“Well, now you go to a war where the enemy have no such weapons, only arrows, swords, and the like. Therefore mail will be of use to you.”
“I was only thinking that yesterday when Kyrlos made me put on a mail jerkin,” said I.
“You and I are about the same size, Harilek, or rather, you are the size I was before I became a cripple, and I have my old mail still by me. It is well kept, and, moreover, it is specially good, for, as I told you yesterday, I was once a lover of weapons and studied them deeply. We Sakae take great pride in our arms, handing them down from father to son.
“But I have no son, and I have long pondered to whom I should leave my war-gear when I die, for I have no relatives left save only Aryenis’s father. I hoped that some day she might bring a son here to whom it might pass. But I should be over-old by then, and I would like to see some good soldier wear it before I die.
“Now, but for you, Aryenis would not be here to-day, and I should be still lonelier. So I would like you very much, if you will humour an old man, to take my mail and weapons and give me the pleasure of seeing a brave man wear them once more, more especially one to whom I owe a great deal, and Aryenis, who is to me as a daughter, owes more. She also wishes it, so that when you go into battle you may have some memento of her gratitude. ’Twill be a gift from us both, since all I have is hers.”
I thought it was nice of the old man to put it as he did, and from what I knew of and about him it seemed to me a good mantle to assume.
“I thank you very much, Paulos. I shall be more than pleased to wear your mail and use your weapons. Aryenis told me something about you yesterday, and nothing would please me better than such a gift from you both.”
“I hoped you would accept. And making the wish father to the thought, Aryenis got you garments yesterday in Aornos that they might be ready for you here to-day. Thus I shall have the pleasure of seeing you in my harness before you ride on. She will show you the way.”
Aryenis led me to a room off the main hall, where a servant was waiting.
“You will find the clothes in there, and when you have changed, come back here and we will show you the mail.”