The company was now a great one, for many wains were joined to them,
laden with meal, and fleeces, and other household stuff, and withal
there was a great herd of neat, and of sheep, and of goats, which the
Lord's men had been gathering in the fruitful country these two days;
but the Lord was tarrying still in the tower.

CHAPTER 40

They Ride Toward Utterness From Out of Vale Turris

So they rode by a good highway, well beaten, past the Tower and over
the ridge of the valley, and came full upon the terrible sight of the
Great Mountains, and the sea of woodland lay before them, swelling and
falling, and swelling again, till it broke grey against the dark blue
of the mountain wall. They went as the way led, down hill, and when
they were at the bottom, thence along their highway parted the tillage
and fenced pastures from the rough edges of the woodland like as a
ditch sunders field from field. They had the wildwood ever on their
right hand, and but a little way from where they rode the wood
thickened for the more part into dark and close thicket, the trees
whereof were so tall that they hid the overshadowing mountains whenso
they rode the bottoms, though when the way mounted on the ridges, and
the trees gave back a little, they had sight of the woodland and the
mountains. On the other hand at whiles the thicket came close up to
the roadside.

Now David biddeth press on past the wains and the driven beasts, which
were going very slowly. So did they, and at last were well nigh at the
head of the Lord's company, but when Ralph would have pressed on still,
David refrained him, and said that they must by no means outgo the
Queen's people, or even mingle with them; so they rode on softly. But
as the afternoon was drawing toward evening they heard great noise of
horns behind them, and the sound of horses galloping. Then David drew
Ralph to the side of the way, and everybody about, both before and
behind them, drew up in wise at the wayside, and or ever Ralph could
ask any question, came a band of men-at-arms at the gallop led by
Otter, and after them the Lord on his black steed, and beside him on a
white palfrey the woman whom Ralph had seen in the Tower, and whom he
had taken for the Queen, her light raiment streaming out from her, and
her yellow hair flying loose. They passed in a moment of time, and
then David and Ralph and the rest rode on after them.

Then said Ralph: "The Queen rideth well and hardily.