The Host Departeth from Shadowy Vale: The First Day’s Journey explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Heroic Journey and Self-Discovery

  The Host embarks on a perilous journey through a treacherous pass, symbolizing the heroic quest and the testing of resolve.

• Community and Kinship

  The Host is composed of various kindreds and allies, including Woodlanders and Shadowy Vale folk, united under shared banners and purpose.

• War and Liberation

  The Host marches to war, leaving peace behind, with the goal of liberating Silverdale from oppression.

Characters to notice

• Face-of-god

  Leads the vanward with Folk-might, sundered from his kindred.

• Folk-might

  Co-leads the vanward with Face-of-god, guiding the Host.

• Sun-beam

  Follows her brother Folk-might and Face-of-god among the Warriors of the Wolf.

• Bow-may

  Accompanies Sun-beam, sings a song during the march, clad in the Alderman’s gift.

• The Bride

  Marches with her kindred in war-gear, bearing a bow and quiver, a deft archer.

• Stone-face

  Leads the rearward with Hall-face, commanding the Men of the Face.

• Hall-face

  Co-leads the rearward with Stone-face.

• Iron-face

  Goes as a simple man-at-arms with his House in the rearward.

Key passages

• “It was about three hours before noon that the Host began to enter into the pass out of Shadowy Vale by the riverside; and the women and children, and men unfightworthy, stood on the higher ground at the foot of the cliffs to see the Host wend on the way.”

  Around three hours before noon, the army started moving into the mountain pass from Shadowy Vale, following the river, while the non-combatants—women, children, and those unfit for battle—watched from the higher ground near the cliffs.

  Describes the departure of the Host and the farewell from the Vale's inhabitants.

• “Now the fighting-men of Shadowy Vale were two long hundreds lacking five; of whom two score and ten were women, and three score and ten lads under twenty winters; but the women, though you might scarce see fairer of face and body, were doughty in arms, all good shooters in the bow; and the swains were eager and light-foot, cragsmen of the best, wont to scaling the cliffs of the Vale in search of the nests of gerfalcons and suchlike fowl, and swimming the strong streams of the Shivering Flood; tough bodies and wiry, stronger than most grown men, and as fearless as the best.”

  The fighting force from Shadowy Vale numbered 195, including 50 women and 70 lads under twenty. The women were skilled archers, and the youths were agile climbers and swimmers, tough and fearless.

  Details the composition and capabilities of the Shadowy Vale warriors.

• “As for the Bride, she went with her kindred in all her war-gear; and the morning sun shone in the gems of her apparel, and her jewelled feet fell like flowers upon the deep grass of the upper Vale, and shone strange and bright amongst the black stones of the pass.”

  The Bride marched with her kin, fully armed, her jeweled attire glittering in the morning sun, her feet like flowers on the grass and bright against the dark rocks of the pass.

  Highlights the Bride's striking appearance as she joins the march.

• “So fared they into the pass, leaving peace behind them, with all their banners displayed, and the banner of the Red-mouthed Wolf went with the Wolf and the Sun-burst in the forefront of their battle next after the two captains.”

  Thus they entered the pass, abandoning peace, with banners flying—the Red-mouthed Wolf, the Wolf, and the Sun-burst leading just behind the two captains.

  Emphasizes the martial display and the symbolic banners of the Host.