Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair Read online

  Now when Goldilind had been in her chamber for a few days, she found outfor certain, what she had before misdoubted, that she had been broughtfrom Leashowe and the peopled parts near to Meadhamstead unto theuttermost parts of the realm to be kept in prison there.

  Howbeit, it was in a way prison courteous; she was still served withobservance, and bowed before, and called my lady and queen, and soforth: also she might go from chamber to hall and chapel, to and fro,yet scarce alone; and into the garden she might go, yet not for the morepart unaccompanied; and even at whiles she went out a-gates, but thenever with folk on the right hand and the left. Forsooth, whiles andagain, within the next two years of her abode at Greenharbour, out ofgates she went and alone; but that was as the prisoner who strives to befree (although she had, forsooth, no thought or hope of escape), and asthe prisoner brought back was she chastised when she came within gatesagain.

  Everywhere, to be short, within and about the Castle of Greenharbour,did Goldilind meet the will and the tyranny of the little sleek widow,Dame Elinor, to whom both carle and quean in that corner of the worldwere but as servants and slaves to do her will; and the said Elinor, whoat first was but spiteful in word and look toward her lady, waxed worseas time wore and as the blossom of the King's daughter's womanhood beganto unfold, till at last the she-jailer had scarce feasted any daywhen she had not in some wise grieved and tormented her prisoner; andwhatever she did, none had might to say her nay.

  But Goldilind took all with a high heart, and her courage grew withher years, nor would she bow the head before any grief, but took to herwhatsoever solace might come to her; as the pleasure of the sun and thewind, and the beholding of the greenery of the wood, and the fowl andthe beasts playing, which oft she saw afar, and whiles anear, thoughwhiles, forsooth, she saw nought of it all, whereas she was shut upbetwixt four walls, and that not of her chamber, but of some bare andfoul prison of the Castle, which, with other griefs, must she needsthole under the name and guise of penance.

  However, she waxed so exceeding fair and sweet and lovely, that theloveliness of her pierced to the hearts of many of her jailers, so thatsome of them, and specially of the squires and men-at-arms, would do hersome easement which they might do unrebuked, or not sorely rebuked;as bringing her flowers in the spring, or whiles a singing-bird or asquirrel; and an old man there was of the men-at-arms, who would askleave, and get it at whiles, to come to her in her chamber, or thegarden? and tell her minstrel tales and the like for her joyance. Soothto say, even the pinched heart of the old Burgreve was somewhat touchedby her; and he alone had any might to stand between her and Dame Elinor;so that but for him it had gone much harder with her than it did.

  For the rest, none entered the Castle from the world without, nay not somuch as a travelling monk, or a friar on his wanderings, save and exceptsome messenger of Earl Geoffrey who had errand with Dame Elinor or theBurgreve.

  So wore the days and the seasons, till it was now more than four yearssince she had left Leashowe, and her eighteenth summer was beginning.

  But now the tale leaves telling of Goldilind, and goes back tothe matters of Oakenrealm, and therein to what has to do with KingChristopher and Rolf the Marshal.

  CHAPTER VI. HOW ROLF THE MARSHAL DREAMS A DREAM AND COMES TO THE CASTLEOF THE UTTERMOST MARCH.

  Now this same summer, when King Christopher was of twenty years andtwo, Rolf the Marshal, sleeping one noontide in the King's garden atOakenham, dreamed a dream. For himseemed that there came through thegarth-gate a woman fair and tall, and clad in nought but oaken-leaves,who led by the hand an exceeding goodly young man of twenty summers, andhis visage like to the last battle-dead King of Oakenrealm when he was ayoung man. And the said woman led the swain up to the Marshal, who askedin his mind what these two were: and the woman answered his thought andsaid: "I am the Woman of the Woods, and the Landwight of Oakenrealm; andthis lovely lad whose hand I hold is my King and thy King and the Kingof Oakenrealm. Wake, fool--wake! and look to it what thou wilt do!"

  And therewith he woke up crying out, and drew forth his sword. But whenhe was fully awakened, he was ashamed, and went into the hall, and satin his high-seat, and strove to think out of his troubled mind; but forall he might do, he fell asleep again; and again in the hall he dreamedas he had dreamed in the garden: and when he awoke from his dream he hadno thought in his head but how he might the speediest come to the houseof Lord Richard the Lean, and look to the matter of his lord's son andsee him with his eyes, and, if it might be, take some measure with thethreat which lay in the lad's life. Nought he tarried, but set off in anhour's time with no more company than four men-at-arms and an old squireof his, who was wont to do his bidding without question, whether it weregood or evil.

  So they went by frith and fell, by wood and fair ways, till in two days'time they were come by undern within sight of the Castle of the OuterMarch, and entered into the street of the thorpe aforesaid; and they sawthat there were no folk therein and at the house-doors save old carlesand carlines scarce wayworthy, and little children who might not goafoot. But from the field anigh the thorpe came the sound of shoutingand glad voices, and through the lanes of the houses they saw on thefield many people in gay raiment going to and fro, as though there weregames and sports toward.

  Thereof Lord Rolf heeded nought, but went his ways straight to theCastle, and was brought with all honour into the hall, and thither cameLord Richard the Lean, hastening and half afeard, and did obeisance tohim; and there were but a few in the hall, and they stood out of earshotof the two lords.

  The Marshal spoke graciously to Lord Richard, and made him sit besidehim, and said in a soft voice: "We have come to see thee, Lord, and howthe folk do in the Uttermost Marches. Also we would wot how it goes witha lad whom we sent to thee when he was yet a babe, whereas he was somebyblow of the late King, our lord and master, and we deemed theeboth rich enough and kind enough to breed him into thriving withoutincreasing pride upon him: and, firstly, is the lad yet alive?"

  He knitted his brow as he spake, for carefulness of soul; but LordRichard smiled upon him, though as one somewhat troubled, and answered:"Lord Marshal, I thank thee for visiting this poor house; and I shalltell thee first that the lad lives, and hath thriven marvellously,though he be somewhat unruly, and will abide no correction now theselast six years. Sooth to say, there is now no story of his being anywiseakin to our late Lord King; though true it is that the folk in thisfaraway corner of the land call him King Christopher, but only in amanner of jesting. But it is no jest wherein they say that they willgainsay him nought, and that especially the young women. Yet I will sayof him that he is wise, and asketh not overmuch; the more is the sorrowof many of the maidens. A fell woodsman he is, and exceeding stark, andas yet heedeth more of valiance than of the love of woman."

  The Marshal looked no less troubled than before at these words; he said:"I would see this young man speedily."

  "So shall it be, Lord," said Lord Richard. Therewith he called to hima squire, and said: "Go thou down into the thorpe, and bring hitherChristopher, for that a great lord is here who would set him to do adeed of woodcraft, such as is more than the wont of men."

  So the squire went his ways, and was gone a little while, and meantimedrew nigh to the hall a sound of triumphing songs and shouts, and rightup to the hall doors; then entered the squire, and by his side came atall young man, clad but in a white linen shirt and deerskin brogues,his head crowned with a garland of flowers: him the squire brought up tothe lords on the dais, and louted to them, and said: "My lords, I bringyou Christopher, and he not overwilling, for now hath he been but justcrowned king of the games down yonder; but when the carles and queansthere said that they would come with him and bear him company to thehall doors, then, forsooth, he yea-said the coming. It were not unmeetthat some shame were done him."

  "Peace, man!" said Lord Richard, "what hath this to do with thee? Seestthou not the Lord Marshal here?" The Lord Rolf sat and gazed on the lad,and scowled on him; but Christopher saw
therein nought but the face ofa great lord burdened with many cares; so when he had made his obeisancehe stood up fearlessly and merrily before them.

  Sooth to say, he was full fair to look on: for all his strength, which,as ye shall hear, was mighty, all the fashion of his limbs and his bodywas light and clean done, and beauteous; and though his skin, where itshowed naked, was all tanned with the summer, it was fine and sleek andkindly, every deal thereof: bright-eyed and round-cheeked he was, withfull lips and carven chin, and his hair golden brown of hue, and curlingcrisp about the blossoms of his garland.

  So must we say that he was such an youngling as most might have been inthe world, had not man's malice been, and the mischief of grudging andthe marring of grasping.

  But now spake Lord Rolf: "Sir varlet, they tell me that thou art amighty hunter, and of mickle guile in woodcraft; wilt thou then huntsomewhat for me, and bring me home a catch seldom seen?"

  "Yea, Lord King," said Christopher, "I will at least do my best, if thoubut tell me where to seek the quarry and when."

  "It is well," said the Marshal, "and to-morrow my squire, whom thouseest yonder, and who hight Simon, shall tell thee where the hunt is up,and thou shalt go with him. But hearken! thou shalt not call me king;for to-day there is no king in Oakenrealm, and I am but Marshal, andEarl of the king that shall be."

  The lad fell a-musing for a minute, and then he said: "Yea, LordMarshal, I shall do thy will: but meseemeth I have heard some tale ofone who was but of late king in Oakenrealm: is it not so, Lord?"

  "Stint thy talk, young man," cried the Marshal in a harsh voice, "andabide to-morrow; who knoweth who shall be king, and whether thou or Ishall live to see him."

  But as he spake the words they seemed to his heart like a foretellingof evil, and he turned pale and trembled, and said to Christopher: "Comehither, lad; I will give thee a gift, and then shalt thou depart tillto-morrow." So Christopher drew near to him, and the Marshal pulled offa ring from his finger and set it on the lad's, and said to him: "Nowdepart in peace;" and Christopher bent the knee to him and thanked himfor the gracious gift of the ruler of Oakenrealm, and then went his waysout of the hall, and the folk without gave a glad cry as he came amongstthem.

  But by then he was come to the door, Lord Rolf looked on his hand, andsaw that, instead of giving the youngling a finger-ring which he hadbought of a merchant for a price of five bezants, as he had meant todo, he had given him a ring which the old King had had, whereon was thefirst letter of his name (Christopher to wit), and a device of a crownedrose, for this ring was a signet of his. Wherefore was the Marshal oncemore sore troubled, and he arose, and was half minded to run down thehall after Christopher; but he refrained him, and presently smiledto himself, and then fell a-talking to Lord Richard, sweetly andpleasantly.

  SO wore the day to evening; but, ere he went to bed, the Lord Rolf hada privy talk, first with Lord Richard, and after with his squire Simon.What followed of that talk ye may hear after.

  CHAPTER VII. HOW CHRISTOPHER WENT A JOURNEY INTO THE WILD-WOOD.

  Next morning Christopher, who slept in the little hall of the innercourt of the Castle, arose betimes, and came to the great gate; but, foras early as he was, there he saw the squire Simon abiding him, standingbetween two strong horses; to him he gave the sele of the day, and thesquire greeted him, but in somewhat surly wise. Then he said to him:"Well, King Christopher, art thou ready for the road?"

  "Yea, as thou seest," said the youngling smiling. For, indeed, he hadbreeches now beneath his shirt, and a surcoat of green woollen over it;boots of deerskin had he withal, and spurs thereon: he was girt with ashort sword, and had a quiver of arrows at his back, and bare a greatbow in his hand.

  "Yea," quoth Simon, "thou deemest thee a gay swain belike; but thoulookest likelier for a deerstealer than a rider, thou, hung up to thyshooting-gear. Deemest thou we go a-hunting of the hind?"

  Quoth Christopher: "I wot not, squire; but the great lord who liethsleeping yonder, hath told me that thou shouldest give me his errand;and of some hunting or feat of wood-craft he spake. Moreover, thiscrooked stick can drive a shaft through matters harder than a hind'sside."

  Simon looked confused, and he reddened and stammered somewhat as heanswered: "Ah, yea: so it was; I mind me; I will tell thee anon."

  Said Christopher: "Withal, squire, if we are wending into the wood, asneeds we must, unless we ride round about this dale in a ring all day,dost thou deem we shall go at a gallop many a mile? Nay, fair sir; thehorses shall wend a foot's pace oftenest, and we shall go a-foot notunseldom through the thickets."

  Now was Simon come to himself again, and that self was surly, so hesaid: "Ay, ay, little King, thou deemest thee exceeding wise in thesewoods, dost thou not? and forsooth, thou mayst be. Yet have I tidingsfor thee."

  "Yea, and what be they?" said Christopher.

  Simon grinned: "Even these," said he, "that Dr. Knowall was no man'scousin while he lived, and that he died last week."

  Therewith he swung himself into his saddle, and Christopher laughedmerrily at his poor gibe and mounted in like wise.

  Wherewithal they rode their ways through the thorpe, and at the southernend thereof Simon drew rein, and looked on Christopher as if he wouldask him something, but asked not. Then said Christopher: "Whither go wenow?"

  Said Simon: "It is partly for thee to say: hearken, I am bidden first toride the Redwater Wood with thee: knowest thou that?"

  "Yea," said the lad, "full well: but which way shall we ride it? Wiltthou come out of it at Redwater Head, or Herne Moss, or the Long Pools?"

  Said Simon: "We shall make for the Long Pools, if thou canst bring methere."

  Christopher laughed: "Aha!" said he, "then am I some faraway cousinof Dr. Knowall when the whole tale is told: forsooth I can lead theethither; but tell me, what shall I do of valiant deeds at the LongPools? for there is no fire-drake nor effit, nay, nor no giant, norguileful dwarf, nought save mallard and coot, heron and bittern; yea,and ague-shivers to boot."

  Simon looked sourly on him and said: "Thou are bidden to go with me,young man, or gainsay the Marshal. Art thou mighty enough thereto? Forthe rest, fear not but that the deed shall come to thee one day."

  "Nay," said Christopher, "it is all one to me, for I am at home in thesewoods and wastes, I and my shafts. Tell me of the deeds when thouwilt." But indeed he longed to know the deed, and fretted him because ofSimon's surliness and closeness. Then he said: "Well, Squire Simon, letus to the road; for thou shalt know that to-night we must needs house usunder the naked heaven; in nowise can we come to the Long Pools beforeto-morrow morning."

  "Yea, and why not?" said the squire; "I have lain in worse places."

  "Wilt thou tell me thereof?" said Christopher.

  "Mayhappen," said Simon, "if to-morrow comes and goes for both of ustwain."

  So they rode their ways through the wood, and baited at midday with whatSimon bare in his saddle-bags, and then went on till night fell on them;then asked Simon how long they were from the Long Pools, and Christophertold him that they were yet short of them some fifteen miles, and thoselong ones, because of the marish grounds. So they tethered their horsesthere and ate their supper; and lay down to sleep in the house of thewoods, by a fire-side which they lighted.

  But in the midnight Christopher, who was exceeding fine-eared, had aninkling of someone moving afoot anigh him, and he awoke therewith, andsprang up, his drawn short-sword in his hand, and found himself face toface with Simon, and he also with his sword drawn. Simon sprang aback,but held up his sword-point, and Christopher, not yet fully awake, criedout: "What wouldst thou? What is it?"

  Simon answered, stammering and all abashed: "Didst thou not hear then?it wakened me."

  "I heard nought," said Christopher; "what was it?"

  "Horses going in the wood," said Simon

  "Ah, yea," said Christopher, "it will have been the wild colts and themares; they harbour about these marsh-land parts. Go to sleep again,neighbour, the night is not yet hal
f worn; but I will watch a while."

  Then Simon sheathed his sword, and turned about and stood uneasily alittle while, and then cast him down as one who would sleep hastily;but slept not forsooth, though he presently made semblance of it: as forChristopher, he drew together the brands of the fire, and sat beside itwith his blade over his knees, until the first beginning of the summerdawn was in the sky; then he began to nod, and presently lay aback andslept soundly. Simon slept not, but durst not move. So they lay till itwas broad day, and the sunbeams came thrusting through the boughs of thethicket.

  CHAPTER VIII. CHRISTOPHER COMES TO THE TOFTS.

  When they arose in the sunshine, Simon went straightway to see to thehorses, while Christopher stayed by the fire to dight their victuals;he was merry enough, and sang to himself the while; but when Simon cameback again, Christopher looked on him sharply, but for a while Simonwould not meet his eye, though he asked divers questions of himconcerning little matters, as though he were fain to hear Christopher'svoice; at last he raised his eyes, and looked on him steadily, and thenChristopher said: "Well, wayfarer mine, and whither away this morning?"

  Said Simon: "As thou wottest, to the Long Pools."

  Said the lad: "Well, thou keepest thy tidings so close, that I will askthee no more till we come to the Long Pools; since there, forsooth,thou must needs tell me; unless we sunder company there, whereof I werenought grieving."