And all the valley from side to side was full of the morning mists so that it seemed one lake, while the woods were bright with the change of the leaf, from green to red and gold--oak and beech and chestnut and hazel each with its own colour, and all beautiful.

The blue downs rose far away to our left across the ridges of the forest land, and inland the Andred's-weald stretched, rising hill above hill as far as one might see, timber covered.

There were trees between us and the village that we sought; but above its place rose a dun cloud of smoke from some houses fired that night by those who held it, and that was the one thing that spoiled the beauty of all that I saw.
Now Olaf and I spoke of all this, whispering together, for we were close to the village, and already we had heard voices from thence as men woke.

For Olaf was ever touched by the sight of a fair land lying before him.

And while he spoke, a man seemed to rise out of a cleft of the rocks below us, and climbed up to us, and bowed before us, saying that he was to guide us.
He was a great man, clad in leather from head to foot, and carrying a sledgehammer over his shoulder.