about noon
When she awoke in the morning there was no land before her , and she began to fear somewhat that so it might be many days , and that she might have to fare the water landless , and perchance till she starved for hunger ; for now was there but little victual left of that which the kind Viridis had given her . So she wore the day somewhat uneasily , and by then night fell had eaten but little ; yet was that little the last crumb and gobbet of her store . Wherefore it is no wonder though she were dismayed when she awoke early on the morrow , and beheld nought before her save the landless water . But about noon she deemed she saw a little cloud in the offing that moved not as the other clouds , and she watched it closely at first , and it changed not any the more , and she grew weary of watching it and strove to sleep , turning her head to the after part of her ferry ; and thus betwixt sleeping and waking she wore away three hours : then she stood up and looked ahead , and lo , the white cloud had taken shape , and was a white castle far away -LRB- for the day was exceeding clear -RRB- , sitting , as it seemed , on the very face of the water . The boat sped on swiftly thitherward , so that it was not right long ere Birdalone beheld the green shore on either side of the said castle , and at last , three hours before sunset , she was drawing nigh thereto , and beheld it all clearly , what it was . It was brand-new , and was fair enough , builded part of stone and lime , part of framed work , but was but middling big . As she drew nigher yet , she saw that there were folk on the walls of it , and they seemed to see her , for a horn was winded from the battlement , and folk were running together to somewhither .