Volume Ii Part 65 (2/2)
”Are you all from the Athesis valley?”
”Yes, sire; from the Iffinger mountains. Oh! what delicious spring water there is at home!”
Teja observed another warrior at some distance drinking from his helmet. His features grew darker and darker.
”Hey, thou, Arulf!” he cried to the warrior; ”thou seem'st to suffer no thirst.”
”No; I often drink,” said the man.
”What dost thou drink?”
”Blood from the wounds of the newly-fallen. At first it disgusts one terribly; but in despair one gets used to it.”
Witichis pa.s.sed on with a shudder.
”Send all my wine into the camp, Hildebad; the sentries shall share it.”
”All thy wine? O King! my office of cup-bearer has become very light.
There are but one and a half skins left; and Hildebrand, thy physician, says that thou must strengthen thyself.”
”And who will strengthen _these_, Hildebad? They are reduced to the state of wild animals!”
”Come back to thy tent,” said Totila; ”it is not good to be here.” And he put his hand on the King's shoulder.
Arrived at the tent, the friends seated themselves silently round the beautiful marble table, upon which, in golden dishes, lay mouldy bread, as hard as stone, and a few pieces of meat.
”It was the last horse in the royal stables,” said Hildebad, ”except Boreas.”
”Boreas must not be slaughtered. My wife, my child, have sat upon his back.” And Witichis rested his weary head upon both his hands. A sad pause ensued. ”Friends,” the King at last began, ”this cannot go on.
Our people perish before these walls. After a hard struggle, I have come to a painful decision--”
”Do not p.r.o.nounce it yet, O King!” cried Hildebad. ”In a few days Earl Odoswinth, of Cremona, will arrive with the s.h.i.+ps, and we shall luxuriate in good things.”
”He is not yet here,” said Teja.
”And will not our heavy loss of men be replaced by fresh troops when Earl Ulithis arrives from Urbinum with the garrisons which the King has summoned from all the forts of Ravenna, in order to fill our empty tents?”
”Ulithis also is not yet here,” said Teja. ”He is said to be still in Picenum; and if he happily arrive, then the greater will be the want.”
”But the Roman city hungers too,” said Hildebad, breaking the hard bread upon the table with his fist. ”Let us see who can bear it the longest!”
”I have often wondered, during these heavy days and sleepless nights,”
the King slowly said, ”why--why all this must be. I have ever conscientiously weighed right and wrong between our enemies and us, and I can come to no other conclusion but that we have right on our side.
And, truly, we have never failed in strength and courage.”
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