Oldgrove takes me west out o' the dead-fields. In the dark, I dursen't recognise much, but we goes further than I ever been. Past some stone lords at a cross-road, past the tombs of dead folk... and then.. and then... I sees...
The biggest thing in the world, coming out of the lake just affore dawn. higher than three trees on top of each other, all made of stone - he says it were made long ago by his grandsires. it looks like it were made by giants. Walls straighter than an arrow's flight, the tops scraping the sky like bear's claws. The stars.. they seem ter sit right on top o' it... like if yer were up their yer could touch 'em. I aint seen the like, never, in all my days.
He says it is the cyng-house, sits on a lake on an island. A great bridge of stone, wide enough fer five horses runs over ter the island. But I tells yer summat odd. Iffen this is a cyng's hall, where are the folk? Lots of lads about, precious few lasses, and no babbies. All the folk have the same look; tall they are, black haired. They got eyes like the lake ... I dursn't like how they looks at yer like you'm got nothin' on. I seen that face affore... and I thinks.. the chetwood gang. But... the lake... we seen it just as the sun come up. It is summat in one of Gyth's songs... black as a cat.. then suddenly pink, then blue, as blue as a summer sky...
Oldgrove, he tells me I got ter touch nothin' ... an he takes me into the cyng-house. Doors higher than a man on a horse. All of them grandsires must have been mighty tall folk iffen they needed houses like this. I thinks I likes it, but then... I see the cyng, made o' stone. Now my Ma brought me up right, so I gives him a curtsey, stone an all... but above him the stones go on and on and on... there aint no stoppin' them, all ready ter fall on yer, and his sword ... it all swings around yer like he's about ter chop off yer head...
He says i baint see more, tis a secret and I aint allowed. now I knows, iffen there is summat you'm aint allowed ter see, its the thing yer really need ter see. Jools? rings? A cyng's hord? Big enough for a dragon's gold, that place. an' iffen the cyng can build a house that big... stands ter reason he'm rich...
