United States or Paraguay ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Sore wept Goldberga when she was back in her own place, and at first it was hard for her to believe that Alsi could mean what he had threatened. But then she could not forget her dream, and in that she had most certainly seen the very form of him who stood before her at the high place last night; and that perhaps troubled her more than aught, for it seemed to say that him she must wed.
I think that all shall come to pass even as it was told you." "I feared the heathen ways of the place, and thought that it might be some snare of the old gods," said Goldberga.
But what we saw first was a dim, white figure in the doorway of the other room; and there stood Goldberga, wide eyed and trembling. "My dream, my dream!" she said. But of that we knew nothing; and we could but tell her to be of good courage, for we would win through yet, and so went out to the fight.
We took the wounded back to the camp, and there Goldberga and the wives of our English thanes tended them; and as we gathered up the slain the Lindsey men were among us at the same work, and we spoke to them as if naught was amiss between us, nor any fight to begin again in the morning. And then we learned how few knew what we had come for. It was with them as with the Earl of Chester.
And with that Berthun was well content for the time. "Well, then," said I, "see to Havelok's arms, while we get the horses ready, for I want Withelm here." So Havelok and his new man went into the house with his arms, and then I saw Goldberga beckoning to us.
That puzzled me mightily at the time, as it did many at the feast, but I see no reason why it should not be told at once. Now I have said that Goldberga left the hall early overnight, being wearied with the journey, and having the remembrance of the attack on her party so near to Lincoln to trouble her also.
And so, when those two rode into our garth, and the gates were closed after them, we reined our horses round them, and drew our swords, and cried the ancient greeting with one mighty shout: "Skoal to Havelok Gunnarsson Skoal to Goldberga, Havelok's wife! Skoal! Yours we are, and for you we will die! Skoal!" Now one would like to tell of quiet days at Grimsby; but they were not to be.
"So," said Alsi, "you would choose first, and ask me afterwards, forsooth! That is not the way that things are to be between us. It is for me to choose, and that according to the oath which I took when your father made me guardian of you and his realm." "Yet," said Goldberga very gently, "I think that my father would not have meant that I should be the only one not to be asked."
And all the way men joined us for the sake of Curan, whom they knew, and of Goldberga, of whom they had heard, so that in numbers at least our host was a great one.
It is not to be thought of that after all these years I should have to take second place there. You will hold the kingdom from me, and I shall be overlord there. I will send you some atheling who can keep the land in order for you, but there shall be no king to bring that land under the power of his own kingdom." That was plain speaking, and it roused Goldberga.
Word Of The Day