The Worm Ouroboros (50 page)

Heming answered and said, "Not mad, my lord. Here's Didarus that held the Stile-burg for us, ridden from the east as fast as his horse might wallop, and gotten here hard o' the heels of the former messenger with fresh and more certain advertisement, fresher by four days than that one's. I pray you hear him."

"I'll hear him," said Corinius, "at supper time. Nought sooner, if the roof were afire."

"The land beneath thy feet's afire!" cried Heming. "Juss and Brandoch Daha home again, and half the country lost thee ere thou heard'st on't. These devils are home again! Shall we hear that and still be swill-bowls?"

Corinius listened with folded arms. His great jaw was lifted up. His nostrils widened. For a minute he abode in silence, his cold blue eyes fixed as it were on somewhat afar. Then, "Home again?" said he. "And the east in a hubbub? And not unlikely. Thank Didarus for his tidings. He shall sweeten mine ears with some more at supper. Till then, leave me, unless ye mean to be stretched."

But Laxus, with sad and serious brow, stood beside him and said, "My lord, forget not that you are here the vicar and legate of the King. Let the crown upon your head put perils in your thoughts, so as you may harken peaceably to them that are willing to lesson you with sound and sage advice. If we take order to-night to march by Switchwater, we may very well shut back this danger and stifle it ere it wax to too much bigness. If o' the contrary we suffer them to enter into these western parts, like enough without let or stay they will overrun the whole country."

Corinius rolled his eye upon him. "Can nothing," he said, "prescribe unto thee obedience? Look to thine own charge. Is the fleet in proper trim? For there's the strength, ease, and anchor of our power, whether for victualling, or to shift our weight against 'em which way we choose, or to give us sure asylum if it were come to that. What ails thee? Have we not these four months desired nought better than that these Demons should take heart to strike a field with us? If it be true that Juss himself and Brandoch Daha have thrown down the castles and strengths which I had i' the east and move with an army against us, why then I have them in the forge already, and shall now bring them to the hammer. And be satisfied, I'll choose mine own ground to fight them."

"There's yet matter for haste in this," said Laxus. "A day's march, and we oppose 'em not, will bring them before Krothering."

"That," answered Corinius, "jumpeth pat with mine own design. I'll not go a league to bar their way, but receive 'em here where the ground lieth most favourable to meet an enemy. Which advantage I'll employ to the greatest stretch of service, standing on Krothering Side, resting my flank against the mountain. The fleet shall ride in Aurwath haven."

Laxus stroked his beard and was silent a minute, considering this. Then he looked up and said, "This is sound generalship, I may not gainsay it."

"It is a purpose, my lord," said Corinius, "I have long had in myself, stored by for the event. Let me alone, therefore, to do that my right is. There's this good in it, too, as it befalleth: 'twill suffer that dive-dapper to behold his home again afore I kill him. A shall find it a sight for sore eyes, I think, after my tending on't."

The third day after these doings, the farmer at Holt stood in his porch that opened westward on Tivarandardale. An old man was he, crooked like a mountain thorn. But a bright black eye he had, and the hair curled crisp yet above his brow. It was late afternoon and the sky overcast. Tousle-haired sheep-dogs slept before the door. Swallows gathered in the sky. Near to him sat a damosel, dainty as a meadow-pipit, lithe as an antelope; and she was grinding grain in a hand-mill, singing the while:

Grind, mill, grind.

Corinius grinds us all;

Kinging it in widowed Krothering.

The old man was furbishing a shield and morion-cap, and other tackle of war lay at his feet.

"I wonder thou wilt still be busy with thy tackle, O my father," said she, looking up from her singing and grinding. "If ill tide ill again what should an old man do but grieve and be silent?"

"There shall be time for that hereafter," said the old man. "But a little while is hand fain of blow."

"They'll be for firing the roof-tree, likely, if they come back," said she, still grinding.

"Thou'rt a disobedient lass. If thou'dst but flit as I bade thee to the shiel-house up the dale, I'd force not a bean for their burnings."

"Let it burn," said she, "if he be taken. What avail then for thee or for me to be a-tarrying? Thou that art an old man and full of good days, and I that will not be left so."

A great dog awoke beside her and shook himself, then drew near and laid his nose in her lap, looking up at her with kind solemn eyes.

The old man said, "Thou'rt a disobedient lass, and but for thee, come sword, come fire, not a straw care I; knowing it shall be but a passing storm, now that my Lord is home again."

"They took the land from Lord Spitfire," said she.

"Ay, hinny," said the old man, "and thou shalt see my Lord shall take it back again."

"Ay?" said she. And still she ground and still she sang:

Grind, mill, grind.

Corinius grinds us all.

After a time, "Hist!" said the old man, "was not that a horsetread i' the lane? Get thee within-doors till I know if all be friendly." And he stooped painfully to take up his weapon. Woefully it shook in his feeble hand.

But she, as one that knew the step, heeding nought else, leapt up with face first red then pale then flushed again, and ran to the gate of the garth. And the sheepdogs bounded before her. There in the gate she was met with a young man riding a weary horse. He was garbed like a soldier, and horse and man were so bedraggled with mire and dust and all manner of defilement they were a sorry sight to see, and so jaded both that scarce it seemed they had might to journey another furlong. They halted within the gate, and all those dogs jumped up upon them, whining and barking for joy.

Ere the soldier was well down from the saddle he had a sweet armful. "Softly, my heart," said he, "my shoulder's somewhat raw. Nay, 'tis nought to speak on. I've brought thee all my limbs home."

"Was there a battle?" said the old man.

"Was there a battle, father?" cried he. "I'll tell thee, Krothering Side is thicker with dead men slain than our garth with sheep i' the shearing time."

"Alack and alack, 'tis a most horrid wound, dear," said the girl. "Go in, and I'll wash it and lay to it millefoil pounded with honey; 'tis most sovran against pain and loss of blood, and drieth up the lips of the wound and maketh whole thou'dst no credit how soon. Thou hast bled over-much, thou foolish one. And how couldst thou thrive without thy wife to tend thee?"

The farmer put an arm about him, saying, "Was the field ours, lad?"

"I'll tell you all orderly, old man," answered he, "but I must stable him first," and the horse nuzzled his breast. "And ye must ballast me first. God shield us, 'tis not a tale for an empty man to tell."

"'Las, father," said the damosel, "have we not one sweet sippet i' the mouth, that we hold him here once more? And, sweet or sour, let him take his time to fetch us the next."

So they washed his hurt and laid kindly herbs thereto, and bound it with clean linen, and put fresh raiment upon him, and made him sit on the bench without the porch and gave him to eat and drink: cakes of barley meal and dark heather-honey, and rough white wine of Tivarandardale. The dogs lay close about him as if there was warmth there and safety whereas he was. His young wife held his hand in hers, as if that were enough if it should last for aye. And that old man, eating down his impatience like a schoolboy chafing for the bell, fingered his partisan with trembling hand.

"Thou hadst the word I sent thee, father, after the fight below Galing?"

"Ay. 'Twas good."

"There was a council held that night," said the soldier. "All the great men together in the high hall in Galing, so as it was a heaven to see. I was one of their cupbearers, 'cause I'd killed the standard- bearer of the Witches, in that same battle below Galing. Methought 'twas no great thing I did; till after the battle, look you, my Lord's self standing beside me; and saith he, 'Arnod' (ay, by my name, father), 'Arnod,' a saith, 'thou'st done down the pennon o' Witchland that 'gainst our freedom streamed so proud. 'Tis thy like shall best stead Demonland i' these dog-days,' saith he. 'Bear my cup to-night, for thine honour.' I would, lass, thou'dst seen his eyes that tide. 'Tis a lord to put marrow in the sword-arm, our Lord.

"They had forth the great map o' the world, of this Demonland, to study their business. I was by, pouring the wine, and I heard their disputations. 'Tis a wondrous map wrought in crystal and bronze, most artificial, with waters a-glistering and mountains standing substantial to the touch. My Lord points with's sword. 'Here,' a saith, 'standeth Corinius, by all sure tellings, and budgeth not from Krothering. And, by the Gods, 'a saith, 'tis a wise disposition. For, mark, if we go by Gashterndale, as go we must to come at him, he striketh down on us as hammer on anvil. And if we will pass by toward the head of Thunderfirth,' and here a pointeth it out with's sword, 'down a cometh on our flank; and every-gate the land's slope serveth his turn and fighteth against us."

"I mind me o' those words," said the young man, "'cause my Lord Brandoch Daha laughed and said, 'Are we grown so strange by our travels, our own land fighteth o' the opposite party? Let me study it again.'

"I filled his cup. Dear Gods, but I'd fill him a bowl of mine own heart's blood if he required it of me, after our times together, father. But more o' that anon. The stoutest gentleman and captain without peer.

"But Lord Spitfire, that was this while vaunting up and down the chamber, cried out and said, ''Twere folly to travel his road prepared us. Take him o' that side he looketh least to see us: south through the mountains, and upon him in his rear up from Mardardale.'

"'Ah,' saith my Lord, 'and be pressed back into Murkdale Hags if we miss of our first spring. 'Tis too perilous. 'Tis worse than Gashterndale.'

"So went it: a nay for every yea, and nought to please 'em. Till i' the end my Lord Brandoch Daha, that had been long time busy with the map, said: 'Now that y' have threshed the whole stack and found not the needle, I will show you my rede, 'cause ye shall not say I counselled you rashly.'

"So they bade him say his rede. And he said unto my Lord, 'Thou and our main power shall go by Switchwater Way. And let the whole land's face blaze your coming before you. Ye shall lie tomorrow night in some good fighting-stead whither it shall not be to his vantage to move against you: haply in the old shielings above Wrenthwaite, or at any likely spot afore the road dippeth south into Gashterndale. But at point of day strike camp and go by Gashterndale and so up on to the Side to do battle with him. So shall all fall out even as his own hopes and expectations do desire it. But I,' saith my Lord Brandoch Daha, 'with seven hundred chosen horse, will have fared by then clean along the mountain ridge from Transdale even to Erngate End; so as when he turneth all his battle northward down the Side to whelm you, there shall hang above the security of his flank and rear that which he ne'er dreamed on. If he support my charging of his flank at unawares, with you in front to cope him, and he with so small an advantage upon us in strength of men: if he stand that, why then, good-night! the Witches are our masters in arms, and we may off cap to 'em and strive no more to right us.'

"So said my Lord Brandoch Daha. But all called him daft to think on't. Carry an army a-horseback in so small time 'cross such curst ground? It might not be. 'Well,' quoth he, 'sith you count it not possible, so much the more shall he. Cautious counsels never will serve us this tide. Give me but my pick of man and horse to the number of seven hundred, and I'll so set this masque you shall not desire a better master of the revels.'

"So i' the end he had his way. And past midnight they were at it, I wis, planning and studying.

"At dawn was the whole army marshalled in the meadows below Moonmere, and my Lord spake among them and told us he was minded to march into the west country and exterminate the Witches out of Demonland; and he bade any man that deemed he had now his fill of furious war and deemed it a sweeter thing to go home to his own place, say forth his mind without fear, and he would let him go, yea, and give him good gifts thereto, seeing that all had done manful service; but he would have no man in this enterprise who went not to it with his whole heart and mind."

The damosel said, "I wis there was not a man would take that offer."

"There went up," said the soldier, "such a shout, with such a stamping, and such a clashing together of weapons, the land shook with't, and the echoes rolled in the high corries of the Scarf like thunder, of them shouting 'Krothering!' 'Juss!' 'Brandoch Daha!' 'Lead us to Krothering!' Without more ado was the stuff packed up, and ere noon was the whole army gotten over the Stile. While we halted for daymeal hard by Blackwood in Amadardale, came my Lord Brandoch Daha a-riding among the ranks for to take his pick of seven hundred of our ablest horse. Nor a would not commit this to his officer, but himself called on each lad by name whenso he saw a likely one, and speered would a ride with him. I trow he gat never a nay to that speering. My heart was a-cold lest he'd o'erlook me, watching him ride by asjaunty as a king. But a reined in's horse and saith, 'Arnod, 'tis a bonny horse thou ridest. Could he carry thee to a swine-hunt down from Erngate End i' the morning?' I saluted him and said, 'Not so far only, Lord, but to burning Hell so thou but lead us.' 'Come on,' saith he. ''Tis a better gate I shall lead thee: to Krothering hall ere eventide.'"

"So now was our strength sundered, and the main army made ready to march westward down Switchwater Way; with the Lord Zigg to lead the horse, and the Lord Volle and my Lord's self and his brother the Lord Spitfire faring in the midst amongst 'em all. And with them yonder outland traitor, Lord Gro; but I do think him more a stick of sugar-paste than a man of war. And many gentlemen of worth went with them: Gismor Gleam of Justdale, Astar of Rettray, and Bremery of Shaws, and many more men of mark. But there abode with my Lord Brandoch Daha, Arnund of By, and Tharmrod of Kenarvey, Kamerar of Stropardon, Emeron Galt, Hesper Golthring of Elmerstead, Styrkmir of Blackwood, Melchar of Strufey, Quazz's three sons from Dalney, and Stypmar of Failze: fierce and choleric young gentlemen, after his own heart, methinks; great horsemen, not very forecasting of future things afar off but entertainers of fortune by the day; too rash to govern an army, but best of all to obey and follow him in so glorious an enterprise.