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Updated: June 8, 2025
"Havelok Grimsson of Grimsby men call me," he said. And then men knew who he was indeed, for little by little the secret had been pieced together, if not told from the king's place, in the years that had passed. And at that there rose and grew a murmur and a cry. "Havelok, son of Gunnar! Havelok the king!" Then said Sigurd in a great voice, "Who is for Hodulf of us all?
Soon he waxed strong and rosy in the sea winds, and out-went Withelm both in stature and strength. But it seemed that of all that had happened he remembered naught, either of the storm, or of his mother's death, or of the time of Hodulf. My mother thought that the sickness had taken away his memory, and that it might come back in time.
Whereon some chiefs rode to speak to us, and Havelok met them with his leaders. He had to speak first, for they could not well ask where Hodulf was. The helm was a token that told them much. "I met your king even now," he said, "and I offered him peace and honourable return to Norway with his property if he would give up the throne that is mine by right.
"True as I am Radbard Grimsson, who helped Havelok to fly from hence." "Unwelcome will you be, for Hodulf is in no good mood," the man said. "I hardly think it safe for you to trust yourself with him." "Then," said I, "open the door of the hall, and I will go in with my men, and see what he says." "Well, that will be bad for me, but I have a mind to see Havelok."
And now, if Hodulf troubled himself so much about this boy, there must be something that he was not meant to know about his flight, for he must be of some note. Did I not know that the king's son was in his hands at that time, I should have thought that our passenger was he.
"It is right that you should ask one, and also that you should have one that there can be no mistaking," I said. "This is it. By the token of the sack and the anchor I bid you know that Havelok sends me to you." At that the face of Hodulf became ashy grey beneath the tan of wind and sea, and I saw that his hand clutched the hilt of his sword so that the knuckles of his fingers grew white.
Now I will have all things ready, that the queen shall be in what comfort she may on the voyage. But it will be well that none shall know, even of your seamen, who the passengers are, else will word go to Hodulf in some way hereafter that Havelok has escaped." "I have thought of that," answered Grim. "It will be best that none, not even Radbard, shall know who this is whom we have in the house.
Hodulf is dead, and his courtmen would not live after him while there was a chance of avenging his fall. That was before the host came up. Now I offer peace and friendship to all, and I can blame none who have held to the king who has fallen. It was not to be expected that all would own me at once.
"Well, I am glad it is no worse. But it seems that you are in ballast. How comes it that you have no cargo for me, for you owe me one?" Then my father told him shortly that he had fled from Hodulf; and all those doings were news to the Viking, so that they talked in friendly wise, while the men listened, and the ships crept on together down the wind.
Our men knew by this time that we had passengers, flying like ourselves from Hodulf, and therefore they were not at all surprised to see Havelok and his mother with their mistress. None of them had ever seen either of them before, as it happened, though I do not think that any could have recognized the queen as she was then, wan and worn with the terror of her long hiding.
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