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Updated: June 29, 2025
Now while I looked about the hall for Cadwal, Mord the chamberlain saw me, and made me sit down by him while I ate. Hungry enough was I by that time, as may be supposed, for one cannot make a meal off the sight of a feast; and as I ate, the noise of the hall grew apace as the cups went round. Then some of the older thanes left, and soon Mord and I had that table to ourselves.
And as I said this I was thinking that I must find out from Mord whether he knew and had told more than I could of who Havelok was and whence he came to us. It seemed to me that the earl had heard some tale or other, and unless it was from him I could not think from whence. Now the earl said, "This business has ended better than I could have hoped, and I think that Alsi will not hear of it.
At last, for three silver marks Mord agreed to give them his help, and bade them follow out his plan. It was this. That they should send women over the country with goods of housekeeping use, and mark what was given them in exchange. 'Take heed that you note carefully, said Mord, 'because no man will keep in his house the things that he has stolen, if he has a chance of getting rid of them.
"Then Mord took Thorgeir by the hand and named two witnesses to bear witness, 'that Thorgeir Thofir's son hands me over a suit for manslaughter against Flosi Thord's son, to plead it for the slaying of Helgi Njal's son, with all those proofs which have to follow the suit.
"Mighty careful of us is Alsi all of a sudden," said Mord. "I suppose he thinks that someone will stick a seax into some of us in all friendly wise while we are talking." But Berthun only laughed, and went to where the nurse was beckoning to him. He told her his own thoughts of Havelok, being glad to have a ready hearer.
He said that there was no need to praise the first troops sent by Britain to France everyone knew their value; but it should be a great satisfaction to Britain to find that the new Army was living up to the traditions of the old Army. He added: "We can describe the new army of Britain in two words: 'Ça mord' it bites."
And I went and fetched Withelm from where he sat, and so we three talked long and pleasantly, until it was time for us to go forth from the hall. And we thought that it was good for Arngeir to come here, for the secret was coming to light of itself, as it were, and we would have him speak with Mord.
Now that was no new thought to me, as I have shown, and I was ready for it, seeing that even I had seen the likeness to the king as I remembered him. "Keep that thought to yourself for a while, Mord," I said. "It is in my mind that you are right, but the time has not yet come for me to know."
As for Grani, he has an evil nature, and there is no turning him from bad deeds. It was in the autumn that Mord, the son of Valgard, sent word to Gunnar's foes that the time had come to make the attack upon Lithend, as all his men had gone to the haymaking on the isles of the sea.
We did not wait for Mord, but mounted and rode out, and the princess looked round at us as she rode first beside Havelok, and said, "Never have I ridden so well attended, as I think." And from beside me, with broad face from under his helm, Berthun answered for us all, "Never with men so ready to die for you, at least, my mistress." And that was true.
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