So there they sat and talked a while in dear and pleasant
converse; and Hugh fell to asking her of her life
in the House under the Wood, and she answered all
frankly and simply, and the more she told the dearer
she seemed to them.
Thus drew night in, till folk came flockmeal into
the hall; for needs must be feast and banquet for
triumph of the furtherance of the Quest; and the most
of men were merry; but somewhat sober were all the
three Champions, so that whoso ran might read it in
their faces. As for Birdalone, she showed cheerful
to all that folk which loved her and praised her;
but inwardly sorrow had come home to her heart.
When the sun was arisen on the morrow the three Champions
went down to the landing-place, and there was none
with them; for they had given command that no man
should pry into their doings. Thither to them
cometh Birdalone, clad no more in her gay attire, but
in a strait black coat and with unshod feet; and she
looked no sorrier than she was.
By Birdalone’s rede the Champions bore down
in their own hands the victual and weapons and armour
that they needed for the voyage; for she knew not
but that the Sending Boat might take it amiss that
any should touch her save the senders. And when
they had done lading her, then all four stood together
by the water’s edge, and Birdalone spake to
her friends, and again bade them beware of the wiles
of the Isle of Nothing; and again she told them of
the woful images of the Isle of Kings and the Isle
of Queens, and the strange folk of the Isle of the
Young and the Old. Then she said: Now when
ye come to the Isle of Increase Unsought, what think
ye to do? Said the Green Knight: If I
might rule, we should go straight up to the witch
sitting in her hall, as thou toldest us, my dear, and
then and there smite the head from off her.
His eyes flashed and his brow knitted, and so fierce
he looked that Birdalone shrank back from him; but
the Black Squire smiled and said: It may come
to the smiting off of heads in the end; yet must we
so fashion our carving, that it avail us for the freeing
of our friends; else may the witch die, and the secret
of the prison-house die with her. How sayest
thou, dear Birdalone?
She reddened at the caress of his voice, and answered:
By my rede ye shall seek and find your speech-friends
ere ye make open war upon the witch; else may her
malice destroy them ere ye undo her. Her face
flushed yet more as she spake again: But concerning
all things, I deem that Atra may give you the best
rede, when ye have met the loves; for that she knoweth
more of the isle and its guiles than the others.
Quoth Baudoin: Herein is wisdom, sweet maiden,
for as guileless as thou mayst be; and so far as we
may we shall follow thy rede; but all lieth in the
fathom of the coming time. And now this moment
is the moment of sundering and farewell.
