United States or Taiwan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
They are like hen-bred ducklings now, and they do but want a duck to lead them pondwards. Then may hen cackle in vain for them." The king laughed. "Faith," he said, "I the hen drove Odda into the pond. He is, according to his own account, a poor duckling." "Let him splash about a little longer, lord king," said Thord. But Odda spoke with a long face. "Not so, King Alfred, if you love me.
"I am here, ealdorman," he said to Odda; "I will read for King Ranald." Now all eyes turned to see who spoke, and in a moment Odda rose up hastily and went down the long room till he came to where the man stood. Then I was amazed, for the ealdorman went on one knee before him, and said: "Good my lord, I knew not that you were here among the crowd. I pray you come to the high seat."
But word came that he would wait till he had heard more of the Danish answer to his message before we spoke together of that he had written of to me. So he prayed me to wait in the camp till he had seen the Danes again, and told Odda to find quarters for us. "So we shall have a good talk together," the ealdorman said. "I am glad you are not going back to the ships yet."
Maybe it was as well that we had few with us, because the field was left in the hands of the Danes. Up and down among those few went Etheldreda and Alswythe and Thora, tending them and comforting them, where we had sent them to the highest point of the hilltop, inside the upper rampart; and I could see the flutter of their dresses now and then from where I watched beside Odda on the lower works.
"It is good of Hubba to give us the chance of living a little longer," answered Odda; "but we will wait here a while, so please him." The Danes threatened us, and mocked, and so went back. We had no more messages from their chief after that. That night we slept round the standard where it flapped on the hilltop.
Thord came also, and leaned on the rail beside us, looking with much disfavour at the crew, who were plainly landsmen at sea for the first time, if they were stout fighting men enough. Maybe there were ten seamen among the hundred and fifty, but these had handled the ship well under canvas, as we knew. "You have come in good time, King Ranald," Odda said.
A few days will no doubt settle the matter, and the sword or slavery will be the portion of Odda and the rest of Alfred's men; meantime there is spoil enough in the camp from Devonshire homesteads, which brave men can revel in round the war-flag Raven, while they watch the Saxon ramparts. Odda, however, has quite other views than death from thirst, or surrender.
"Then I take it that I am speaking with King Ranald, of whom Odda has so much to say," he said, without answering my last words. "I am Ranald Vemundsson," I said; "but this ship is all my kingdom now. Harald Fairhair has the land that should have been mine. I am but a sea king."
Now the more I thought of this, the more I grew bent on going, for I was sure that we must know what was going on. And at last I took Odda aside while Harek sang among the men, and told him what I would do. At first he was against my running the risk; but I told him that a Norseman might go safely where a Saxon could not among the Danes, and at last I persuaded him.
"I marvel that you needed to learn that," Thord said gruffly. "So do I, friend," answered Neot; "but one is apt to go too far in a matter which one has at heart, sometimes before one is aware. Then is a word in season welcome." Then he thanked Harek for his songs, and went, the Saxons bowing as he passed down the long table with Odda. "That is a wise man and a holy," said Thord.
Word Of The Day