the garth and turned toward the sea-shore, and they saw the glitter
of his spear-point a minute over the turf-wall, and heard the clatter
of his horse-hoofs as he galloped over the hard way; and thus he
departed.



CHAPTER III: THE WARRIORS OF THE RAVEN SEARCH THE SEAS



Then the women bethought them, and they spake a word or two together,
and then they sundered and went one this way and one that, to gather
together the warriors of the Raven who were a-field, or on the way,
nigh unto the house, that they might follow Hallblithe down to the
sea-shore and help him; after a while they came back again by one and
two and three, bringing with them the wrathful young men; and when
there was upward of a score gathered in the garth armed and horsed,
they rode their ways to the sea, being minded to thrust a long-ship
of the Ravens out over the Rollers into the sea, and follow the
strong-thieves of the waters and bring a-back the Hostage, so that
they might end the sorrow at once, and establish joy once more in the
House of the Raven and the House of the Rose. But they had with them
three lads of fifteen winters or thereabouts to lead their horses
back home again, when they should have gone up on to the Horse of the
Brine.

Thus then they departed, and the maidens stood in the garth-gate till
they lost sight of them behind the sandhills, and then turned back
sorrowfully into the house, and sat there talking low of their