And I held her, and lookt alway about us, lest the Tree come
in upon the other side. And, as I lookt this way and that, I saw naught; and afterward, in a
moment, I searched the night above, lest that the Thing come from
above. And, behold, I saw that there abode over us a clear light, as it
were a clear burning Circle, above us in the night. And my heart did
leap with an holy joy and an utter great thankfulness; and I was no more
in fear of the Tree; for, in verity, there fought for our souls one of
those sweet Powers of Goodness, that did strive ever to stand between
the Forces of Evil and the spirit of man; and this matter have I shown
to you, before this time. And concerning this holy Defense, I have thought that it should not,
mayhap, to have had so strong a power to save us, if that we had shown
an over-weakness and fear, but because that we did rather stand so well
as we might to make battle of escape from so dire a Destruction. And, surely, this doth seem but a sane thinking unto me; but yet without
proof, and to be said to you, only as the shapings of my thoughts. And
this the chief end of that happening, that the holy Circle did truly
deliver us, and burned through twelve great hours above us; and by this,
do I know that the Evil Power hovered anigh, to destroy us, all that
while; for, indeed, it doth not be proper of reason to suppose that such
an utter wondrous thing did be needlessly over us, save to be a Shield
of Great and Lovely Force against a waiting Evil Thing. And surely you
do see thiswise with me? And, truly, so soon as my Spirit and Reason perceived that we did be no
more to suffer from the Evil Thing, I remembered that I did know that
Mine Own had swooned. And, in verity, you shall mind how that she did
face her death so utter sweet and brave, and had given no cry, but made
quietly to help me in that dreadful moment, and did stand brave and
gentle to the stroke. And so fell into a swoon, as you have seen,
because that she did suffer an hundred deaths as she did stand so brave,
waiting to be slain, for the blow did be so long delayed, yet to come in
any moment. And I gat her to come-to unto her life again, and I set the lovely tale
very swift to ease her, and surely with love and warmth, and kist her
with a great joy. And I showed how I did honour her for her good
courage. And she to weep a little, with the ease come so sudden upon her; and
afterward to kiss me upon the lips an hundred times, and to need that
she be very safe in mine arms, because that I had meant that I do so
dread an office to her. And surely I do wonder whether you perceive all
that did be then in her heart. And the holy light that did be over us, she did watch with a sweetness
of awe; and rest did come more great upon her in the heart, as she did
learn how sure was the seeming of that Lovely Power to deliver us. And, presently, we made forward again in the Valley. And did go
steadfast, and newly-loving each to the other, and so through twelve
great and body-weary hours; but our hearts could never be done singing
within us, nor our hands to cease from the hands of the other, because
that we did so crave each unto the beloved. And in the ninth hour, a monstrous way off in the dark of the Valley,
there did seem as that there went a far and dreadful screaming in the
night. And it did be as that our spirits perceived the sound of
something Spinning in the night; yet faint and a great way off; but yet
had we no surety that we did truly hear the sound of the Spinning; only
we did be so shaken in the heart, for truly there was some horror done
unto humans, downward in the mighty darkness of the Valley. And to think
upon the sound of the Spinning, was to be in a shaking trouble of the
spirit; and to bless the quiet and holy light that went above us in all
that time; and to ache only that it should stay to be to our protecting. And surely it did be plain that there were the signs of great Forces in
that Land. And three hours after that time when we did hear the far-off screaming,
we were come up over the edge of the Valley, and did be once more unto
such light as did be general in the Land; and truly it did seem a
wondrous lightness, after so utter a dark. And we did be all exhaust, and Mine Own drew her feet so weary that it
was as that she must go no more, until we did rest; for indeed it was
three and thirty hours since last that we had slept; and a bitter
trouble and work there had been in that space, as you do know. Now we had eat some of the tablets a few hours back, as we did walk, and
had drunk some of the water; but had made no rest; for we did crave only
that we come free of that Valley. And now it was needful that we rest,
if but a little time. And I minded that we find some place where I should have a hot pool,
that I be able to bathe Naani's feet. And, surely, we came in a while to
a hollow-place, and there did be two dull-burning fire-holes in this
place, and a hot-bubbling spring, the which did seem to be a rare thing
in that Land; so that we were the more fortunate to perceive it. And I made Mine Own to sit, with her feet in the hot-spring; for it was
not over-hot, and did seem pretty natural to my taste, as I did prove in
the first. And also I did search about the hollow, lest there be any
harmful creature near-by; and this you will have truly supposed, because
you do know the methods of my journeying. But yet did I not have so much
care as did be proper; for I was so dull in the mind, by reason of my
weariness; but, indeed, there came naught to work us any harm; and so we
came to no suffering, through mine aches and dullness. And I sat beside the Maid, and made her to eat a tablet, and saw that
the cloak did be nice about her, and her head to rest against my knee,
and I laid the palm of my hand to be as a pillow, because of the armour,
to ease the hardness. And I eat with the Maid, and we both drank after; and so there came
back somewhat of our strength. Then I took the Maid's little feet, and
rubbed a portion of the ointment from the pot all about them, very
gentle and constant; and so did they be new-rested and eased; and she
presently fit again to the journey; for I was strong set that we go
quickly hence out of that Land, and stay no more there to sleep, lest we
come unto Destruction. And when we had rested an hour, I put the shoes again upon the Maid, and
made them secure; and so gat my gear about me, and made to the journey. And lo! as we did leave the hollow, I lookt upward unto the Holy Light;
and behold it was gone from us, and by this thing I supposed that we had
come free of instant danger; but yet did there be to me a seeming of
nakedness and unprotection, as you must perceive. And because that the Light was vanished, I was the more set that we come
speedy out of the Land. And we went forward at a strong speed, and had
the Great Red Fire-Pit of the Giants to our rear unto the left, and a
mighty way off in the night; but yet I did wish it the further.