oncerning her sight of the flickering flame
along the hall-roof, and the fire-tongues like strips of scarlet cloth
blown by the wind, nor had she any memory of her words concerning the
coming day. But the rest of her talk with the carline she remembered,
and also the vision of the beautiful woman who had kissed and embraced
her; and she knew that it was her very mother. Also she perceived that
she had been weeping, therefore she knew that she had uttered words of
wisdom. For so it fared with her at whiles, that she knew not her own
words of foretelling, but spoke them out as if in a dream.

So now she went down from the Hill of Speech soberly, and turned toward
the Woman's door of the hall, and on her way she met the women and old
men and youths coming back from the meadow with little mirth: and there
were many of them who looked shyly at her as though they would gladly
have asked her somewhat, and yet durst not. But for her, her sadness
passed away when she came among them, and she looked kindly on this and
that one of them, and entered with them into the Woman's Chamber, and did
what came to her hand to do.

CHAPTER VI--THEY TALK ON THE WAY TO THE FOLK-THING

All day long one standing on the Speech-hill of the Wolfings might have
seen men in their war-array streaming along the side of Mirkwood-water,
on both sides thereof; and the last comers from the Nether-mark came
hastening all they might; for they would not be late at the
trysting-place. But these were of a kindred called the Laxings, who bore
a salmon on their banner; and they were somewhat few in number, for they
had but of late years become a House of the Markmen. Their banner-wain
was drawn by white horses, fleet and strong, and they were no great band,
for they had but few thralls with them, and all, free men and thralls,
were a-horseback; so they rode by hastily with their banner-wain, their
few munition-wains following as they might.

Now tells the tale of the men-at-arms of the Wolfings and the Beamings,
that soon they fell in with the Elking host, which was journeying but
leisurely, so that the Wolfings might catch up with them: they were a
very great kindred, the most numerous of all Mid-mark, and at this time
they had affinity with the Wolfings. But old men of the House remembered
how they had heard their grandsires and very old men tell that there had
been a time when the Elking House had been established by men from out of
the Wolfi