Part 5 (2/2)

”Sawest thou the skerry?” said the Sea-eagle.

”Yea, I saw it,” said Hallblithe, ”and it rises sheer from out the sea about a mile from the yellow strand; but its rocks are black, like the rocks of the Isle of Ransom.”

”Son,” said the elder, ”give me thine hands and raise me up a little.” So Hallblithe took him and raised him up, so that he sat leaning against the pillows; and he looked not on Hallblithe, but on the bows of the s.h.i.+p, which now pitched but a little up and down, for the sea was laid quiet now. Then he cried in his shrill, piping voice: ”It is the Land! It is the Land!”

But after a little while he turned to Hallblithe and spake: ”Short is the tale to tell: thou hast wished me youth, and thy wish hath thriven; for to-day, ere the sun goes down, thou shalt see me as I was in the days when I reaped the harvest of the sea with sharp sword and hardy heart.

For this is the land of the Undying King, who is our lord and our gift- giver; and to some he giveth the gift of youth renewed, and life that shall abide here the Gloom of the G.o.ds. But none of us all may come to the Glittering Plain and the King Undying without turning the back for the last time on the Isle of Ransom: nor may any men of the Isle come hither save those who are of the House of the Sea-eagle, and few of those, save the chieftains of the House, such as are they who sat by thee on the high-seat that even. Of these once in a while is chosen one of us, who is old and spent and past battle, and is borne to this land and the gift of the Undying. Forsooth some of us have no will to take the gift, for they say they are liefer to go to where they shall meet more of our kindred than dwell on the Glittering Plain and the Acre of the Undying; but as for me I was ever an overbearing and masterful man, and meseemeth it is well that I meet as few of our kindred as may be: for they are a strifeful race.”

Hereat Hallblithe marvelled exceedingly, and he said: ”And what am I in all this story? Why am I come hither with thy furtherance?”

Said the Sea-eagle: ”We had a charge from the Undying King concerning thee, that we should bring thee hither alive and well, if so be thou camest to the Isle of Ransom. For what cause we had the charge, I know not, nor do I greatly heed.”

Said Hallblithe: ”And shall I also have that gift of undying youth, and life while the world of men and G.o.ds endureth?”

”I must needs deem so,” said the Sea-eagle, ”so long as thou abidest on the Glittering Plain; and I see not how thou mayst ever escape thence.”

Now Hallblithe heard him, how he said ”escape,” and thereat he was somewhat ill at ease, and stood and pondered a little. At last he said: ”Is this then all that thou hast to tell me concerning the Glittering Plain?”

”By the Treasure of the Sea!” said the elder, ”I know no more of it. The living shall learn. But I suppose that thou mayst seek thy troth-plight maiden there all thou wilt. Or thou mayst pray the Undying King to have her thither to thee. What know I? At least, it is like that there shall be no lack of fair women there: or else the promise of youth renewed is nought and vain. Shall this not be enough for thee?”

”Nay,” said Hallblithe.

”What,” said the elder, ”must it be one woman only?”

”One only,” said Hallblithe.

The old man laughed his thin mocking laugh, and said: ”I will not a.s.sure thee but that the land of the Glittering Plain shall change all that for thee so soon as it touches the soles of thy feet.”

Hallblithe looked at him steadily and smiled, and said: ”Well is it then that I shall find the Hostage there; for then shall we be of one mind, either to sunder or to cleave together. It is well with me this day.”

”And with me it shall be well ere long,” said the Sea-eagle.

But now the rowers ceased rowing and lay on their oars, and the s.h.i.+pmen cast anchor; for they were but a bowshot from the sh.o.r.e, and the s.h.i.+p swung with the tide and lay side-long to the sh.o.r.e. Then said the Sea- eagle: ”Look forth, s.h.i.+pmate, and tell me of the land.”

And Hallblithe looked and said: ”The yellow beach is sandy and sh.e.l.l-strewn, as I deem, and there is no great s.p.a.ce of it betwixt the sea and the flowery gra.s.s; and a bowshot from the strand I see a little wood amidst which are fair trees blossoming.”

”Seest thou any folk on the sh.o.r.e?” said the old man. ”Yea,” said Hallblithe, ”close to the edge of the sea go four; and by seeming three are women, for their long gowns flutter in the wind. And one of these is clad in saffron colour, and another in white, and another in watchet; but the carle is clad in dark red; and their raiment is all glistening as with gold and gems; and by seeming they are looking at our s.h.i.+p as though they expected somewhat.”

Said the Sea-eagle: ”Why now do the s.h.i.+pmen tarry and have not made ready the skiff? Swillers and belly-G.o.ds they be; slothful swine that forget their chieftain.”

But even as he spake came four of the s.h.i.+pmen, and without more ado took him up, bed and all, and bore him down into the waist of the s.h.i.+p, whereunder lay the skiff with four strong rowers lying on their oars.

These men made no sign to Hallblithe, nor took any heed of him; but he caught up his spear, and followed them and stood by as they lowered the old man into the boat. Then he set his foot on the gunwale of the s.h.i.+p and leapt down lightly into the boat, and none hindered or helped him; and he stood upright in the boat, a goodly image of battle with the sun flas.h.i.+ng back from his bright helm, his spear in his hand, his white s.h.i.+eld at his back, and thereon the image of the Raven; but if he had been but a salt-boiling carle of the sea-side none would have heeded him less.

CHAPTER X: THEY HOLD CONVERSE WITH FOLK OF THE GLITTERING PLAIN

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