper-mark, riding as swiftly as
they might without breaking their array.

Chapter 19

Those Messengers Come to Thiodolf

Of Geirbald and Viglund the tale tells that
they rode the woodland paths as speedily as they might. They had
not gone far, and were winding through a path amidst of a thicket
mingled of the hornbeam and holly, betwixt the openings of which
the bracken grew exceeding tall, when Viglund, who was very
fine-eared, deemed that he heard a horse coming to meet them: so
they lay as close as they might, and drew back their horses behind
a great holly-bush lest it should be some one or more of the foes
who had fled into the wood when the Romans were scattered in that
first fight. But as the sound drew nearer, and it was clearly the
footsteps of a great horse, they deemed it would be some messenger
from Thiodolf, as indeed it turned out: for as the new-comer fared
on, somewhat unwarily, they saw a bright helm after the fashion of
the Goths amidst of the trees, and then presently they knew by his
attire that he was of the Bearings, and so at last they knew him to
be Asbiorn of the said House, a doughty man; so they came forth to
meet him and he drew rein when he saw armed men, but presently
beholding their faces he knew them and laughed on them, and
said:

“Hail fellows! what tidings are toward?”

“These,” said Viglund, “that thou art well
met, since now shalt thou turn back and bring us to Thiodolf as
speedily as may be.”

But Asbiorn laughed and said: “Nay rather
turn about with me; or why are ye so grim of countenance?”

“Our errand is no light one,” said Geirbald,
“but thou, why art thou so merry?”

“I have seen the Romans fall,” said he, “and
belike shall soon see more of that game: for I am on an errand to
Otter from Thiodolf: the War-duke, when he had questioned some of
those whom we took on the Day of the Ridge, began to have a deeming
that the Romans had beguiled us, and will fall on the Mark by the
way of the south-east heaths: so now is he hastening to fetch a
compass and follow that road either to overtake them or prevent
them; and he biddeth Otter tarry not, but ride hard along the water
to meet them if he may, or ever they have set their hands to the
dwellings of my House. And belike when I have done mine errand to
Otter I shall ride with him to look on these burners and slayers
once more; therefore am I merry. Now for your tidings,
fellows.”

Said Geirbald: “Our tidings are that both
our errands are prevented, and come to nought: for Otter hath not
tarried, but hath ridden with all his folk toward the stead of
thine House. So shalt thou indeed see these burners and slayers if
thou ridest hard; since we have tidings that the Romans will by now
be in Mid-mark. And as for our errand, it is to bid Thiodolf do
even as he hath done. Hereby may we see how good a pair of
War-dukes we have gotten, since each thinketh of the same wisdom.
Now take we counsel together as to what we shall do; whether we
shall go back to Otter with thee, or thou go back to Thiodolf with
us; or else each go the road ordained for us.”

Said Asbiorn: “To Otter will I ride as I was
bidden, that I may look on the burning of our roof, and avenge me
of the Romans afterwards; and I bid you, fellows, ride with me,
since fewer men there are with Otter, and he must be the first to
bide the brunt of battle.”

“Nay,” said Geirbald, “as for me ye must
even lose a man’s aid; for to Thiodolf was I sent, and to Thiodolf
will I go: and bethink thee if this be not best, since Thiodolf
hath but a deeming of the ways of the Romans and we wot surely of
them. Our coming shall make him the speedier, and the less like to
turn back if any alien band shall follow after him. What sayest
thou, Viglund?”

Said Viglund: “Even as thou, Geirbald: but
for myself I deem I may well turn back with Asbiorn. For I would
serve the House in battle as soon as may be; and maybe we shall
slaughter these kites of the cities, so that Thiodolf shall have no
work to do when he cometh.”

Said Asbiorn; “Geirbald, knowest thou right
well the ways through the wood and on the other side thereof, to
the place where Thiodolf abideth? for ye see that night is at
hand.”

“Nay, not over well,” said Geirbald.

Said Asbiorn: “Then I rede thee take Viglund
with thee; for he knoweth them yard by yard, and where they be hard
and where they be soft. Moreover it were best indeed that ye meet
Thiodolf betimes; for I deem not but that he wendeth leisurely,
though always warily, because he deemeth not that Otter will ride
before to-morrow morning. Hearken, Viglund! Thiodolf will rest
to-night on the other side of the water, nigh to where the hills
break off into the sheer cliffs that are called the Kites’ Nest,
and the water runneth under them, coming from the east: and before
him lieth the easy ground of the eastern heaths where he is minded
to wend to-morrow betimes in the morning: and if ye do your best ye
shall be there before he is upon the road, and sure it is that your
tidings shall hasten him.”

“Thou sayest sooth,” saith Geirbald, “tarry
we no longer; here sunder our ways; farewell!”

“Farewell,” said he, “and thou, Viglund,
take this word in parting, that belike thou shalt yet see the
Romans, and strike a stroke, and maybe be smitten. For indeed they
be most mighty warriors.”

Then made they no delay but rode their ways
either side. And Geirbald and Viglund rode over rough and smooth
all night, and were out of the thick wood by day-dawn: and whereas
they rode hard, and Viglund knew the ways well, they came to
Mirkwood-water before the day was old, and saw that the host was
stirring, but not yet on the way. And or ever they came to the
water’s edge, they were met by Wolfkettle of the Wolfings, and
Hiarandi of the Elkings, and three others who were but just come
from the place where the hurt men lay down in a dale near the Great
Ridge; there had Wolfkettle and Hiarandi been tending Toti of the
Beamings, their fellow-in-arms, who had been sorely hurt in the
battle, but was doing well, and was like to live. So when they saw
the messengers, they came up to them and hailed them, and asked
them if the tidings were good or evil.

“That is as it may be,” said Geirbald, “but
they are short to tell; the Romans are in Mid-mark, and Otter
rideth on the spur to meet them, and sendeth us to bid Thiodolf
wend the heaths to fall in on them also. Nor may we tarry one
minute ere we have seen Thiodolf.”

Said Wolfkettle, “We will lead you to him;
he is on the east side of the water, with all his host, and they
are hard on departing.”

So they went down the ford, which was not
very deep; and Wolfkettle rode the ford behind Geirbald, and
another man behind Viglund; but Hiarandi went afoot with the others
beside the horses, for he was a very tall man.

But as they rode amidst the clear water
Wolfkettle lifted up his voice and sang:

White horse, with what are ye laden as ye
wade the shallows warm,

But with tidings of the battle, and the fear
of the fateful storm?

What loureth now behind us, what pileth
clouds before,

On either hand what gathereth save the
stormy tide of war?

Now grows midsummer mirky, and fallow falls
the morn,

And dusketh the Moon’s Sister, and the trees
look overworn;

God’s Ash tree shakes and shivers, and the
sheer cliff standeth white

As the bones of the giants’ father when the
Gods first fared to fight.

And indeed the morning had grown mirky and
grey and threatening, and from far away the thunder growled, and
the face of the Kite’s Nest showed pale and awful against a dark
steely cloud; and a few drops of rain pattered into the smooth
water before them from a rag of the cloud-flock right over head.
They were in mid stream now, for the water was wide there; on the
eastern bank were the warriors gathering, for they had beheld the
faring of those men, and the voice of Wolfkettle came to them
across the water, so they deemed that great tidings were toward,
and would fain know on what errand those were come.

Then the waters of the ford deepened till
Hiarandi was wading more than waist-deep, and the water flowed over
Geirbald’s saddle; then Wolfkettle laughed, and turning as he sat,
dragged out his sword, and waved it from east to west and sang:

O sun, pale up in heaven, shrink from us if
thou wilt,

And turn thy face from beholding the shock
of guilt with guilt!

Stand still, O blood of summer! and let the
harvest fade,

Till there be nought but fallow where once
was bloom and blade!

O day, give out but a glimmer of all thy
flood of light,

If it be but enough for our eyen to see the
road of fight!

Forget all else and slumber, if still ye let
us wake,

And our mouths shall make the thunder, and
our swords shall the lightening make,

And we shall be the storm-wind and drive the
ruddy rain,

Till the joy of our hearts in battle bring
back the day again.

As he spake that word they came up through
the shallow water dripping on to the bank, and they and the men who
abode them on the bank shouted together for joy of fellowship, and
all tossed aloft their weapons. The man who had ridden behind
Viglund slipped off on to the ground; but Wolfkettle abode in his
place behind Geirbald.

So the messengers passed on, and the others
closed up round about them, and all the throng went up to where
Thiodolf was sitting on a rock beneath a sole ash-tree, the face of
the Kite’s Nest rising behind him on the other side of a bight of
the river. There he sat unhelmed with the dwarf-wrought hauberk
about him, holding Throng-plough in its sheath across his knees,
while he gave word to this and that man concerning the order of the
host.

So when they were come thither, the throng
opened that the messengers might come forward; for by this time had
many more drawn near to hearken what was toward. There they sat on
their horses, the white and the grey, and Wolfkettle stood by
Geirbald’s bridle rein, for he had now lighted down; and a little
behind him, his head towering over the others, stood Hiarandi great
and gaunt. The ragged cloud had drifted down south-east now and the
rain fell no more, but the sun was still pale and clouded.

Then Thiodolf looked gravely on them, and
spake:

What do ye sons of the War-shield? what tale
is there to tell?

Is the kindred fallen tangled in the grasp
of the fallow Hell?