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I have been Jarl Lodbrok's friend, and have fought by the side of Halfden, his son, as these tokens may tell you. As for the rest, that is for yourself alone, Jarl. For I have no good tidings, as I fear." "Who is this man, then, and why cries he thus in terror?" "Beorn, falconer to Eadmund, King of the East Angles," I said.
"Hearken all to good news! Lodbrok our Jarl lives!" Then, alas! instead of the great cheer that should have broken from the lips of all that throng, was at first a silence, and then a groan low and pitiful as of a mourning people who wail for the dead and the sorrowful living and at that sound Halfden paled, and stayed no more, hurrying ashore and to where his brothers stood.
That made the jarl think that somewhat was amiss, and he bade his men bind us both. "Bind them fast, and find my brother Hubba," he said, and men rode away into the forest. But I spoke to him boldly. "Will you bind a man who bears these tokens, Jarl?" And I held out my hand to him, showing him the rings that Lodbrok and Halfden had given me.
He himself must go to Selsea, there to see the bishop and tell him all, not forgetting my part, as he said. I told him that I only needed a horse, and that then I should ride to London, where I had friends: and he asked me if I had money wherewith to buy one, for he had none, else would he gladly do so for me. And that reminded me of the bag which Halfden gave me, and I opened it.
Now I had thought that surely Halfden would have wished to sail back to Reedham at once, there to seek his father; but I knew not yet the power which draws a true viking ever onward to the west, and when I said that we would, if he chose, sail back with him on the next tide, he only laughed, saying: "Why so? My father is well and in good case.
We of the crew for whose good voyage and safe return the offering was made stood foremost, facing the altar stone and the sanctuary door, and I, with Halfden and Thormod before me, and men of the crew to right and left, stood in the centre of our line, so that I could see all that went on.
Halfden is in Northumbria, Hubba is in Wales, and Guthrum is king over East Anglia and overlord of Mercia. It is Guthrum against whom we are fighting." "He is minded to be overlord of all England," said Harek. "That is to be seen if a Dane shall be so," the Saxon answered, flushing. "We beat them at first, as I have said, and have had peace till last year.
But my one voice prevailed not at all, and after a while I went down to Reedham, and there bided with my mother and Eadgyth, very lonely and sad at heart in the place where I had looked for such happiness with my father and Lodbrok and Halfden at first, and now of late, for a few days, with Osritha, and Halfden in Lodbrok's place.
And once he said that he would that you were a Dane, and his comrade as you had been Halfden's." Then I told Osritha of how Halfden had let me go from him rather than have me fight against my own land. I had said nothing of this to the jarls, for there was no reason. And this was the first time that I had had private speech with Osritha. "That is Halfden's way," she said, "he is ever generous."
"Faith," answered the Saxon, with a grim smile, "I cannot tell when the war began, for that was when the first Danes came to the English shores. But if you mean the trouble that is on hand now, it is easily told. Ten years has this host been in England coming first with Ingvar and Halfden and Hubba, the three sons of Lodbrok. Ingvar has gone away, and Guthrum takes his place.
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