And the soul of the old captain said to the dreams:  ’It is a good sword to hold:  take up the sword of Welleran.’

And Rold, still sleeping and speaking aloud, said:  ’It is not lawful; none may touch the sword.’

And Rold turned to go.  Then a great and terrible cry arose in the soul of Welleran, all the more bitter for that he could not utter it, and it went round and round his soul finding no utterance, like a cry evoked long since by some murderous deed in some old haunted chamber that whispers through the ages heard by none.

And the soul of Welleran cried out to the dreams of Rold:  ’Thy knees are tied!  Thou art fallen in a marsh!  Thou canst not move.’

And the dreams of Rold said to him:  ’Thy knees are tied, thou art fallen in a marsh,’ and Rold stood still before the sword.  Then the soul of the warrior wailed among Rold’s dreams, as Rold stood before the sword.

’Welleran is crying for his sword, his wonderful curved sword.  Poor Welleran, that once fought for Merimna, is crying for his sword in the night.  Thou wouldst not keep Welleran without his beautiful sword when he is dead and cannot come for it, poor Welleran who fought for Merimna.’

And Rold broke the glass casket with his hand and took the sword, the great curved sword of Welleran; and the soul of the warrior said among Rold’s dreams:  ’Welleran is waiting in the deep ravine that runs into the mountains, crying for his sword.’

And Rold went down through the city and climbed over the ramparts, and walked with his eyes wide open but still sleeping over the desert to the mountains.

Already a great multitude of Merimna’s citizens were gathered in the desert before the deep ravine with old swords in their hands, and Rold passed through them as he slept holding the sword of Welleran, and the people cried in amaze to one another as he passed:  ’Rold hath the sword of Welleran!’

And Rold came to the mouth of the ravine, and there the voices of the people woke him.  And Rold knew nothing that he had done in his sleep, and looked in amazement at the sword in his hand and said:  ’What art thou, thou beautiful thing?  Lights shimmer in thee, thou art restless.  It is the sword of Welleran, the curved sword of Welleran!’

And Rold kissed the hilt of it, and it was salt upon his lips with the battle-sweat of Welleran.  And Rold said:  ’What should a man do with the sword of Welleran?’

And all the people wondered at Rold as he sat there with the sword in his hand muttering, ’What should a man do with the sword of Welleran?’