about three hours before noon
But even as their lips met , from the head of the Vale came the voice of the great horn ; and it was answered straightway by the watchers all down the tents ; and presently arose the shouts of men and the clash of weapons as folk armed themselves , and laughter therewith , for most men were battle-merry , and the cries of women shrilly-clear as they hastened about , busy over the morning meal before the departure of the Host . But Face-of-god said softly , still caressing the Sun-beam , and she him : ` Thus then we depart from this Valley of the Shadows , but as thou saidst when first we met therein , there shall be no sundering of thee and me , but thou shalt go down with me to the battle . ' And he led her by the hand into the Hall of the Wolf , and there they ate a morsel , and thereafter Face-of-god tarried not , but busied himself along with Folk-might and the other chieftains in arraying the Host for departure . IT was about three hours before noon that the Host began to enter into the pass out of Shadowy Vale by the river-side ; and the women and children , and men unfightworthy , stood on the higher ground at the foot of the cliffs to see the Host wend on the way . Of these a many were of the Woodlanders , who were now one folk with them of Shadowy Vale . And all these had chosen to abide tidings in the Vale , deeming that there was little danger therein , since that last slaughter which Folk-might had made of the Dusky Men ; albeit Face-of-god had offered to send them all to Burgstead with two score and ten men-at-arms to guard them by the way and to eke out the warders of the Burg . Now the fighting-men of Shadowy Vale were two long hundreds lacking five ; of whom two score and ten were women , and three score and ten lads under twenty winters ; but the women , though you might scarce see fairer of face and body , were doughty in arms , all good shooters in the bow ; and the swains were eager and light-foot , cragsmen of the best , wont to scaling the cliffs of the Vale in search of the nests of gerfalcons and such-like fowl , and swimming the strong streams of the Shivering Flood ; tough bodies and wiry , stronger than most grown men , and as fearless as the best .