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"What is it, Ranald?" he said. "The Witan is set now." I told him in few words, and his face changed. "It seems impossible in frost and snow," he said. "Ay; but there are proofs," I said, pointing through the great doorway. There was my party, and Kolgrim was binding a wound on Harek's arm of which I knew nought till that moment, and the led horses and spoils were plain enough to say all.
Here be I, lamed, in the cottage all day." "There is a close friend of mine in hiding from the Danes somewhere here," I said, doubting, from her manner, if she spoke the truth. "I would take him to a safer place." "None safer," she answered. "What is his name?" Then I doubted for a moment; but Harek's quick wit helped me.
But then, from among those who sat round and chanted, I saw now one and now another dart to the ring and take the place of a dancer who seemed to tire; and so at last one came and gripped Harek's wrist and swung into the place of his first holder before he knew that any change was coming, and so with the one on the other side of him.
Then I was feared, for all were silent in wonder at the coming to pass of the sign; and it seemed to me that I was most truly under a power stronger than that of the old gods, who never wrought the like of this. Then came Harek's voice outside, where he hung up fish to freeze against the morrow; and he sang softly some old saga of the fishing for the Midgard snake by Asa Thor.
When we came back to Aller, the first thing that I did was to tell Neot of our meeting with Odin while his wild hunt went on through the tempest, telling him how that I had feared unwisely, and also of Harek's brave withstanding of the danger. "It is said that our forefathers met Odin in like wise in the days of the first christening of our race," he said.
He rose up when Alfred ceased, and walked away down the hillside slowly, as in a dream, not looking at us; and the kindly Saxons smiled gently, and said nothing to rouse him. It is in my mind that Harek's eyes were wet, for he had lost somewhat his belief in things he held dearest and first of all and had as yet found nothing that should take its place. There is nought harder than that to a man.
Ay, and I will keep my promise," he said; "but as Harek's heathen songs say, it is the sword's mass that I will sing to them." Then his eyes glowed, and he was silent, and I wondered at the courage and resource in the slight figure that was before me. "All goes well, and the plan is good," he went on directly.
Harek cried again, in a voice that was full of triumph; and the blood rushed wildly through me at the thought of what I had seen. Then Harek's horse shifted, and his hoof struck a great stone that rolled as if going far down the hill, and then stopped, and maybe after one could count five came a crash and rattle underneath us that died away far down somewhere in the bowels of the hill.
Then the boy answered me, 'My king, why should I fear when you are with me? I was ashamed, and took Harek's harp from him for he carried it and went forward boldly, singing the song of Gunnar in the snake pit. And it seemed to me that Harek would have chosen that song as fitting my case; for, putting Danes for snakes, I was in a close place enough.
He indeed looked sharply at me once, and maybe twice; but I went on singing Harek's songs, and paid no heed to him. Presently he gave me a great horn of ale from his own table, and this gold bracelet that I wear also, and sent me away. Then I went about the camp and heard the talk. One man asked me if I had seen Alfred, and what he was like.
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