ravine and put his forefeet out on the very edge of it and stopped.
Then the body of Iraine came toppling forward over the right
shoulder of the horse, and his bones mingle and rest as the years go
by with the bones of Merimna's heroes.

Now there was a little boy in Merimna named Rold. I saw him first,
I, the dreamer, that sit before my fire asleep, I saw him first as
his mother led him through the great hall where stand the trophies
of Merimna's heroes. He was five years old, and they stood before
the great glass casket wherein lay the sword of Welleran, and his
mother said: 'The sword of Welleran.' And Rold said: 'What should a
man do with the sword of Welleran?' And his mother answered: 'Men
look at the sword and remember Welleran.' And they went on and
stood before the great red cloak of Welleran, and the child said:
'Why did Welleran wear this great red cloak?' And his mother
answered: 'It was the way of Welleran.'

When Rold was a little older he stole out of his mother's house
quite in the middle of the night when all the world was still, and
Merimna asleep dreaming of Welleran, Soorenard, Mommolek, Rollory,
Akanax, and young Iraine. And he went down to the ramparts to hear
the purple guard go by singing of Welleran. And the purple guard
came by with lights, all singing in the stillness, and dark shapes
out in the desert turned and fled. And Rold went back again to his
mother's house with a great yearning towards the name of Welleran,
such as men feel for very holy things.

And in time Rold grew to know the pathway all round the ramparts,
and the six equestrian statues that were there guarding Merimna
still. These statues were not like other statues, they were so