# Stone-Face Telleth Concerning the Wood-Wights explained — The Roots of the Mountains > Chapter companion for The Roots of the Mountains by William Morris. ## What happens Gold-mane rises early on the morning after Yule and goes to the bridge over the Weltering Water, where he reflects on his oath to wed the Mountain Woman and his conflicting loyalties. Stone-face joins him and warns him about the dangers of the wood, recounting a personal tale of a beautiful but treacherous wood-wight he encountered in winter, which led to a life of wandering and unfulfilled desire. Gold-mane listens but remains inwardly focused on the vision of a fair woman in the snow, similar to the one Stone-face described. ## Themes in this chapter ### Nature and the Wilderness The wildwood is portrayed as a place of both beauty and peril, where supernatural wights waylay the unwary, and the winter landscape is vividly described. ### Honor and Oath-Keeping Gold-mane reflects on his oath to wed the Mountain Woman, feeling it should have been made stronger, and struggles with his duty to his kindred. ### Love and Sacrifice Stone-face's tale of a lost love and lifelong wandering illustrates the theme of love leading to sacrifice and suffering. ## Character check-ins ### Gold-mane Arises early, broods on his oath to the Mountain Woman, and listens to Stone-face's warning while secretly fixated on a vision of a fair woman in the snow. ### Stone-face Follows Gold-mane to the bridge and shares a personal tale of a wood-wight he encountered in winter, warning his foster-son about the dangers of the wildwood. ### The Bride Mentioned in Stone-face's tale as wearing raiment like the Bride's, and referenced in Gold-mane's thoughts about his oath and the kindred. ### Hall-face Mentioned as one of the swains talking of hunting elks up the fells, with whom Gold-mane might go. ## Key lines > For the wights that waylay the bodies and souls of the mighty in the wildwood heed such matters nothing; yea and at Yuletide are they most abroad, and most armed for the fray. The spirits that trap the strong in the forest are not affected by winter; in fact, they are most active and dangerous during Yuletide. _Stone-face warns Gold-mane that the wood-wights are especially perilous at this time of year._ > Even such an one have I seen time agone, when the snow was deep and the wind was rough; and it was in the likeness of a woman clad in such raiment as the Bride bore last night, and she trod the snow light-foot in thin raiment where it would scarce bear the skids of a deft snow-runner. Long ago, in deep snow and rough wind, I saw a wight in the form of a woman dressed like the Bride, walking lightly on snow that would barely support a skilled skier. _Stone-face recounts his personal encounter with a wood-wight, emphasizing its supernatural lightness and beauty._ > A wanderer through the wood and up the fell, and up the high mountain, and up and up to the edges of the ice-river and the green caves of the ice-hills. A wanderer in spring, in summer, autumn and winter, with an empty heart and a burning never-satisfied desire. He became a perpetual wanderer through all seasons and terrains, driven by an unfulfilled longing and a hollow heart. _Stone-face describes the lifelong consequence of his encounter with the wight—endless wandering and unquenchable desire._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roots_of_the_mountains_se/chapters/xii-stone-face-telleth-concerning-the-wood-wights - 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