And, in verity, the Maid to find a way that she be eased of the hardness
of the armour; and I to have come to the same thing in the same moment;
but truly I do think she had been able to think upon it a long while, if
that she had been so desired. And truly, this was but that I fold the cloak very thick across mine
arms and breast, and to take her then into the little nest that did be
prepared. And, surely, now that the Maid might no more have her secret wish that
she lie close against mine armour, she to be helpful, and to have the
cloak folded so in a very quick while; and so to be into mine arms
again; and we to be once more upon the journey, and she to nestle to me,
as that she did hunger to be nigh to me; and she to talk with me, odd
whiles, and odd whiles to be silent. And once, I to think that she wept a little; and to know that she did be
like to think upon her father and her own Peoples; but she to have her
face turned to me, so that I could but guess upon this thing; and she
very soon to be husht again of this sorrow, and to lie content in mine
arms. And once, when that I had carried her for three hours, she to ask me
that I kiss her; and truly I did kiss her, very gentle and with
reverence, because that my heart did understand the holiness that did be
in her heart in that moment. And, surely, as I kist her, she to kiss me very tender; and I to know
that some olden memory did be like to stir in her. And in a moment, she
to take her lips from mine, where she had let them to nestle very light,
and did whisper mine olden love-name; and I then to look at her, and her
eyes to shine as the olden stars that did shine in the olden summers. And I to be too shaken even that I kiss her. But she to put her arms
about my neck, and to look steadfast into mine eyes. And immediately,
after that she had lookt awhile, and I to have ceased from walking, she
to put her hands upon each side of my face, within the metal of mine
head-gear, where the guards did come down at the sides; and she to kiss
me very sober upon the lips; but yet to mean utter by that kiss. And I
not to return the kiss; for I saw that it did not be her need. Now, in the beginning of the fourth hour, as I did go with the Maid, I
to see afar off one of the half-bird monsters, that I did see before
upon this place where there did be naught save great stones and boulders
for a great way that did be many miles. And truly, I to hide very swift with the Maid, where two great boulders
did come together; and surely the bird-creature to go past at no great
way, and to go with a great bounding, that did be half of flight and
half of leaping, as that it did be too weighty in the body to make to
fly proper. And, indeed, I to have a sudden memory how that there did be a picture
in some book that I did read in the Mighty Pyramid, where it did show
such a bird-thing as this; and to make remark in the book that these
things had been seen no more in the Night Land for a score thousand of
years, or more; and to be extinct, as we do say. But, indeed, now I do think that they did be come downward to that warm
Country, a great while gone, and so to have new life and to breed
through a great age, and this way to have set a pattern unto the Humans. And, in verity, it might be that in some age that did be far after that
time, the Humans to find some way to journey from the Pyramid, and to
build a new Refuge in that deep Country; and mayhap the Humans thiswise
to have a new space of life, after that all the Night Land did be dead
and lost in the bitter frost of Eternity. But this, indeed, to be no
more than an odd thought; for how might any great multitude pass the
Monsters; and I to ask that you take it for nothing of fact, but only as
of my suppositions; and thiswise to come back again to happenings. Now, when the bird-thing did be gone a long way off, I to go forward
again with Mine Own, and to have a new care, and to look very swift and
frequent everyway. And, truly, it did be as that the creatures did inhabit that part of the
Country; for in an hour after that, I to see a good score. And, I to
free the Diskos from my hip, and to have it ready in mine arms beside
the Maid; and so to journey. And many times I to have to hide with Mine Own, and to crouch low among
the rocks and the boulders; and this way to escape free of all for a
great while. Yet, when that the fifth hour did be nigh gone, I heard a noise sudden
to my back, as we did go over a clear space. And, in verity, there did
be one of the monsters that came upward over certain rocks that were to
my rearward; and surely it to have been stayed hid there, or resting,
and to have heard us or to have smelled us; but anywise then to have
knowledge of us, and to come with low and brutish heavy boundings, very
lumbersome, after us. And I lookt everyway in a moment; but there was nowhere any shelter
anigh. And the Maid to leap sudden from mine arms, that I be free with
the Diskos; and I to look swift to her, and to see that she have her
knife ready in her hand, that she might chance to aid me. But surely I
might not fight in ease of mind, if that Mine Own did be needless in
danger; and I caught her very quick by the waist, and set her upon the
ground between my feet. And she to make half to refuse; but I to have no
time for explaining, and to be sharp that I have her safe; so that I
gave her a little shake that did sudden to make her feel the strength in
me; and she then to be instant quiet in my hands, and to let me that I
set her upon her face, and to cast the thick cloak above her; and in a
moment to be stood over her, and to set down the visor of mine
head-gear, lest that the bird-monster strike me in the face. And surely, the bird-thing did be scarce an hundred good paces off; and
to make two lumbering and monstrous bounds, and to come at me. Yet, truly, it made sudden a pause, because that the Diskos did roar and
send out fire, as I made it to spin; but in an instant the great thing
to come in at me upon the left side, and to strike me very hard with the
bill, that did be so long as mine arm, and had surely gone through my
body, if that I had been naked. And the bill of the monster rang upon
mine armour; and it smote me twice thiswise, so that I staggered very
sick and shaken. But in a moment, as it made to draw off, that it should
come the more hard upon me, I swung the Diskos very sure and quick, and
I smote the Bird-thing above the place where the great seeming-leathern
wing did join upon the right side, as it should be the shoulder of the
Bird-monster. And, in verity, the monster gave out a mighty squarking,
and went backward this way and that, and beat all about upon the stones,
and did strike with the great bill at the place where it did be hurt. And I heeded that I end it swiftly; and I ran in upon it, and the
creature to strike at me with the great bill, very savage.