Read Online Tristan and Iseult by Rosemary Sutcliff - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rosemary Sutcliff
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after this happened the first time, it happened many times again.
And then Andret, and the lords who followed him, began to wonder whether Tristan and the Queen had parted indeed, or whether they had found means to meet in secret. And Andret went to a certain dwarf about the Court, a man who he had befriended from time to time; a man who possessed ancient skills and could read the answers to all questions in the stars, and bade him find out whether or no the Queen and Tristan were still lovers. So the dwarf looked into the stars all one long night, and said, ‘The Queen and the Lord Tristan are still meeting in secret, and if the King comes with me, he shall see them for himself.’
And Andret took the dwarf to the King. ‘Give out that you are going on a hunting trip, but turn back. This night, thinking you safe away, they will meet under the big wild pear tree where the stream comes out of the woods.
‘Is this the truth?’ said the King.
‘Come with me and see,’ said the dwarf, ‘and if I lie, you have my fell leave to cut off my head.’
‘If you lie, I shall not ask your leave,’ said the King.
So the King called for his horses and hounds and rode out as though for hunting, giving it out that he would be gone seven days. But before he was half a day’s ride from Tintagel, he made an excuse to leave the rest of the hunting party to go on without him, and turned back to where the dwarf was waiting. Together they went to where the wild pear tree grew on the edge of the woods, and the King helped the dwarf up into it and then climbed up after him.
Dusk came, and a moon rose over the hills, casting its snail-shine of silver across the sky. And with the moon, Tristan came up the stream-side. He broke off a branch from the pear tree and sent it down the stream, then pulled a piece of bark from one of the ancient silver birches close by, and sat down on the bank to scratch with his dagger the five-pointed star that would call Iseult out to him, and sent it after the branch. And all the while the King and the dwarf watched him through the branches overhead.
Now just below the tree, where Tristan sat, the stream broadened into a little pool and the water was quiet under the bank; and as the moon rose higher it turned the surface of the water to a trembling mirror, so that Tristan, leaning forward, could see his own head and shoulders reflected in it, and the dark branches of the pear tree beyond – and clear against the moonlight, the outline of two figures among the branches!
Then Tristan knew that Andret or maybe even the King himself, or both of them, were watching him, watching for Iseult. And there was nothing he could do; the branch and the star had long since gone ontheir way, and Iseult would be coming swiftly in answer. He had no means of warning her, and if he went away she would come, and finding no one there, might betray herself to the watchers in the tree. Even if he went to meet her and turn her back, they had seen him send the message, and would guess the meaning of what they saw. There was nothing to be done but wait for her to come, and try to warn her under their watchful gaze. And if he failed, it would be death for them both, he knew that; and for himself, he was past caring overmuch; but for her . . .
He gave no sign of what he had seen, but sat quietly waiting. And as he waited he heard once or twice a faint rustle that was not the wind in the branches overhead.
Iseult received his message, and as usual slipped away with Brangian’s help and hurried gladly to meet her love. But when she came near to the tree, and saw Tristan sitting on the bank, he never moved, and this seemed strange to her, for usually at first sight of her coming, he would leap up and come striding to catch her in his arms. And so she walked more slowly herself. And as she drew nearer still, he made a tiny gesture of warning towards the tree behind him. And glancing up, she saw the shadows of the two watchers in the
And then Andret, and the lords who followed him, began to wonder whether Tristan and the Queen had parted indeed, or whether they had found means to meet in secret. And Andret went to a certain dwarf about the Court, a man who he had befriended from time to time; a man who possessed ancient skills and could read the answers to all questions in the stars, and bade him find out whether or no the Queen and Tristan were still lovers. So the dwarf looked into the stars all one long night, and said, ‘The Queen and the Lord Tristan are still meeting in secret, and if the King comes with me, he shall see them for himself.’
And Andret took the dwarf to the King. ‘Give out that you are going on a hunting trip, but turn back. This night, thinking you safe away, they will meet under the big wild pear tree where the stream comes out of the woods.
‘Is this the truth?’ said the King.
‘Come with me and see,’ said the dwarf, ‘and if I lie, you have my fell leave to cut off my head.’
‘If you lie, I shall not ask your leave,’ said the King.
So the King called for his horses and hounds and rode out as though for hunting, giving it out that he would be gone seven days. But before he was half a day’s ride from Tintagel, he made an excuse to leave the rest of the hunting party to go on without him, and turned back to where the dwarf was waiting. Together they went to where the wild pear tree grew on the edge of the woods, and the King helped the dwarf up into it and then climbed up after him.
Dusk came, and a moon rose over the hills, casting its snail-shine of silver across the sky. And with the moon, Tristan came up the stream-side. He broke off a branch from the pear tree and sent it down the stream, then pulled a piece of bark from one of the ancient silver birches close by, and sat down on the bank to scratch with his dagger the five-pointed star that would call Iseult out to him, and sent it after the branch. And all the while the King and the dwarf watched him through the branches overhead.
Now just below the tree, where Tristan sat, the stream broadened into a little pool and the water was quiet under the bank; and as the moon rose higher it turned the surface of the water to a trembling mirror, so that Tristan, leaning forward, could see his own head and shoulders reflected in it, and the dark branches of the pear tree beyond – and clear against the moonlight, the outline of two figures among the branches!
Then Tristan knew that Andret or maybe even the King himself, or both of them, were watching him, watching for Iseult. And there was nothing he could do; the branch and the star had long since gone ontheir way, and Iseult would be coming swiftly in answer. He had no means of warning her, and if he went away she would come, and finding no one there, might betray herself to the watchers in the tree. Even if he went to meet her and turn her back, they had seen him send the message, and would guess the meaning of what they saw. There was nothing to be done but wait for her to come, and try to warn her under their watchful gaze. And if he failed, it would be death for them both, he knew that; and for himself, he was past caring overmuch; but for her . . .
He gave no sign of what he had seen, but sat quietly waiting. And as he waited he heard once or twice a faint rustle that was not the wind in the branches overhead.
Iseult received his message, and as usual slipped away with Brangian’s help and hurried gladly to meet her love. But when she came near to the tree, and saw Tristan sitting on the bank, he never moved, and this seemed strange to her, for usually at first sight of her coming, he would leap up and come striding to catch her in his arms. And so she walked more slowly herself. And as she drew nearer still, he made a tiny gesture of warning towards the tree behind him. And glancing up, she saw the shadows of the two watchers in the
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