CHAPTER XXI. WARRIORS FROM EAST CHEAPING RIDE INTO THE DALE.
SO the summer wears with nought to tell of, and autumn and winter in like manner, and yet another year passes unmarked by strife or mishap in the Dale; and now spring was come again, and it was hard on three years since those twain had first met, and Osberne was sixteen years old and Elfhild but a month and a half less, and still they met happily as aforetime. Wethermel throve in all wise this while, and there was deep peace on the Eastern Dale, and never had the edges of Board-cleaver looked on the light of day since the fall of Hardcastle.
But in early May of this year came riders into the Dale, friends, though they rode all-armed, to wit, the men-at-arms of East Cheaping, even such as Osberne had seen riding down from the Castle the last time of his going thither; and the errand they came on was this, that war and strife were at hand for the good town, for the Baron of Deepdale had sent the Porte his challenge for some matter of truage, wherein the town deemed it had a clear right, and seeing that it was nought feeble, it had a settled mind to fight it out. Wherefore it had sent a knight of its service and a company of men-at-arms to see what help its friends of the Dale would give it at the pinch: for it was well known that the dalesmen were stalwart carles if
