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Updated: June 11, 2025
Do I know the lady already, perhaps?" "I believe that you may do so," Alfred said, looking grieved, in a strange way, as if he were half minded to laugh at me for all his seeming vexation. "Odda says that you do, and so also says Etheldreda. Her name is Thora, daughter of Jarl Osmund, and she will have Wareham town and Poole in right of her marriage, as dower to her and to my sea captain."
It is likely that he overrated the number which Odda had with him; for those who escaped us at Combwich had not been near enough to see from the far side of the river how small our force was, and would make much of those who had been able to overcome their mightiest chief. Moreover, since that time seven weeks had gone by, and the gathering of Devon might be greater yet.
"I should have blundered past this place in the night, and so lost the Danes altogether; or if I had not done that, they would soon have found out what state my men were in. You should have heard old Thord rate them into order; it is in my mind that he even called me Odda the ealdorman hard names in his broad Norse tongue.
Truly he had not the vast strength and stature of Norway's king, but Alfred's was the kingliness of wisdom and statecraft. Once I said to Odda: "Can your king fight?" "Ay, with head as well as with hand," he answered. "His skill in weapon play makes up for lack of weight and strength. He is maybe the best swordsman and spearman in England."
"We follow you, Ranald the king," Kolgrim answered for all. "If it seems good to you, it is good for us. There will be fighting enough, I trow, if all we have heard is true." Then said Odda: "And that before long. There is a Danish fleet in Poole Harbour that is to bring Danes from Wareham to the help of those whom Alfred holds in Exeter. We have to meet this fleet and scatter it."
The history of Tewkesbury Abbey comes from misty antiquity, and it is thought by some to have been named "Dukes-borough" from two ancient Britons, Dukes Odda and Dudda, but others say it commemorates a missionary monk named Theoe, who founded a little church there in the seventh century.
Nevertheless he was apt to rage somewhat when things went in slovenly wise. So Odda helped me through with Osmund's thanks, and I was glad. I was glad also that the horns blew for the feast, so that no more could be said about the Wareham doings. Now I sat close to King Alfred at the feast, and saw much of his ways with men.
This is worth two victories." "I have seen it many times before," said Heregar; "nor is this the only time that I have tried to win it. But never before have I seen it hanging motionless as it hung today. There seems to be somewhat in the tale they tell of its flapping foreboding victory." "Ay," said Odda.
Those whom I know are yourself, and Neot, and Odda, and one or two more only." "That is not it," said the king. "What we call a heathen is one who worships the old gods the Asir." "Certainly I do that ill enough." "Why should I not learn of your faith?" I said. "Neot asked me of mine. As for the other, I do not know rightly what it means.
But a shift of wind had come, and they were yet over on the Welsh coast, waiting for the tide to enable them to come down on us. By that time a fire burned on the highest spur of the Quantocks to tell us that Odda was there, and at once another was lit on the Combwich fort to bring him to us, for it seemed certain that here we must fight the first battle of Alfred's great struggle.
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