# VII: Face-of-God Talketh with the Friend on the Mountain explained — The Roots of the Mountains > Chapter companion for The Roots of the Mountains by William Morris. ## What happens Face-of-god wakes in the mountain house to find the other folk gone and the Friend alone, now arrayed in splendid garments. She reveals she has visited Burgstead in disguise, and that she and her brother were the disguised carle and queen he defended at the market. They share a meal and intimate conversation, during which she asks about his family and his betrothed, the Bride. Face-of-god is torn between wonder at her beauty and his duty to the Bride. ## Themes in this chapter ### Heroic Journey and Self-Discovery Face-of-god's quest for meaning leads him to the mountain and the Friend, where he confronts his own desires and identity. ### Love and Sacrifice The growing bond between Face-of-god and the Friend is shadowed by his betrothal to the Bride, setting up a conflict of loyalty and sacrifice. ### Community and Kinship Conversations about family—Iron-face, Hall-face, Stone-face—underscore the importance of kinship ties and communal roles. ## Character check-ins ### Face-of-god Awakens in the mountain house, converses with the Friend, recalls defending her in disguise at the market. ### Sun-beam Revealed as the Friend; she is left alone, dressed in splendid attire, and discloses her past disguise as a dark-skinned queen at Burgstead market. ### The Bride Mentioned by the Friend; Face-of-god speaks of her beauty and his betrothal, though his heart is troubled. ### Iron-face Face-of-god's father, the Alderman, mentioned as a skilled wright. ### Hall-face Face-of-god's brother, praised as the Sword of their House. ### Stone-face The stark ancient, mentioned as loving the Dale folk and especially Face-of-god and his father. ### Bow-may Mentioned as having left with the Wood-mother before dawn. ## Key lines > Fair was that chamber and roomy, and the man was weary despite his eagerness, so that he went to sleep as soon as his head touched the pillow; but within a while (he deemed about two hours after midnight) he was awaked by the clattering of the weapons against the panel, and the sound of men's hands taking them down; and when he was fully awake, he heard withal men going up and down the house as if on errands: but he called to mind what the Friend had said to him, and he did not so much as turn himself toward the hall; for he said: 'Belike these men are outlaws and Wolves of the Holy Places, yet by seeming they are good fellows and nought churlish, nor have I to do with taking up the feud against them. I will abide the morning.' Face-of-god sleeps soundly but is woken by the noise of men taking weapons and moving about. Remembering the Friend's warning, he decides not to investigate, reasoning that these men might be outlaws but are not his enemies. _Shows Face-of-god's trust in the Friend and his restraint in the face of unknown danger._ > Spake Face-of-god, and his voice trembled as he spake: 'What art thou? Last night I deemed at whiles once and again that thou wert of the Gods; and now that I behold thee thus, and it is broad daylight, and of those others is no more to be seen than if they had never lived, I cannot but deem that it is even so, and that thou comest from the City that shall never perish.' Face-of-god, awed by the Friend's solitary presence and radiant appearance, asks if she is a goddess from an eternal city. _Highlights Face-of-god's wonder and the mystical aura surrounding the Friend._ > She said: 'I will tell thee that. There came a man of the Shepherd-Folk, drunk or foolish, or both, who began to chaffer with the big carle; but ever on the queen were his eyes set, and presently he put forth his hand to her to clip her, whereon the big carle hove up his fist and smote him, so that he fell to earth noseling. Then ran the folk together to hale off the stranger and help the shepherd, and it was like that the stranger should be mishandled. Then there thrust through the press a young man with yellow hair and grey eyes, who cried out, 'Fellows, let be! The stranger had the right of it; this is no matter to make a quarrel or a court case of. Let the market go on! This man and maid are true folk.' So when the folk heard the young man and his bidding, they forebore and let the carle and the queen be, and the shepherd went his ways little hurt. Now then, who was this young man?' The Friend recounts how at a Burgstead market, a drunken shepherd harassed a disguised queen, and her brother struck him down. A young man with yellow hair and grey eyes intervened, calming the crowd and declaring the strangers innocent. She reveals that young man was Face-of-god. _Reveals the Friend's prior encounter with Face-of-god and her use of disguise._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roots_of_the_mountains_se/chapters/vii-face-of-god-talketh-with-the-friend-on-the-mountain - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roots_of_the_mountains_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roots_of_the_mountains_se/chapters