willow-bough. Her voice was sweet and soft, her words few, but
exceeding dear to the listener. In short, she was a woman born to be
the ransom of her Folk.

Now as to the names which the menfolk of the Face bore, and they an
ancient kindred, a kindred of chieftains, it has been said that in
times past their image of the God of the Earth had over his treen
face a mask of beaten gold fashioned to the shape of the image; and
that when the Alderman of the Folk died, he to wit who served the God
and bore on his arm the gold-ring between the people and the altar,
this visor or face of God was laid over the face of him who had been
in a manner his priest, and therewith he was borne to mound; and the
new Alderman and priest had it in charge to fashion a new visor for
the God; and whereas for long this great kindred had been chieftains
of the people, they had been, and were all so named, that the word
Face was ever a part of their names.



CHAPTER III. THEY TALK OF DIVERS MATTERS IN THE HALL



Now Face-of-god, who is also called Gold-mane, rose up to meet the
new-comers, and each of them greeted him kindly, and the Bride kissed
him on the cheek, and he her in likewise; and he looked kindly on
her, and took her hand, and went on up the hall to the dais,
following his father and the old man; as for him, he was of the
kindred of the House, and was foster-father of Iron-face and of his
sons both; and his name was Stone-face: a stark warrior had he been