The Roots of the Mountains · Chapter
The Alderman Gives Gifts to Them of Shadowy Vale explained
In the Hall of the Face, Iron-face hosts Folk-might and Sun-beam, struggling with his grief and anger over the Bride's displacement.
What happens
In the Hall of the Face, Iron-face hosts Folk-might and Sun-beam, struggling with his grief and anger over the Bride's displacement. He gives generous gifts to the guests, including a golden girdle to Sun-beam with a poignant confession of his mixed feelings. Face-of-god moves among the guests, earning their love, and later sees the Bride pale but managing her grief.
Themes in this chapter
Community and Kinship
The Alderman's generous gifts to the guests and the communal feast reinforce bonds between the Dale and Shadowy Vale.
Love and Sacrifice
Iron-face's conflicted feelings for Sun-beam and the Bride, and Face-of-god's sympathy for the Bride's grief, highlight personal sacrifice and emotional turmoil.
Characters to notice
- Iron-face
The Alderman, conflicted between duty and grief, gives gifts to the guests and speaks softly to Sun-beam about his pain.
- Folk-might
Sits at the right hand of the Alderman, praised for his chieftain-like demeanor.
- Sun-beam
Sits at the left hand of the Alderman, receives a golden girdle and speaks gently to Iron-face about her love for Face-of-god.
- Face-of-god
Moves among the guests, making much of them, and later observes the Bride's pallor with sympathy.
- Bow-may
Receives a hauberk from Iron-face, praised by Face-of-god for saving his life.
- The Bride
Seen standing by a booth, pale but smiling, dealing with a chapman; Face-of-god notes her grief.
Key passages
“Sun-beam, thou fair woman, time has been when thou wert to us as the edge of the poisonous sword or the midnight torch of the murderer; but now I know not how it will be, or if the grief which thou hast given me will ever wear out or not.”
Iron-face tells Sun-beam that she once seemed dangerous and destructive to them, but now he is uncertain whether his pain from her will ever fade.
Iron-face expresses his inner conflict and lingering hurt toward Sun-beam.
“Indeed, if I have hurt thee unwittingly, I grieve to have hurt so good a man. Hereafter belike we may talk more of this, but now I will but say, that whereas at first I needed but to win thy son’s goodwill, so that our Folk might come to life and thriving again, now it is come to this, that he holdeth my heart in his hand and may do what he will with it; therefore I pray thee withhold not thy love either from him or from me.”
Sun-beam apologizes for any unintended hurt, explaining that her initial goal was to gain Face-of-god's support for her people, but now she truly loves him and asks Iron-face to accept them both.
Sun-beam reveals her genuine love for Face-of-god and seeks Iron-face's approval.