But in awhile, lo! there came as it were a shadow
amidst the mist, or rather lying thereon, faint and
colourless, and it was of the shape of the wood-mother,
with girt-up gown and bow in hand. Birdalone
cried aloud with joy, and hastened toward the semblance,
but came to it no nigher, and still she went, and
the semblance still escaped her, and she followed
on and on; and this lasted long, and faster and faster
must she follow lest it vanish, and she gathered her
skirts into her girdle, and fell to running fleet-foot
after the fleeing shadow, which she loved dearly even
amidst the jaws of death; and all her fleetness of
foot had Birdalone to put forth in following up the
chase; but even to die in the pain would she not miss
that dear shadow.
But suddenly, as she ran, the mist was all gone from
before her, the sun shone hot and cloudless; there
was no shadow or shape of Habundia there, nought but
the blue lake and the ugly lip of that hideous desert,
with the Sending Boat lying a half score yards from
her feet; and behind her stood up, as it were a wall,
the mist from out of which she had come.
Forsooth Birdalone was too breathless to cry out her
joy, but her heart went nigh to breaking therewith,
and lovely indeed to her was the rippled water and
the blue sky; and she knew that her wood-mother had
sped a sending to her help, and she fell a-weeping
where she stood, for love of her wise mother, and
for longing to behold her: she stretched out
her arms to the north quarter, and said blessings
on her in a voice faint for weariness. Then she
laid her down on the desert, and rested her with sleep,
despite the hot sun, and when she awoke, some three
hours thereafter, all was as before, save that the
sky had now some light-flying clouds, and still was
the wall of mist behind her. Wherefore she deemed
she had yet time, and the blue rippling water wooed
her much-besweated limbs; so she did off her raiment
and took the water, and became happy and unweary therein.
Then she landed and stood in the sun to dry her, and
so, strengthened with that refreshing, clad her, and
went aboard and did the due rites, and sped over the
waters, and had soon lost sight of that ugly blotch
on the fair face of the Great Water.
Here ends the Second Part of the Water of the Wondrous
Isles, which is called Of the Wondrous Isles, and
begins the Third Part of the said tale, which is called
Of the Castle of the Quest.
THE THIRD PART: OF THE CASTLE OF THE QUEST
CHAPTER I. BIRDALONE COMES TO THE CASTLE OF THE QUEST
Empty was the day to Birdalone save for her thoughts,
and she slept not a good while of the night.
When she awoke in the morning there was no land before
her, and she began to fear somewhat that so it might
be many days, and that she might have to fare the water
landless, and perchance till she starved for hunger;
for now was there but little victual left of that
which the kind Viridis had given her. So she
wore the day somewhat uneasily, and by then night
fell had eaten but little; yet was that little the
last crumb and gobbet of her store. Wherefore
it is no wonder though she were dismayed when she
awoke early on the morrow, and beheld nought before
her save the landless water.
