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Updated: May 8, 2025
Not idle had her crew been in the place where they had wintered, and one might know that they had had a good voyage, which to a Dane means plunder enough for all. But surely if Halfden had been to Reedham, the long pennon had been half masted.
Now at that word the Danes broke into a great cheer, but Halfden laid his hands on my shoulders and kissed me on both cheeks, while the tears of joy ran down his face. "Well must Lodbrok my father love you if he has told you so much that you know me by name," he cried; "and well does he trust you since he has given you his ring. Tell me more and ever more of him."
But Hubba is dead in far-off Devon, slain as he landed as Halfden had landed, to hem Wessex in between Guthrum and himself, and his dream of taking the Wessex kingdom is over. And the Raven banner that my Osritha made flaps its magic wings no more, for it hangs in Alfred's peaceful hall, a trophy of Saxon valour.
Whereat Halfden laughed quietly, looking at me, and when she was quite gone, and the heavy deerskins fell over the doorway, said, still smiling: "How is this? It is in my mind that my father's wish might easily come to pass in another way not very unlike." That was plain speaking, nor would I hesitate to meet the kindly look and smile, but said that indeed I had come to long that it might be so.
There I told him all my story, and he remembered how I had told him, laughing, of Beorn's jealousy at first. And when my tale was nearly done Osritha crept from her bower and came and sat beside Halfden, pushing her hand into his, and resting her head on his shoulder. Then I ended quickly, saying that Ingvar had done justice on Beorn.
"Brother, are you here yet?" "Aye, sister, both of us come and persuade this foolish Wulfric." Then I spoke quickly, for it seemed to me that if Osritha spoke and urged me, I should surely give way. "Nay, but you must not persuade me would you have had us Christians bid your father choose between death and gain for the sake of winning him to our faith?" Then said Halfden, "That would I not."
And, indeed, it was likely that he would come here also, as I had done, when he woke; so that when at last I heard footsteps I feared lest it should be he. But this comer whistled cheerfully as he came, and the tune was one that I had often heard men sing when I was with Halfden. It was the old "Biarkamal", the song of Biark the Viking.
Only a small fishing vessel lay alongside, and that we cast adrift, taking its place. Then Halfden and I and twenty men went quickly ashore and marched up among the trees of the village street. There was no man in sight, but the bell was still ringing.
So he bided with us until I went to sea, and there I met Halfden, and went on a raid with him, coming back from the South Saxon shores to wait at our place for his coming to take Lodbrok home. But he came not last winter, and so we waited till this spring should bring him. For my ship was lost, and no other came." "What!" said Ingvar; "he died not of stress of storm, but lived so long!
For Hubba went to Northumbria, there to complete his conquests, and Halfden was on the western borders of Wessex. And before he went Guthrum took great care for the good ordering of our land and that he might leave it at all at that time was enough to show that he feared no revolt against him. Now as I sat in our hall, listless and downcast, one day in July, Cyneward came in to me.
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