And of
the band of hunters were Kenric's elder brother Alpin and young Allan
Redmain.
So when the strangers entered the castle and had broken bread and
refreshed their deep throats with wine, they left their swords and dirks
in the armoury and took bows and hunting spears. Thus equipped, they set
off with Earl Hamish and his merry men and long-limbed hounds. And they
had great sport that day, coming back at sunset with a wild boar that
Earl Roderic had slain, and three antlered stags and other spoil.
In their absence Kenric's mother, the Lady Adela, had made prepare a
feast for them all, with much venison and roasted beef and stewed black
cock, with cakes of bread, both white and brown, and many measures of
red wine and well-spiced liquors. A silver drinking bowl was set down
for each of the kingly guests, and a goblet of beaten gold for the king
of Bute.
The hall was lighted with many cruse lamps that hung suspended from the
oaken joists, and, lest the evening should be chill, there was a fire of
fragrant pine logs blazing on the open hearth. Round the walls of the
hall, that were panelled with black oak boards, there were many
glittering shields and corselets, with hunting horns and various
trophies of the chase.
At the fireside there sat an aged minstrel, whose duty it was to fill in
the intervals of the feast with the music of his harp, or, if need were,
to recite to the company the saga of King Somerled and other great
ancestors of the kings of Bute.
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