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Thord had set a gang of shore folk to bend the sail afresh to a new yard, for the old one had been strained in the gale that came before the fight. "What are those men doing, friend?" he asked Kolgrim directly. "Bending a sail," answered my comrade listlessly, trusting, as it would seem, to the sea language for puzzlement enough to the landsman. "So," said the Saxon, quite quietly.
But he came after me, and I spoke to him: "Why, Kolgrim, will you come also?" "You shall not go alone, Ranald the king's son; I will come with you as far as I dare."
"Well," said I, "these are Danes, and I do not think they are wanderers either. Here are forage bags behind the saddles. One would say that they were on the march if this were not mid-winter and time of peace. The horsemen in advance of a host, or the like." Then Kolgrim said: "Where has the other man gone? I had forgotten him for the moment."
And when she ended the chiefs were silent, looking on the Danes with eyes that gleamed; and Kolgrim put the thoughts of all into words when he said: "Once or twice has the Berserker fury come on me when my master has been in peril. Berserker again will you drive me, lady, so that I care not for six foemen against me or sixty." Then Odda cried: "What goes on yonder?
Then Osmund must needs tell him of what Kolgrim and I had done; and the ealdorman laughed at me, though one might see that the affair pleased him. "This king," he said, "having no kingdom of his own, as he says, goes about helping seasick ealdormen and lonely damsels, whereby he will end with more trouble on his hands than any kingdom would give him."
One called to me: "Maybe they beat us in sailing, king; we can teach them somewhat in weapon play." "See how they get their oars out," said Kolgrim, with a sour grin; "a set of lubbers they are." One by one, and in no order, the long oars were being got to work. The great ship was half as long again as ours, pulling twenty-eight oars a side to our twenty.
Then I called Kolgrim, and we went out together into the moonlight and the wind, to find the fisherman we had spoken with already and get him to act as guide. I think that Odda did not expect to see either of us again; and when I came to know more of Saxons, I learned that he trusted me most fully, for many thanes would have thought it likely that I went on some treacherous errand.
Nor did I like to hurry away, for I heard a man say that we were Northmen, by our voices. But there were plenty of our folk among the Danes. Then came a patrol of horsemen down the street, and they bade the loiterers hurry. I drew Kolgrim into an open doorway, and stood there till they passed, hearing them rate their fellows for delay. "Wareham will be empty tomorrow," I said.
"It is not done with yet," said a man: "look at yon ship." Then came Harek, out of breath, and pale. "Let me on board, King Ranald, or I am a dead man," he cried. "Come, then!" I answered; and he ran across the plank, and Kolgrim pulled it in after him. All my men were come. Then I looked at the ship spoken of. Men were swarming into her, and were making ready to sail.
Then I too saw that Godred, as he called himself, was, as the scald had guessed rightly, the king, and I was a little angry that he had tricked me thus. But he was laughing at Kolgrim as he came, and my anger passed at once. King or thane, here was a pleasant greeting enough. He held out his hand to Odda first and then to me.
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