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Updated: May 10, 2025
One thing I feared was that when he found out who I was he would be ill at ease with me, and I asked the king to tell him in the way that seemed best to his wisdom, lest the knowledge should come by chance from some one else. So he did that, and in a day or two Erpwald came to me and told me that he knew at last who I was, and we had a long talk together.
Some one was coming down the lane after me quickly, and then calling my name. I turned, and there was Erpwald, with a very red face, trying to overtake me, and I waited for him. "A word with you, Thane," he said, out of breath. "As many as you will. What is it?" "Wait until I get my breath," he said. "One would think that you were in a desperate hurry, by the pace you go.
Then Thorgils and I and Erpwald rode forward, and I gave the word to charge, and up the long smooth slope we went at the gallop, with a heavy thunder of hoofs on the firm turf of the ancient track. And that thunder was the first sign that the Welsh knew of our coming.
"Am I often deceived thus?" he said. "I will even send some to ask of all the ins and outs of such another case hereafter. This Erpwald sent to me to say that Aldred and all his house had been slain by outlaws, and that he himself had driven them off and I believed him. After that I made over the Eastdean lands to him, and I take it that they were what he wanted.
"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.
Presently with the quiet of knowing all done that might be done on us, the ealdorman and I went down to his house. "Here is an end of tomorrow's wedding," he said sadly. "I do not know how Elfrida will take it, for it is not to be supposed that Erpwald will hold back from the levy, though, indeed, if ever man had excuse, he has it in full." I knew that he would not, also, and said nothing.
That is all I know of the fight, save that it seemed that I heard some cry for quarter, for of a sudden I went down across Erpwald for no reason that I could tell. It was full daylight when I came round, and the first thing that my eyes lit on was the broad face of Erpwald, who sat by my side with a woebegone look that changed suddenly to a great grin when he saw me stir and look at him.
So I was more at ease concerning him, and presently rode with Erpwald to Eastdean in the fair May weather to see the beginning of that church which should keep the memory of my father. And all I will say concerning that is that when I came to visit the old home once more I knew that I had chosen right.
All that could be said had been said. Here and there on the face of the cliff some yew trees had managed to find a holding, and their boughs were broken by the passage of the horse at least through them. But there were no shreds of clothing on them, as if Erpwald had reached them. That might be because the weightier horse fell first.
And I knew that in Erpwald and his mother I left good and firm friends behind me, and that all would be done as I should have wished. Ay, and maybe better than I could have asked, for what Erpwald took in hand in his plain single-heartedness was carried through without stint.
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