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Updated: May 13, 2025
"That will Thormod tell you, therefore," I answered. "As for me, I came at Halfden's bidding, which Thormod told me." "What did Halfden bid you come here for?" "To take Osritha his sister into safety and peace again. Suffer me to do so," I said, boldly enough, but yet quietly. Now Ingvar looked fixedly at me from under his brows, and I gave back his look.
So Raud bided in the farm with me for a while, and now with new thoughts and with his talk of Halfden and Osritha, I mended quickly, for it was my troubled mind that had kept me back mostly, as I cared for nothing. One day I felt strong again, waking up and taking delight in the smell of the fresh morning and in the sunlight.
"Brother, are you here yet?" "Aye, sister, both of us come and persuade this foolish Wulfric." Then I spoke quickly, for it seemed to me that if Osritha spoke and urged me, I should surely give way. "Nay, but you must not persuade me would you have had us Christians bid your father choose between death and gain for the sake of winning him to our faith?" Then said Halfden, "That would I not."
And Eadmund would fain see more of him, so that, although I would willingly have taken our ship across the seas, for the first time, to his place, he would not suffer me to do so; for he said that he was not so restless here with us, and that his sons and Osritha, his daughter, had doubtless long thought him dead. Now in June the king had gone to Framlingham, and in August came back to Thetford.
Now Osritha came to herself, and saw me standing looking on her, for I feared that she was dead, and she stretched her hands to me, not regarding those around her in her joy and trouble. "Wulfric," she cried, "take me hence into some place of peace." I raised her very gently, holding her in my arms for a moment, but not daring to speak to her as yet.
When they saw us the women shrieked, and what men were with them faced round to meet an attack, thinking the pirates followed them; but we shouted to them to hold, as we were friends, though not before an arrow or two flew towards us. At my voice, Osritha, who sat on her own horse in the midst of the company, turned round, saying quickly: "Who is it speaks?"
Then he told me that ever as he began to sleep he saw Osritha his sister, and she was pale and wrung her hands, saying: 'Now am I alone, and there is none to help me, for Halfden and Wulfric are far away, and I fear Ingvar and his moods'. Then said I, 'That is true enough.
For all this was past as a dream passes, and to me there seemed to hang over the land the shadow of the terrible raven banner, which Osritha had helped to work for Lodbrok and his host, in the days before she dreamed that it might be borne against a land she had cause to love.
"When I go back to my own land, lady, I shall have many questions asked me by one of whom you have doubtless heard, as to how our friend's sister was arrayed for her wedding. And that I shall not be able to say but this I know, that I may tell Osritha that Wulfric's sister was worthy of Wulfric."
Sooth is the saying that Strongest the Norns are. Lo! at my life's end I laugh and I die." "Nay, my brother," said Halfden earnestly; "think of me, and of Osritha, and seem to bow at least." That word spoken by my friend was the hardest I ever had to bear, for now I was drawn by the love that had been so newly given me.
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