His eyes flashed and his brow knitted,
and so fierce he looked that Birdalone shrank back from him; but the
Black Squire smiled and said: It may come to the smiting off of
heads in the end; yet must we so fashion our carving, that it avail
us for the freeing of our friends; else may the witch die, and the
secret of the prison-house die with her. How sayest thou, dear
Birdalone?
She reddened at the caress of his voice, and answered: By my rede ye
shall seek and find your speech-friends ere ye make open war upon the
witch; else may her malice destroy them ere ye undo her. Her face
flushed yet more as she spake again: But concerning all things, I
deem that Atra may give you the best rede, when ye have met the
loves; for that she knoweth more of the isle and its guiles than the
others.
Quoth Baudoin: Herein is wisdom, sweet maiden, for as guileless as
thou mayst be; and so far as we may we shall follow thy rede; but all
lieth in the fathom of the coming time. And now this moment is the
moment of sundering and farewell.
Came he then to Birdalone and took his two hands about her head, and
lifted her face unto him, and kissed it kindly, as a father might
kiss a daughter, and said: Farewell, dear child, and take heed to
the word that Arthur spake yesterday, and go not from the castle even
a little way save with good and sure company.
Pages:
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233