d waste a whole year of my
life?"

"It is a long story," said the Puny Fox, "which I may tell thee some day.
Meantime I may tell thee this, that I was compelled thereto by one far
mightier than I, to wit the Undying King."

At that word the smouldering wrath blazed up in Hallblithe, and he drew
his sword hastily and hewed at the Puny Fox: but he leapt aside nimbly
and ran in on Hallblithe, and caught his sword-arm by the wrist, and tore
the weapon out of his hand, and overbore him by sheer weight and stature,
and drave him to the earth. Then he rose up, and let Hallblithe rise
also, and took his sword and gave it into his hand again and said: "Crag-
nester, thou art wrathful, but little. Now thou hast thy sword again and
mayst slay me if thou wilt. Yet not until I have spoken a word to thee:
so hearken! or else by the Treasure of the Sea I will slay thee with my
bare hands. For I am strong indeed in this place with my old kinsman
beside me. Wilt thou hearken?"

"Speak," said Hallblithe, "I hearken."

Said the Puny Fox: "True it is that I lured thee away from thy quest, and
wore away a year of thy life. Yet true it is also that I repent me
thereof, and ask thy pardon. What sayest thou?"

Hallblithe spake not, but the heat died out of his face and he was become
somewhat pale. Said the Puny Fox: "Dost thou not remember, O Raven, how
thou badest me battle last year on the sea-shore by the side of the
Rollers of the Raven? and how this was to be the prize of battle, that
the vanquished should serve the vanquisher year-long, and do all his
will? And now this prize and more thou hast won without battle; for I
swear by the Treasure of the Sea, and by the bones of the great Sea-mew
yonder, that I will serve thee not year-long but life-long, and that I
will help thee in thy quest for thy beloved. What sayest thou?"

Hallblithe stood speechless a moment, looking past the Puny Fox, rather
than at him. Then the sword tumbled out of his hand on to the grass, and
great tears rolled down his cheeks and fell on to his raiment, and he
reached out his hand to the Puny Fox and said: "O friend, wilt thou not
bring me to her? for the days wear, and the trees are growing old round
about the Acres of the Raven."

Then the Puny Fox took his hand; and laughed merrily in his face, and
said: "Great is thine heart, O Carrion-biter! But now that thou art my
friend I will tell thee that I have a deeming of the whereabouts of thy
b