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Updated: May 11, 2025
"It will make a sword scabbard that will avail somewhat against such like folk if ever we meet them again." Truly there were marks as of branded signs on the bit of skin, and so he kept it; and I hung the gold trophies in my belt, and Harek took some of the remains of our supper: and so we went to the horses, seeing nothing of the wild men anywhere.
I was just about to call out that we were friends, when there began a low, even beating, as of a drum of some sort, and then suddenly a wild howl that sounded like a war cry of maddened men, and after that a measured tramping of feet that went swiftly and in time to a chant, the like of which I had never heard before, and which made me grasp Harek by the arm.
Ay, but King Alfred's hawk was a good one! "Now, where shall we seek Ethelnoth?" I said. "No good seeking him," said Harek. "We had better make our way back to the village." We coupled up the greyhounds again and hooded the falcon, and rode leisurely back over our tracks for some way. The sun set about that time into a purple bank of mist beyond the farther hills.
"Much good are these scratches to me," said I to Odda. "Can you read them?" "I can read nought but what is written in a man's face," he said. So I gave the scroll to Harek, who sat next me, thinking that maybe the scald could read it. He pored over it for a while. "It is of no use, king," he said. "It is in my mind that I know which is the right way up of the writing, but I am not sure."
So one day in the third week in March I rode away with Kolgrim from Athelney, to see how all things were going on there, meaning also to go to Heregar's place for a time, having messages to give him from the king. Harek was coming with me; but Alfred asked me to spare him for this time. "I have to learn somewhat from the scald," he said. "Wizardry, my king?"
But I was looking to see where our swords were, and I saw a man take them beyond the fire and set them on what seemed a bank, some yards from it. Then they went to the scald and began to loosen his bonds, laughing the while. "Have a care, Harek," I cried. "Make a rush for the swords beyond the fire so soon as you are free." "I am likely to be hove into the said fire," said the scald, very coolly.
I would say also that Harald our king has about him paid warriors whose living is to serve him, and more who hold lands on condition that they bear arms for him at any time." Now Harek had listened to all this, and could tell the thane more of Harald's ordering of things than I; so he took up the talk for a time, and presently asked about the war and its beginning.
So strange were their looks and terrible in the red light of the great fire, that I cried to Harek: "These be trolls, scald! Sing the verses that have power to scare them."
"Which know you?" she said scornfully; "you are over young to meddle with such like." "This," said Harek. "It works well if the sprain be bathed with spring-cold water, while one says it twice daily: "'Baldur and Woden Went to the woodland; There Baldur's foal fell, Wrenching its foot. "That is how it begins." Then the old woman's eyes sparkled. "Ay; that is good. Learn it me, I pray you.
Whereat she screamed, and hurled the hammer at Kolgrim, who was laughing at her, cursing us valiantly for Danes and thieves, and nearly hitting him. "Peace, good mother," I said; "we are not Danes. Here is earnest thereof," and I threw her a sceatta from my pouch. She clutched it from the ice pool where it fell, and stared at us, muttering yet. Then Harek spoke to her.
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