The Roots of the Mountains, page 169 by William Morris
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heir foemen; and nought lovely were they to look on; for the drowned man was already bleached and swollen with the water, and the other, his face was all wryed and twisted with that spear-thrust in the mouth.
Then the Alderman said: 'I would question my son Face-of-god. Let him stand forth!'
And therewith he smiled merrily in his son's face, for he was standing right in front of him; and he said:
'Ask of me, Alderman, and I will answer.'
'Kinsman,' said Iron-face, 'look at these two dead men, and tell me, if thou hast seen any such besides those two murder-carles who were slain at Carlstead; or if thou knowest aught of their folk?'
Said Face-of-god: 'Yesterday I saw six others like to these both in array and of body, and three of them I slew, for we were in battle with them early in the morning.'
There was a murmur of joy at this word, since all men took these felons for deadly foemen; but Iron-face said: 'What meanest thou by "we"?'
'I and the men who had guested me overnight,' said Face-of-god, 'and they slew the other three; or rather a woman of them slew the felons.'
'Valiant she was; all good go with her hand!' said the Alderman. 'But what be these people, and where do they dwell?'
Said Face-of-god: 'As to what they are, they are of the kindred of the Gods and the Fathers, valiant men, and guest-cherishing: rich have they been, and now are poor: and their poverty cometh of these same felons, who mastered them by numbers not to be withstood. As to where they dwell: when I say the name of their dwelling-place men mock at me, as if I named some valley in the moon: yet came I to Burgdale thence in one day across the mountain-necks led by sure guides, and I tell thee that the name of their abode is Shadowy Vale.'
'Yea,' said Iron-face, 'knoweth any man here of Shadowy Vale, or where it is?'
None answered for a while; but there was an old man who was sitting on the shafts of a wain on the outskirts of the throng, and