And he came to listen overmuch to her words and those of her father, who was as crafty and double-tongued as any rogue within the borders of France.
And thus did evil enter into Bordeaux without the knowledge of its rightful lord, Duke Huon.
VIII. HOW HUON MET WITH THE HERMIT GERAMES AND TOOK THE ROAD THROUGH THE FAIRY WOOD
The merchant ship wherein Huon and the Duke Garyn and all their tram traveled set them ashore upon a barren, cliff-bound land far from all the cities of the Saracens, for Huon wished none to know of his coming until he won to Babylon itself. Taking to horse once more, he and his uncle and their men rode inland towards the rising sun which was the way to Babylon.
At length they came upon. the edge of a vast wasteland across which lay open to them two faintly marked paths. One ran through the waste where could be seen only bare rock and sand burnt and baked by the fierce sun, with no trees or other green things to relieve the eye. But the other way went on into a pleasant woodland where the trees were a living promise of springs of water.
This road did Huon choose and had turned his charger into it when out of a misshapen hut piled loosely from the desert rocks there sprang one in the rags of a hermit to bar their way.
About his loins was the torn skin of a lion and his gray hair hung in wild ragged locks upon his bone-thin shoulders. A long beard covered him to his girdle, but his eyes were still afire with reason and strength, and he bore himself as one who had once had authority in the world beyond this starved land.
“Pray you, fair sir,” he cried unto Huon, “by your dress and the cross you bear upon your shield you are a Christian knight. If you be truly so, heed now the warning of one who, though now fallen on evil times, once held his lands of a Christian king!”
Much astounded by such a greeting, Huon reined in his mount and bade the man speak on, telling how he came to live in so desolate a spot.
“Once was I the Knight Gerames who did ride upon the right hand of good Duke Sevin of Bordeaux. But desiring to look upon the Sepulcher of Our Lord Jesu, I sailed hither and my pilgrim ship was set upon by those wolves of the sea, the pirates of the Crescent. By them, I and all those with me were sold into slavery and after some years I escaped my chains to flee here into the wilderness where none thought to seek me. For in seven years you have been the first to ride these ancient roads. Know you not that these be evil lands for Christian men? What hard fate brought you hither?”
Huon replied with the tale of the quest set upon him and how he and his uncle were on their way now into Babylon to obey the orders of Charlemagne.
When Gerames learned that Huon was son to his old lord, Duke Sevin, tears came out upon his hairy cheeks and he seized upon the youth’s hand to kiss it—vowing that he would follow Huon even to the death from that hour forward.
But again he begged them to turn aside from the path through the wood, saying:
“This wood is wrought of magic, being one of those strange places where the world of Fairy touches upon the world of men. Oberon who is king among the People of the Hills is wont to ride among those trees with his Fairy lords. And should he sight a mortal man and speak to him, and that man replyeth—why then the mortal is under the spell of Fairy and must do all which Oberon requireth of him for all his days. Many powerful and sturdy knights have been so lost.”
Huon looked again at the burning heat of the desert land and saw how there was lacking there all manner of shade and other refreshment. And then he turned to the cool promised by the woodland and it drew him strangely. He asked:
“How does it chance if the mortal answers not the words of King Oberon? Is he still caught up in the Fairy spell?”
Gerames shook his head. “Nay. Unless a man speaketh to King Oberon, the Lord of Fairies hold- eth no power over him.”
“Then,” said Huon, “shall we keep our tongues within our jaws and be safe even if the dread king meets us. Beneath this hot sun we shall surely fail and die if we go into the desert, but if we go by the forest way we shall have shade and water to sustain us.”
So did they ride by the wood road even though Gerames still prophesied that ill would come of it. When they came into the heart of the forest they heard the sound of a huntsman’s silver horn and into sight galloped a fair company of knights clad all in that green which is the favorite color of those from the Hills.
He who kept to the fore was a youth of such shining beauty that his like has never been seen in the world of mortal men. And splendid was his dress, the green being overlaid with much silver and gold, and his sword belt set with rows of gleaming pearls, his knight’s spurs roweled with diamonds.
But in stature he was but a small child and on his black horse he appeared as a boy of ten years until you saw the wisdom and maturity of his face.
Seeing Huon and his company the small youth did halt his chase and he put down on his saddlebow the horn he had been sounding to say:
“How now, proud mortal. Who are you who dares to come within the boundaries of my kingdom?” And to all their ears his voice had the sweetness of open song.
But Huon and those with him remembered the warning of Gerames and they made no answer, so that King Oberon was angered by their discourtesy.
“Sit clapp-fast, ye villains!” he cried. “And see what your clownishness will cost you!”
He then put spur to his mount and rode off, his lords behind him. While Gerames said to Huon:
“Lord, let us make haste out of this wood for I think that this Fairy King means us some mischief.”
Thus did Huon and all his company use whip and spur and tried to speed out of that ill-omened wood. But before they reached its outer fringe there arose such a tempest as no man of that party had seen before.
Trees were torn by the wind to fall across their way and there came down upon them much water as if a river had been gathered up from its bed to be thrown at these invading mortals. Grievous was their plight and Huon feared that here he would end his quest, nevermore to see the high towers of Bordeaux.
IX. HOW HUON MADE HIS PEACE WITH OBERON AND GAINED THEREBY
As the tempest encompassed them about and the spears of the wind thrust in upon them, those who were with Huon cried out against their sore fate and bewailed this, death which was now coming to them in a land so far from all they loved. Some of them spoke out against Huon, saying that he had brought them to this ill pass and that the storm had risen from the wrath of King Oberon, for no wind not born of magic could be so fierce. This did Huon likewise believe and answered his men thus:
“Aye, by my lack of thought has this evil come to us—so that the innocent suffer beside me for my folly. Would that I might behold once more the dread King of Fairy and plead with him for the lives of you who have faithfully followed me even to this pass—”
And, even as he so spoke into the jaws of that horrific wind, they heard, above the screech of the storm, the silver notes of a hunting horn. Across the fallen trees cantered the small lord of that forbidden world, still followed by his Elf knights. Close did he ride to where those of the mortal world huddled and he addressed Huon, saying:
“Who are thou who comes riding hither without leave of any of our world?”
And Huon, although Gerames plucked warningly at his sleeve, made quick answer.
“My Lord King, I am Huon, sometime Duke of Bordeaux within the realm of France, now riding exiled as a simple knight upon a quest set me by King Charlemagne because of his hot anger against me.”
“And what crime didst thou commit to set so generous a king, known alike to our world and yours, against you?” queried Oberon.