Now this same summer, when King Christopher was of twenty yearsand two, Rolf the Marshal, sleeping one noontide in the King's garden atOakenham, dreamed a dream. For himseemed that there came through thegarth-gate a woman fair and tall, and clad in nought but oaken-leaves, wholed by the hand an exceeding goodly young man of twenty summers, andhis visage like to the last battle-dead King of Oakenrealm when he was ayoung man. And the said woman led the swain up to the Marshal, whoasked in his mind what these two were: and the woman answered histhought and said: "I am the Woman of the Woods, and the Landwight ofOakenrealm; and this lovely lad whose hand I hold is my King and thyKing and the King of Oakenrealm. Wake, fool--wake! and look to itwhat thou wilt do!"
And therewith he woke up crying out, and drew forth his sword. Butwhen he was fully awakened, he was ashamed, and went into the hall, andsat in his high-seat, and strove to think out of his troubled mind; but for allhe might do, he fell asleep again; and again in the hall he dreamed as hehad dreamed in the garden: and when he awoke from his dream he hadno thought in his head but how he might the speediest come to the houseof Lord Richard the Lean, and look to the matter of his lord's son and seehim with his eyes, and, if it might be, take some measure with the threatwhich lay in the lad's life. Nought he tarried, but set off in an hour's timewith no more company than four men-at-arms and an old squire of his,who was wont to do his bidding without question, whether it were good orevil.
So they went by frith and fell, by wood and fair ways, till in two days'time they were come by undern within sight of the Castle of the OuterMarch, and entered into the street of the thorpe aforesaid; and they sawthat there were no folk therein and at the house-doors save old carles andcarlines scarce wayworthy, and little children who might not go afoot. But from the field anigh the thorpe came the sound of shouting and gladvoices, and through the lanes of the houses they saw on the field manypeople in gay raiment going to and fro, as though there were games andsports toward.
Thereof Lord Rolf heeded nought, but went his ways straight to theCastle, and was brought with all honour into the hall, and thither cameLord Richard the Lean, hastening and half afeard, and did obeisance tohim; and there were but a few in the hall, and they stood out of earshot ofthe two lords.
The Marshal spoke graciously to Lord Richard, and made him sitbeside him, and said in a soft voice: "We have come to see thee, Lord,and how the folk do in the Uttermost Marches. Also we would wot howit goes with a lad whom we sent to thee when he was yet a babe, whereashe was some byblow of the late King, our lord and master, and we deemedthee both rich enough and kind enough to breed him into thriving withoutincreasing pride upon him: and, firstly, is the lad yet alive?"