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With her and her father I rode many a mile hawking, and both of them seemed to hold me as an old friend by reason of that lucky chance which brought about our first meeting; and the only fault I had to find with the journey we looked for was that in Offa's court would end my friendship with them.
For over their ale men also told that of these folk-horrors fewer she wrought, onslaughts of evil, after she went, gold-decked bride, to the brave young prince, atheling haughty, and Offa's hall o'er the fallow flood at her father's bidding safely sought, where since she prospered, royal, throned, rich in goods, fain of the fair life fate had sent her, and leal in love to the lord of warriors.
For, after Quendritha's way, Eadburga would poison some thane of the court who had offended her; and Bertric drank the cup she had made ready for his servant, and so perished. Eadburga fled to Carl the emperor, as men had then hailed him; and he received her kindly for Offa's sake, and at least England knew her ways no more.
At that time we were at the far corner of the wood, which was square, with a path all round it and one each way across. It was a favourite walk of Offa's during summer, men told me. Erling turned to the left and I to the right, and we walked fast away from each other.
As have the neighboring settlements, this station has yielded a great many arrows, hatchets, scrapers, and harpoons. Great Britain is intersected by lines of fortifications of unknown origin, but certainly of extreme antiquity. We may mention Dane's Dyke, Wandyke, the Devil's Dyke at Newmarket, and Offa's Dyke, running from the Bristol Channel to the Dee, and dividing England from Wales.
The one thing that the man begged us was that he might not be delivered to the king. And he said that Gymbert and his men would hide till Offa's wrath was past." "There is but one other at whose word this could have been done," I said. "Ay," said Witred, "I know. Yet Ethelbert was to be the bridegroom of our princess.
It was Cynthia who pointed the moral. "There is always an ogre's cave near the Enchanted Garden," she said, "and those were surely ogerish days when men were flayed alive for hunting the King's deer." It is not to be wondered at if they dawdled somewhat by the way, when that way led past Offa's Dyke, through Chepstow, and Tintern, and Monmouth, and Symon's Yat.
Then came Offa's two chaplains, and the bell rang for the service; and it was good to kneel and take part therein, while outside the quiet church the noise of the great palace went on unceasingly, as the noise of a waking camp. Beside me knelt Erling the heathen, quiet and attentive. Somewhere about the midst of the service it seemed to grow very still all about us of a sudden.
It was plain that Witred's plan had worked well, for only those which the ladies had ridden, the pack horses, and our own had been brought back. The young king's steeds were both in the stable where Offa's own white chargers were kept.
Experience however had taught the Mercians the worthlessness of raids like these and Offa resolved to create a military border by planting a settlement of Englishmen between the Severn, which had till then served as the western boundary of the English race, and the huge "Offa's Dyke" which he drew from the mouth of Wye to that of Dee.
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