Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 26, 2025
All this took long, but at last I came up the Severn, and so into the river Parret for the weather would serve me no longer and laid up the ship in a creek there is at Bridgwater, where Heregar, the king's standard bearer, was sheriff.
At last we came to a long spur of high ground that runs out into the fen, about midway between Bridgwater and Taunton; and there is the village they call Lyng, where we most hoped to hear good news. The day was drawing to sunset, and we would hasten; so Heregar went one way and I another, each to distant cottages that we saw.
The bright light shone on a row of flashing, gilded dragon heads on the ships' stems on lines of starlike specks beyond them, which were helms and mail coats and on lines again of smaller stars above, which were spear points. "Holy saints!" cried the man, adding a greater oath yet; "be you Heregar the outlaw or no, truth you tell, and well have you done. Let us begone, men!"
"Why are you here, lord king?" asked Heregar; "my hall is safe." "Your hall and countryside are safe yet because I am not there," Alfred answered, fixing his bright eyes on the thane. "The Danes are hunting for me, and were I in any known place, thither would they come. Therefore I said that now I choose to bide hidden.
And those two men who came first were Ethelnoth, the Somerset ealdorman, and young Ethered of Mercia. It was strange to see those nobles bearing such burdens; but we knew that we had found the king. They saw us, and halted; but Heregar waved his hand, and they came on, for they knew him. It would be hard to say which party was the more pleased to meet the other. "Where is the king?" we asked.
Then Heregar woke, and saw the maiden, and rose up at her side. "Dear lady," he asked, "what is this?" "Ranald thought me a Valkyria, friend; and I come on a Valkyria's errand." "I had a strange dream but now," Heregar said, as if it dwelt in his mind, so that he hardly heeded what Etheldreda answered him.
But instead of that, came the calm voice of Ealhstan the Bishop: "Eanulf and freemen of Somerset, there is one who witnesses for this Heregar more plainly than all these. That witness is himself, in his youth and inexperience. What are the wild words a boy will say? Who will plot against a mighty king with a boy for partner? What weight have his words? What help can come from his following?
Shall we go to Bridgwater or to the Quantocks, and so to Taunton?" Then Heregar said: "To the hills; for we should be penned in Bridgwater between this force and the other. I think that while we are yonder they will not do much on this side the Parret; and men will ever gather to us."
There were but two of her maidens with her, and the prioress saw that I was surprised, and said: "The rest bide with us, Heregar, and here they will surely be safe. Alswythe will take no more than these, lest you are hindered on the journey." And I was glad of that, though I should have loved to see her better attended, as befitted her; yet need was pressing, and this was best.
The rest slept on, for they had taken their turns on watch Heregar with his arm round the pole of the standard, and his sword beneath his head. Odda looked at me as we sat up stiffly, and spoke what was in his mind and mine also. "I have a mind to send Osmund to Hubba, and ask him to let the women go hence. There is nought to eat today."
Word Of The Day
Others Looking