Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair Read online

  But Christopher went up to Goldilind where she stood amidst of thespearmen, hand turning over hand, and her feet wandering to and froalmost without her will; and when he came to her, she had much ado torefrain her from falling on his bosom and weeping there. But he criedto her gaily: "Now, my Lady and Queen, thou shalt see a fair play towardeven sooner than we looked for; and thine eyes shall follow me, if thebattle be thronged, by this token, that amongst all these good men andtrue I only wear a forgilded basnet with a crown about it."

  "O!" she said, "if it were but over, and thou alive and free! I wouldpay for that, I deem, if I might, by a sojourn in Greenharbour again."

  "What!" he said, "that I might have to thrust myself into the peril ofsnatching thee forth again?" And he laughed merrily. "Nay," said he,"this play must needs begin before it endeth; and by Saint Nicholas, Ideem that to-day it beginneth well."

  But she put her hands before her face, and her shoulders were shakenwith sobs. "Alas! sweetling," said he, "that my joy should be thysorrow! But, I pray thee, take not these stout-hearts for runaways. AndOh! look, look!"

  She looked up, wondering and timorous, but all about her the men sprangup and shouted, and tossed up bill and sword, and the echo of theircries came back from the bowmen on the left, and Christopher's swordcame rattling out of the scabbard and went gleaming up aloft. Then wordscame into the cry of the folk, and Goldilind heard it, that they cried"Child Christopher! King Christopher!" Then over her head came a soundof flapping and rending as the evening wind beat about the face of thewood; and she heard folk cry about her: "The banner, the banner! Ho forthe Wood-wife of Oakenrealm!"

  Then her eyes cleared for what was aloof before her, and she saw a darkmass come spreading down over the bent on the other side of the river,and glittering points and broad gleams of white light amidst of it, andnoise came from it; and she knew that here were come the foemen. Butshe thought to herself that they looked not so many after all; and shelooked at the great and deft bodies of their folk, and their big-headedspears and wide-bladed glaves and bills, and strove with her heart andrefrained her fear, and thrust back the image which had arisen beforeher of Greenharbour come back again, and she lonely and naked in theLeast Guard-chamber: and she stood firm, and waved her hand to greet thefolk.

  And lo! there was Christopher kneeling before her and kissing her hand,and great shouts arising about her of "The Lady of Oakenrealm! The Ladyof Meadham! For the Lady! For the Lady!"

  CHAPTER XXX. OF THE FIELD THAT WAS SET IN THE HOLM OF HAZELDALE.

  Now thither cometh Jack o' the Tofts, and spake to Christopher: "Seethou, lad--Lord King, I should say; this looketh not like very presentbattle, for they be stayed half way down the bent; and lo thou, somehalf score are coming forth from the throng with a white shield raisedaloft. Do we in likewise, for they would talk with us."

  "Shall we trust them, father?" said Christopher.

  "Trust them we may, son," said Jack; "Gandolf is a violent man, and alifter of other men's goods, but I deem not so evil of him as that hewould bewray troth."

  So then they let do a white cloth over a shield and hoist it on along spear, and straightway they gat to horse, Jack of the Tofts, andChristopher, and Haward of Whiteacre, and Gilbert, and a half score alltold; and they rode straight down to the ford, which was just below thetail of the eyot aforesaid, and as they went, they saw the going of theothers, who were by now hard on the waterside; and said Jack: "See now,King Christopher, he who rides first in a surcoat of his arms iseven the Baron, the black bullet-headed one; and the next to him, thered-head, is his squire and man, Oliver Marson, a stout man, but fierceand grim-hearted. Lo thou, they are taking the water, but they aremaking for the eyot and not our shore: son mine, this will mean ahazeled field in the long run; but now they will look for us to cometo them therein. Yea, now they are aland and have pitched their whiteshield. And hearken, that is their horn; blow we an answer: ho, noise!set thy lips to the brass."

  So then, when one horn had done its song, the other took it up, andall men of both hosts knew well that the horns blew but for truce andparley.

  Now come the Toft-folk to the ford, and take the water, which was veryshallow on their side, and when they come up on to the eyot, they findthe Baron and his folk off their horses, and lying on the green grass,so they also lighted down and stood and hailed the new comers. Thenuprose the Lord Gandolf, and greeted the Toft-folk, and said: "Jack ofthe Tofts, thou ridest many-manned to-day."

  "Yea, Lord," said Jack, "and thou also. What is thine errand?"

  "Nay," said the Baron, "what is thine? As for mine host here, there camea bird to Brimside and did me to wit that I should be like to need athrong if I came thy way; and sooth was that. Come now, tell us what istoward, thou rank reiver, though I have an inkling thereof; for if thiswere a mere lifting, thou wouldst not sit still here amidst thy friendsof Hazeldale."

  "Lord," said Jack o' the Tofts, "thou shalt hear mine errand, and thengive heed to what thou wilt do. Look to the bent under the wood, andtell me, dost thou see the blazon of the banner under which be my men?"

  "That can I not," said the Lord Gandolf; "but I have seen the bannerof Oakenrealm, which beareth the wood-woman with loins garlanded withoak-leaves, look much like to it at such a distance."

  Said Jack: "It is not ill guessed. Yonder banner is the King's banner,and beareth on it the woman of Oakenrealm."

  The Lord bent his brows on him, and said: "Forsooth, rank reiver, Iwotted not that thou hadst King Rolf for thy guest."

  Quoth Jack of the Tofts: "Forsooth, Lord, no such guest as the EarlMarshal Rolf would I have alive in my poor house."

  "Well, Jack," said the big Lord, grinning, "arede me the riddle, andthen we shall see what is to be done, as thou sayest."

  "Lord," said Jack, "dost thou see this young man standing by me?"

  "Yea," said the other, "he is big enough that I may see him better thanthy banner: if he but make old bones, as is scarce like, since he is ofthy flock, he shall one day make a pretty man; he is a gay rider now.What else is he?"

  Quoth Jack of the Tofts: "He is my King and thy King, and the all-folk'sKing, and the King of Oakenrealm: and now, hearken mine errand: it is tomake all folk name him King."

  Said the Lord: "This minstrel's tale goes with the song the bird sangto me this morning; and therefore am I here thronging--to win thy head,rank reiver, and this young man's head, since it may not better be, andlet the others go free for this time. Hah! what sayest thou? and thou,youngling? 'Tis but the stroke of a sword, since thou hast fallen intomy hands, and not into the hangman's or the King's."

  "Thou must win them first, Lord," said Jack of the Tofts. "Therefore,what sayest thou? Where shall we cast down the white shield and uprearthe red?"

  "Hot art thou, head, heart, and hand, rank reiver," said the Lord; "bidea while." So he sat silent a little; then he said: "Thou seest, Jackof the Tofts, that now thou hast thrust the torch into the tow; if I goback to King Rolf without the heads of you twain, I am like to pay forit with mine own. Therefore hearken. If we buckle together in fightpresently, it is most like that I shall come to my above, but thou artso wily and stout that it is not unlike that thou, and perchance thisluckless youngling, may slip through my fingers into the wood; and thenit will avail me little with the King that I have slain a few scorenameless wolf-heads. So, look you! here is a fair field hazelled by God;let us two use it to-day, and fight to the death here; and then if thouwin me, smite off my head, and let my men fight it out afterwards, asbest they may without me, and 'tis like they will be beaten then. But ifI win thee, then I win this youngling withal, and bear back both headsto my Lord King, after I have scattered thy wolf-heads and slain as manyas I will; which shall surely befall, if thou be slain first."

  Then cried out Jack of the Tofts: "Hail to thy word, stout-heart! thisis well offered, and I take it for myself and my Lord King here." Andall that stood by and heard gave a glad sound with their voices, andtheir armour rattled and rang as man turned
to man to praise theircaptains.

  But now spake Christopher: "Lord of Brimside, it is nought wondrousthough thou set me aside as of no account, whereas thou deemest me noking or king's kindred; but thou, Lord Earl, who wert once Jack of theTofts, I marvel at thee, that thou hast forgotten thy King so soon. Yetwain shall now wot that this is my quarrel, and that none but I shalltake this battle upon him.

  "Thou servant of Rolf, the traitor and murderer, hearken! I say that Iam King of Oakenrealm, and the very son of King Christopher the Old; andthat will I maintain with my body against every gainsayer. Thou Lord ofBrimside, wilt thou gainsay it? Then I say thou liest, and lo here, myglove!" And he cast it down before the Lord.

  Again was there good rumour, and that from either side of thebystanders; but Jack of the Tofts stood up silent and stiff, and theBaron of Brimside laughed, and said: "Well, swain, if thou art weary oflife, so let it be, as for me; but how sayest thou, Jack of the Tofts?Art thou content to give thine head away in this fashion, whereas thouwottest that I shall presently slay this king of thine?"

  Said Jack: "The King of Oakenrealm must rule me as well as others ofhis liege-men: he must fight if he will, and be slain if he will." Thensuddenly he fell a-laughing, and beat his hand on his thigh tillthe armour rattled again, and then he cried out: "Lord Gandolf, LordGandolf, have a care, I bid thee! Where wilt thou please to be buried,Lord?"

  Said the other: "I wot not what thou wilt mean by thy fooling, rankreiver. But here I take up this youngling's glove; and on his head behis fate! Now as to this battle. My will is, that we two champions beall alone and afoot on the eyot. How say ye?"

  "Even so be it," said Jack; "but I say that half a score on each sideshall be standing on their own bank to see the play, and the rest of thehost come no nigher than now we are."

  "I yea-say it," said the Baron; "and now do thou, rank reiver, go backto thy fellowship and tell them what we have areded, and do thou, OliverMarson, do so much for our folk; and bid them wot this, that if any ofthem break the troth, he shall lose nought more than his life for thatsame."

  Therewith all went ashore to either bank, save the Baron of Brimsideand Christopher. And the Baron laid him down on the ground and fell towhistling the tune of a merry Yule dance; but as for Christopher, helooked on his foeman, and deemed he had seldom seen so big and stalwartha man; and withal he was of ripe age, and had seen some forty winters.Then he also cast himself down on the grass, and fell into a kind ofdream, as he watched a pair of wagtails that came chirping up from thesandy spit below the eyot; till suddenly great shouting broke out, firstfrom his own bent, and then from the foemen's, and Christopher knew thatthe folk on either side had just heard of the battle that was to be onthe holm. The Baron arose at the sound and looked to his own men, whencewere now coming that half-score who were to look on the battle from thebank; but Christopher stirred not, but lay quietly amongst the flowersof the grass, till he heard the splash of horse-hoofs in the ford, andthere presently was come Jack of the Tofts bearing basnet and shield forhis lord. And he got off his horse and spake to Christopher: "If I maynot fight for thee, my son and King, yet at least it is the right ofthine Earl to play the squire to thee: but a word before thy basnet isover thine ears; the man yonder is well-nigh a giant for stature andstrength; yet I think thou mayest deal with him, and be none the sorerwhen thou liest down to-night. To be short, this is it: when thou hastgot a stroke in upon him, and he falters, then give him no time, but flyat him in thy wild-cat manner and show what-like thews thou hast underthy smooth skin; now thine helm, lad. So art thou dight; and somethingtells me thou shalt do it off in victory."

  CHAPTER XXXI. THE BATTLE ON THE HOLM.

  So when Christopher was armed, Jack turned about speedily, and so gathim back through the ford and stood there on the bank with the nineother folk of the Tofts. And by this time was Gandolf of Brimside armedalso, and Oliver Marson, who had done his helm on him, was gone to hisside of the river.

  Drew the huge man-at-arms then toward Christopher, but his sword was yetin the sheath: Christopher set his point to the earth and abode him; andthe Baron spake: "Lad, thou art fair and bold both, as I can see it, andJack of the Tofts is so much an old foe of mine that he is well-nigh afriend: so what sayest thou? If thou wilt yield thee straightway, I willhave both thine head and the outlaw's with me to King Rolf, but yet onyour shoulders and ye two alive. Haps will go as haps will; and itmaybe that ye shall both live for another battle, and grow wiser, andmayhappen abide in the wood with the reiver's men. Hah? What sayestthou?"

  Christopher laughed and said: "Wouldst thou pardon one who is not yetdoomed, Baron? And yet thy word is pleasant to us; for we see that if wewin thee, thou shalt be good liegeman of us. Now, Baron, sword in fist!"

  Gandolf drew his sword, muttering: "Ah, hah! he is lordly and kinglyenough, yet may this learn him a lesson." Indeed the blade was huge andbrown and ancient, and sword and man had looked a very terror save toone great-hearted.

  But Christopher said: "What sayest thou now, Baron, shall we cast downour shields to earth? For why should we chop into wood and leather?"

  The Baron cast down his shield, and said: "Bold are thy words, lad; ifthy deeds go with them, it may be better for thee than for me. Now keepthee."

  And therewith he leapt forward and swept his huge sword around; butChristopher swerved speedily and enough, so that the blade touched himnot, and the huge man had over-reached himself, and ere he had his swordwell under sway again, Christopher had smitten him so sharply on theshoulder that the mails were sundered & the blood ran; and withal theBaron staggered with the mere weight of the stroke. Then Christophersaw his time, and leapt aloft and dealt such a stroke on the side of hishead, that the Baron tottered yet more; but now was he taught by thosetwo terrible strokes, and he gathered all his heart to him, and all themight of his thews, and leapt aback and mastered his sword, and came onfierce but wary, shouting out for Brimside and the King.

  Christopher cried never a cry, but swung his sword well within hissway, and the stroke came on Gandolf's fore-arm and brake the mails andwounded him, and then as the Baron rushed forward, the wary lad gat hisblade under his foeman's nigh the hilts, and he gave it a wise twist andforth flew the ancient iron away from its master.

  Gandolf seemed to heed not that he was swordless, but gave out a greatroar and rushed at Christopher to close with him, and the well-knitlad gave back before him and turned from side to side, and kept thesword-point before Gandolf's eyes ever, till suddenly, as the Baron wasrunning his fiercest, he made a mighty sweep at his right leg, sincehe had no more to fear his sword, and the edge fell so strong and true,that but for the byrny-hose he had smitten the limb asunder, and evenas it was it made him a grievous wound, so that the Lord of Brimside fellclattering to the earth, and Christopher bestrode him and cried: "Howsayest thou, champion, is it enough?"

  "Yea, enough, and maybe more," said the Baron. "Wilt thou smite off minehead? Or what wilt thou?"

  Said Christopher: "Here hath been enough smiting, meseemeth, save thylads and ours have a mind to buckle to; and lo thou! men are runningdown from the bents towards us from both sides, yet not in any warlikemanner as yet. Now, Baron, here cometh thy grim squire that I heardcalled Oliver, and if thou wilt keep the troth, thou shalt bid him orderthy men so that they fall not upon us till the battle be duly pitched.Then shalt thou be borne home, since thou canst not go, with nohindrance from us."

  Now was Oliver come indeed, and the other nine with him, and on theother side was come Jack of the Tofts and four others.

  Then spake the Baron of Brimside: "I may do better than thou biddest me;for now I verily trow herein, that thou art the son of Christopher theOld; so valiant as thou art, and so sad a smiter, and withal thatthou fearest not to let thy foeman live. So hearken all ye, and thouspecially, Oliver Marson, my captain: I am now become the man of my lordKing Christopher, and will follow him whereso he will; and I deem thatwill presently be to Oakenham, and the King's seat there. Now look to ittha
t thou, Oliver, order my men under King Christopher's banner, tillI be healed; and then if all be not over, I shall come forth myself,shield on neck and spear in fist, to do battle for my liege lord; sohelp me God and St. James of the Water!"

  Therewith speech failed him and his wit therewith; so betwixt them theyunarmed him and did him what leechdom they might do there and then; andhe was nowise hurt deadly: as for Child Christopher, he had no scratchof steel on him. And Oliver knelt before him when he had dight his ownlord, and swore fealty to him then and there; and so departed, to orderthe folk of Brimside and tell them the tidings, and swear them liege menof King Christopher.

  CHAPTER XXXII. OF GOLDILIND AND CHRISTOPHER.

  Now Jack of the Tofts said a word to one of his men, and he rodestraightway up into the field under the wood, and spake to three of thecaptains of the folk, and they ranked a hundred of the men, of those whowere best dight, and upraised amongst them the banner of Oakenrealm,and led all them down to the river bank; and with these must needs goGoldilind; and when they came down thither, Christopher and Jack werethere on the bank to hail them, and they raised a great shout when theysaw their King and their Earl standing there, and the shout was givenback from the wood-side; and then the men of Brimside took it up, forthey had heard the bidding of their Lord, and he was now in a pavilionwhich they had raised for him on the mead, and the leeches were lookingto his hurts; and they feared him, but rather loved than hated him, andhe was more to them than the King in Oakenrealm and they were all readyto do his will.