The Roots of the Mountains | Page 9

after the best of the kindred. But his mother, who
was hight the Jewel, and had been a very fair woman, was dead now,
and Iron-face lacked a wife.
Face-of-god was well-beloved of his kindred and of all the Folk of the
Dale, and he had gotten a to-name, and was called Gold-mane because
of the abundance and fairness of his hair.
As for the young woman that was led in by Iron-face, she was the
betrothed of Face-of-god, and her name was the Bride. She looked with
such eyes of love on him when she saw him in the hall, as though she
had never seen him before but once, nor loved him but since yesterday;
though in truth they had grown up together and had seen each other
most days of the year for many years. She was of the kindred with
whom the chiefs and great men of the Face mostly wedded, which was
indeed far away kindred of them. She was a fair woman and strong: not
easily daunted amidst perils she was hardy and handy and light-foot:
she could swim as well as any, and could shoot well in the bow, and
wield sword and spear: yet was she kind and compassionate, and of
great courtesy, and the very dogs and kine trusted in her and loved her.
Her hair was dark red of hue, long and fine and plenteous, her eyes
great and brown, her brow broad and very fair, her lips fine and red: her
cheek not ruddy, yet nowise sallow, but clear and bright: tall she was
and of excellent fashion, but well-knit and well-measured rather than
slender and wavering as the willow-bough. Her voice was sweet and
soft, her words few, but exceeding dear to the listener. In short, she was
a woman born to be the ransom of her Folk.
Now as to the names which the menfolk of the Face bore, and they an
ancient kindred, a kindred of chieftains, it has been said that in times
past their image of the God of the Earth had over his treen face a mask
of beaten gold fashioned to the shape of the image; and that when the
Alderman of the Folk died, he to wit who served the God and bore on
his arm the gold-ring between the people and the altar, this visor or face

of God was laid over the face of him who had been in a manner his
priest, and therewith he was borne to mound; and the new Alderman
and priest had it in charge to fashion a new visor for the God; and
whereas for long this great kindred had been chieftains of the people,
they had been, and were all so named, that the word Face was ever a
part of their names.
CHAPTER III.
THEY TALK OF DIVERS MATTERS IN THE HALL

Now Face-of-god, who is also called Gold-mane, rose up to meet the
new-comers, and each of them greeted him kindly, and the Bride kissed
him on the cheek, and he her in likewise; and he looked kindly on her,
and took her hand, and went on up the hall to the dais, following his
father and the old man; as for him, he was of the kindred of the House,
and was foster-father of Iron-face and of his sons both; and his name
was Stone-face: a stark warrior had he been when he was young, and
even now he could do a man's work in the battlefield, and his
understanding was as good as that of a man in his prime. So went these
and four others up on to the dais and sat down before the thwart-table
looking down the hall, for the meat was now on the board; and of the
others there were some fifty men and women who were deemed to be
of the kindred and sat at the endlong tables.
So then the Alderman stood up and made the sign of the Hammer over
the meat, the token of his craft and of his God. Then they fell to with
good hearts, for there was enough and to spare of meat and drink. There
was bread and flesh (though not Gold-mane's venison), and leeks and
roasted chestnuts of the grove, and red-cheeked apples of the garth, and
honey enough of that year's gathering, and medlars sharp and mellow:
moreover, good wine of the western bents went up and down the hall in
great gilded copper bowls and in mazers girt and lipped with gold.
But when they were full of meat, and had drunken somewhat, they fell
to speech, and Iron-face spake aloud to his son, who had but been

speaking softly to the Bride as one playmate to the other: but the
Alderman said: