THE STORY OF THE GLITTERING PLAIN OR THE LAND OF LIVING MEN

by William Morris




CHAPTER I: OF THOSE THREE WHO CAME TO THE HOUSE OF THE RAVEN



It has been told that there was once a young man of free kindred and
whose name was Hallblithe: he was fair, strong, and not untried in
battle; he was of the House of the Raven of old time.

This man loved an exceeding fair damsel called the Hostage, who was
of the House of the Rose, wherein it was right and due that the men
of the Raven should wed.

She loved him no less, and no man of the kindred gainsaid their love,
and they were to be wedded on Midsummer Night.

But one day of early spring, when the days were yet short and the
nights long, Hallblithe sat before the porch of the house smoothing
an ash stave for his spear, and he heard the sound of horse-hoofs
drawing nigh, and he looked up and saw folk riding toward the house,
and so presently they rode through the garth gate; and there was no
man but he about the house, so he rose up and went to meet them, and
he saw that they were but three in company: they had weapons with
them, and their horses were of the best; but they were no fellowship