Now Birdalone found speech and said: Knight,
for such thou seemest to me, I deem now that I have
no need to fare further in this dale, but I will get
me into the saddle and turn my horse’s head outward
again, giving thee good day first and thanking thee
for thy courtesy. And therewith she turned to
get to her palfrey, but sore trembling the while;
but he followed her and said, with brow somewhat knitted:
Nay, lady, I have left my horse somewhat further up,
and I must go back to fetch him, that we may wend
out of the dale together. For I will not suffer
thee to flee from me and fall into the hands of evil
wights, be they ghosts or living men, and that the
less since I have heard the speech in thy mouth, as
of honey and cream and roses. Therefore if thou
go out of the dale, I shall go with thee afoot, leading
thine horse. And look to it if it be courteous
to unhorse a knight, who is ready to be thy servant.
Moreover, since thou hast come to this dale of wonder,
and mayst leave it safely, pity it were that thou
shouldst see nought thereof, for strange is it forsooth,
and belike thou shalt never seek thither again.
Wherefore I crave of thee, once more, to mount thine
horse and let me lead thee up the dale.
He spake these last words rather as one giving a command
than making a prayer, and Birdalone feared him now
sorely. Forsooth she had her bended bow in hand;
but let alone that the knight was over-near to her
that she might get a shaft out of her quiver and nock
it, ere he should run in on her, and let alone also
that he was byrnied, she scarce deemed that it behoved
her to slay or wound the man because she would be
quit of him. Wherefore angrily, and with a flushed
face, she answered him: So shall it be then,
Sir Knight; or rather so must it be, since thou compellest
me.
He laughed and said: Nay, now thou art angry.
I compel thee not, I but say that it will not do
for thee to compel me to leave thee. Go which
way thou wilt, up the dale, or down it and out of it;
it is all one unto me, so long as I am with thee.
Forsooth, damsel, I have said harder words to ladies
who have done my pleasure and not deemed themselves
compelled.
She paled but answered nought; then she mounted her
palfrey, and the knight went to her bridle-rein without
more words, and so led her on up the valley by the
easiest way amongst the Greywethers.
CHAPTER XI. BIRDALONE IS LED UP THE BLACK VALLEY
As they went, the knight fell a-talking to Birdalone,
and that without any of the covert jeering which he
had used erewhile; and he showed her places in the
dale, as caverns under the burgs, and little eyots
in the stream, and certain stones amongst the Greywethers
whereof stories ran; and how this and the other one
had fared in dealings with the land-wights, and how
one had perished, and another had been made happy,
and so forth. Withal he told of the mountain-folk,
