Sintram and His Companions — 06 - Chapters 14-16
CHAPTER 14
Sintram had not returned home, when those of the castle betook themselves to rest in deep bewilderment.
No one thought of him, for every heart was filled with strange forebodings, and with uncertain cares.
Even the heroic breast of the Knight of Montfaucon heaved in doubt.
Old Rolf still remained without, weeping in the forest, heedless of the storm which beat on his unprotected head, while he waited for his young master.
But he had gone a very different way; and when the morning dawned, he entered the castle from the opposite side.
Gabrielle’s slumbers had been sweet during the whole night.
It had seemed to her that angels with golden wings had blown away the wild histories of the evening before, and had wafted to her the bright flowers, the sparkling sea, and the green hills of her own home.
She smiled, and drew her breath calmly and softly, whilst the magical tempest raged and howled through the forests, and continued to battle with the troubled sea.
But in truth when she awoke in the morning, and heard still the rattling of the windows, and saw the clouds, as if dissolved in mist and steam, still hiding the face of the heavens, she could have wept for anxiety and sadness, especially when she heard from her maidens that Folko had already left their apartment clad in full armour as if prepared for a combat.
At the same time she heard the sound of the heavy tread of armed men in the echoing halls, and, on inquiring, found that the Knight of Montfaucon had assembled all his retainers to be in readiness to protect their lady.
Wrapped in a cloak of ermine, she stood trembling like a tender flower just sprung up out of the snow, tottering beneath a winter’s storm.
Then Sir Folko entered the room, in all his shining armour, and peacefully carrying his golden helmet with the long shadowy plumes in his hand.
He saluted Gabrielle with cheerful serenity, and at a sign from him, her attendants retired, while the men-at-arms without were heard quietly dispersing.
“Lady,” said he, as he took his seat beside her, on a couch to which he led her, already re-assured by his presence: “lady, will you forgive your knight for having left you to endure some moments of anxiety; but honour and stern justice called him.
Now all is set in order, quietly and peacefully; dismiss your fears and every thought that has troubled you, as things which are no more.
” “But you and Biorn?
” asked Gabrielle.
“On the word of a knight,” replied he, “all is well there.
” And thereupon he began to talk over indifferent subjects with his usual ease and wit; but Gabrielle, bending towards him, said with deep emotion: “O Folko, my knight, the flower of my life, my protector and my dearest hope on earth, tell me all, if thou mayst.
But if a promise binds thee, it is different.
Thou knowest that I am of the race of Portamour, and I would ask nothing from my knight which could cast even a breath of suspicion on his spotless shield.
” Folko thought gravely for one instant; then looking at her with a bright smile, he said: “It is not that, Gabrielle; but canst thou bear what I have to disclose?
Wilt thou not sink down under it, as a slender fir gives way under a mass of snow?
” She raised herself somewhat proudly, and said: “I have already reminded thee of the name of my father’s house.
Let me now add, that I am the wedded wife of the Baron of Montfaucon.
” “Then so let it be,” replied Folko solemnly; “and if that must come forth openly which should ever have remained hidden in the darkness which belongs to such deeds of wickedness, at least let it come forth less fearfully with a sudden flash.
Know then, Gabrielle, that the wicked knight who would have slain my friends Gotthard and Rudlieb is none other than our kinsman and host, Biorn of the Fiery Eyes.
” Gabrielle shuddered and covered her eyes with her fair hands; but at the end of a moment she looked up with a bewildered air, and said: “I have heard wrong surely, although it is true that yesterday evening such a thought struck me.
For did not you say awhile ago that all was settled and at peace between you and Biorn?
Between the brave baron and such a man after such a crime?
” “You heard aright,” answered Folko, looking with fond delight on the delicate yet high-minded lady.
“This morning with the earliest dawn I went to him and challenged him to a mortal combat in the neighbouring valley, if he were the man whose castle had well-nigh become an altar of sacrifice to Gotthard and Rudlieb.
He was already completely armed, and merely saying, ‘I am he,’ he followed me to the forest.
But when he stood alone at the place of combat, he flung away his shield down a giddy precipice, then his sword was hurled after it, and next with gigantic strength he tore off his coat of mail, and said, ‘Now fall on, thou minister of vengeance; for I am a heavy sinner, and I dare not fight with thee.
’ How could I then attack him?
A strange truce was agreed on between us.
He is half as my vassal, and yet I solemnly forgave him in my own name and in that of my friends.
He was contrite, and yet no tear was in his eye, no gentle word on his lips.
He is only kept under by the power with which I am endued by having right on my side, and it is on that tenure that Biorn is my vassal.
I know not, lady, whether you can bear to see us together on these terms; if not, I will ask for hospitality in some other castle; there are none in Norway which would not receive us joyfully and honourably, and this wild autumnal storm may put off our voyage for many a day.
Only this I think, that if we depart directly and in such a manner, the heart of this savage man will break.
” “Where my noble lord remains, there I also remain joyfully under his protection,” replied Gabrielle; and again her heart glowed with rapture at the greatness of her knight.
CHAPTER 15
The noble lady had just unbuckled her knight’s armour with her own fair hands,--on the field of battle alone were pages or esquires bidden handle Montfaucon’s armour,--and now she was throwing over his shoulders his mantle of blue velvet embroidered with gold, when the door opened gently, and Sintram entered the room, humbly greeting them.
Gabrielle received him kindly, as she was wont, but suddenly turning pale, she looked away and said: “O Sintram, what has happened to you?
And how can one single night have so fearfully altered you?
” Sintram stood still, thunderstruck, and feeling as if he himself did not know what had befallen him.
Then Folko took him by the hand, led him towards a bright polished shield, and said very earnestly, “Look here at yourself, young knight!
” At the first glance Sintram drew back horrified.
He fancied that he saw the little Master before him with that single upright feather sticking out of his cap; but he at length perceived that the mirror was only showing him his own image and none other, and that his own wild dagger had given him this strange and spectre-like aspect, as he could not deny to himself.
“Who has done that to you?
” asked Folko, yet more grave and solemn.
“And what terror makes your disordered hair stand on end?
” Sintram knew not what to answer.
He felt as if a judgment were coming on him, and a shameful degrading from his knightly rank.
Suddenly Folko drew him away from the shield, and taking him towards the rattling window, he asked: “Whence comes this tempest?
” Still Sintram kept silence.
His limbs began to tremble under him; and Gabrielle, pale and terrified, whispered, “O Folko, my knight, what has happened?
Oh, tell me; are we come into an enchanted castle?
” “The land of our northern ancestors,” replied Folko with solemnity, “is full of mysterious knowledge.
But we may not, for all that, call its people enchanters; still this youth has cause to watch himself narrowly;
he whom the evil one has touched by so much as one hair of his head...
” Sintram heard no more; with a deep groan he staggered out of the room.
As he left it, he met old Rolf, still almost benumbed by the cold and storms of the night.
Now, in his joy at again seeing his young master, he did not remark his altered appearance; but as he accompanied him to his sleeping-room he said, “Witches and spirits of the tempest must have taken up their abode on the sea-shore.
I am certain that such wild storms never arise without some devilish arts.
” Sintram fell into a fainting-fit, from which Rolf could with difficulty recover him sufficiently to appear in the great hall at the mid-day hour.
But before he went down, he caused a shield to be brought, saw himself therein, and cut close round, in grief and horror, the rest of his long black hair, so that he made himself look almost like a monk;
and thus he joined the others already assembled round the table.
They all looked at him with surprise; but old Biorn rose up and said fiercely, “Are you going to betake yourself to the cloister, as well as the fair lady your mother?
” A commanding look from the Baron of Montfaucon checked any further outbreak; and as if in apology, Biorn added, with a forced smile, “I was only thinking if any accident had befallen him, like Absalom’s, and if he had been obliged to save himself from being strangled by parting with all his hair.
” “You should not jest with holy things,” answered the baron severely, and all were silent.
No sooner was the repast ended, than Folko and Gabrielle, with a grave and courteous salutation, retired to their apartments.
CHAPTER 16
Life in the castle took from this time quite another form.
Those two bright beings, Folko and Gabrielle, spent most part of the day in their apartments, and when they showed themselves, it was with quiet dignity and grave silence, while Biorn and Sintram stood before them in humble fear.
Nevertheless, Biorn could not bear the thought of his guests seeking shelter in any other knight’s abode.
When Folko once spoke of it, something like a tear stood in the wild man’s eye.
His head sank, and he said softly, “As you please; but I feel that if you go, I shall run among the rocks for days.
” And thus they all remained together; for the storm continued to rage with such increasing fury over the sea, that no sea voyage could be thought of, and the oldest man in Norway could not call to mind such an autumn.
The priests examined all the runic books, the bards looked through their lays and tales, and yet they could find no record of the like.
Biorn and Sintram braved the tempest; but during the few hours in which Folko and Gabrielle showed themselves, the father and son were always in the castle, as if respectfully waiting upon them; the rest of the day--nay, often through whole nights, they rushed through the forests and over the rocks in pursuit of bears.
Folko the while called up all the brightness of his fancy, all his courtly grace, in order to make Gabrielle forget that she was living in this wild castle, and that the long, hard northern winter was setting in, which would ice them in for many a month.
Sometimes he would relate bright tales; then he would play the liveliest airs to induce Gabrielle to lead a dance with her attendants; then, again, handing his lute to one of the women, he would himself take a part the dance, well knowing to express thereby after some new fashion his devotion to his lady.
Another time he would have the spacious halls of the castle prepared for his armed retainers to go through their warlike exercises, and Gabrielle always adjudged the reward to the conqueror.
Folko often joined the circle of combatants; so that he only met their attacks, defending himself, but depriving no one of the prize.
The Norwegians, who stood around as spectators, used to compare him to the demi-god Baldur, one of the heroes of their old traditions, who was wont to let the darts of his companions be all hurled against him, conscious that he was invulnerable, and of his own indwelling strength.
At the close of one of these martial exercises, old Rolf advanced towards Folko, and beckoning him with an humble look, said softly, “They call you the beautiful mighty Baldur,--and they are right.
But even the beautiful mighty Baldur did not escape death.
Take heed to yourself.
” Folko looked at him wondering.
“Not that I know of any treachery,” continued the old man; “or that I can even foresee the likelihood of any.
God keep a Norwegian from such a fear.
But when you stand before me in all the brightness of your glory, the fleetingness of everything earthly weighs down my mind, and I cannot refrain from saying, ‘Take heed, noble baron!
oh, take heed!
Even the most beautiful glory comes to an end.
’” “Those are wise and pious thoughts,” replied Folko calmly, “and I will treasure them in a pure heart.
” The good Rolf was often with Folko and Gabrielle, and made a connecting link between the two widely differing parties in the castle.
For how could he have ever forsaken his own Sintram!
Only in the wild hunting expeditions through the howling storms and tempests he no longer was able to follow his young lord.
At length the icy reign of winter began in all its glory.
On this account a return to Normandy was impossible, and therefore the magical storm was lulled.
The hills and valleys shone brilliantly in their white attire of snow, and Folko used sometimes, with skates on his feet, to draw his lady in a light sledge over the glittering frozen lakes and streams.
On the other hand, the bear-hunts of the lord of the castle and his son took a still more desperate and to them joyous course.
About this time,--when Christmas was drawing near, and Sintram was seeking to overpower his dread of the awful dreams by the most daring expeditions,--about this time, Folko and Gabrielle stood together on one of the terraces of the castle.
The evening was mild; the snow-clad fields were glowing in the red light of the setting sun; from below there were heard men’s voices singing songs of ancient heroic times, while they worked in the armourer’s forge.
At last the songs died away, the beating of hammers ceased, and, without the speakers being seen, or there being any possibility of distinguishing them by their voices, the following discourse arose:-- “Who is the bravest amongst all those whose race derives its origin from our renowned land?
” “It is Folko of Montfaucon.
” “Rightly said; but tell me, is there anything from which even this bold baron draws back?
” “In truth there is one thing,--and we who have never left Norway face it quite willingly and joyfully.
” “And that is--?
” “A bear-hunt in winter, over trackless plains of snow, down frightful ice-covered precipices.
” “Truly thou answerest aright, my comrade.
He who knows not how to fasten our skates on his feet, how to turn in them to the right or left at a moment’s warning, he may be a valiant knight in other respects, but he had better keep away from our hunting parties, and remain with his timid wife in her apartments.
” At which the speakers were heard to laugh well pleased, and then to betake themselves again to their armourer’s work.
Folko stood long buried in thought.
A glow beyond that of the evening sky reddened his cheek.
Gabrielle also remained silent, considering she knew not what.
At last she took courage, and embracing her beloved, she said: “To-morrow thou wilt go forth to hunt the bear, wilt thou not?
and thou wilt bring the spoils of the chase to thy lady?
” The knight gave a joyful sign of assent; and the rest of the evening was spent in dances and music.
