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Then was pleasant feasting, and after it some of us who had been Erpwald's closer friends here rode a little way with those two wedded ones on the first stage of their homeward journey. The Sussex thanes and their men were with them as guard, and they rode on ahead and left us to take our leave.
What other thoughts were in his mind will be seen hereafter, but I will say now that it was not all so hopeless as it seemed to Erpwald. "What of the other men," asked one or two of Erpwald's following. "They shall bide here, where we can keep an eye on them," the priest answered. "They will not hurt us, nor we them, save only if they try to make trouble."
My father was just the same, and maybe my grandfather before that, for saga telling runs in the family." I laughed at him, but in my mind I thought of the day when I saw Elfrida pale as she heard of Erpwald's danger at Cheddar, and I wondered. Then I turned to Owen's letter, and it was long and somewhat sad, as may be supposed, for this war had a foreshadowing of long parting between him and me.
Then Owen swore as he had promised, on the cross hilt of his sword, and Erpwald swore faith on the ring, and so the swords were sheathed at last; and when they had disarmed all our men but Owen, Erpwald's men took torches from the hall and went to tend the wounded, who lay scattered everywhere inside the gate, and most thickly where my father fell.
My mouth was dry and parched, and I did not know how to put into words the thing that had happened; but he saw that Elfrida's horse was not there, and that Erpwald's ran loose with mine, and he guessed. "Over the cliff?" he said, whispering, and I nodded. "Go and look," he gasped, and he knelt down and took Elfrida from me.
Then he went to the stables, and in the dark, for he would not attract the notice of Erpwald's men, who were round the ale in the courtyard, he saddled my forest pony, and another good horse which he was wont to ride with my father at times. He did not take the thane's own horse, as it would be known, and he would risk no questions as to how he came by it.
"I have given a lot of trouble, as it seems" Erpwald said humbly; "but I could not help it." "Trouble!" said the ealdorman. "Had it not been for you there would have been nought but trouble for me all the rest of my life." He took Erpwald's hand as he spoke and pressed it, but he would not say more then. Maybe he could not. So he turned to me.
Nevertheless, I will buy them if so be that one is left to sell them to me. So he sighed, for the place is his home." "All these years it has been no trouble to me that Erpwald's brother has held the place, my King. It will be no trouble to think that a better Erpwald holds them yet." See, Oswald, I have thought of all this, and the young man has been here for a fortnight.
A fire of green brushwood and heather was sending a tall pillar of smoke into the air to tell the watchers on the Poldens and at Watchet that we had done what we came to do. But here we had to stay till we heard from Ina that we were to join him, and for Erpwald's sake and Elfrida's I was not sorry. He had seen his first fight, and nearly found his end therein.
Ina looked up at me with a smile, but was silent, stroking his beard as was his way when thinking, looking past me out of the narrow window to the great Tor that towered beyond the new abbey buildings. "Think!" he said at last "partings must come, and lands are not to be had lightly. Erpwald's brother, who held Eastdean, is dead." "I need no lands," I answered.
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