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"My father's ring and Halfden's!" he said, gripping my hand, as he looked closely at the runes upon them, so tightly that it was pain to me. "By Odin's beard, this grows yet stranger! Who are you, and whence, and how came you by these things?" "I am Wulfric, son of Elfric, the Thane of Reedham, 'the merchant' as men call him.
"Come back that you may be near me." "I must live here, in London now," I said; for I would by no means live with his court, nor did I think that he should have thought it of me after my words. "Why not go back to your own place now? I can see you often at Reedham."
And it seemed to me that now I knew from my own chance why it was that Lodbrok could sing no song to us at that feasting, when we came home to Reedham; for surely my case was even as his. So I thought, leaning on the gunwale and staring ever at the white cliffs of England on our starboard; and there Halfden found me, and came, putting his hand on my shoulder very kindly.
"Pray, therefore, that for it I may be forgiven hereafter," he said, and that I promised him. Then he spoke faintly, so that Hubba bade Raud give him strong drink, and that brought his strength back a little. "I took your arrows at Thetford, and I followed you to Reedham.
All men's faces were bright with the thought of welcome, but heavy were my thoughts, and with reason. For Halfden's ship came from the sea on no course that should have borne him from Reedham, and I feared that it was I who must tell him all. Yet he might have been drawn from his course by some passing vessel.
Yet I need not have feared, for when they took me to her bower she rose up and came to me, falling on my neck and weeping, and I knew that I had found her again not to part with her. When she grew calmer, I asked her if she would return with us to Reedham, telling her how there would be no fear of war there in the time to come.
Ever as the days went by I would seek the shipmen who came to Reedham on their way up the rivers, so that I might hear news from the Danish shore, where Osritha was thinking of me, till at last I heard from a Frisian that three kings had gathered a mighty host, and were even now on their way to England.
Let me go down with you to Reedham, my son, that I may die in peace." So we did but wait until he had set all his affairs in order, selling his house and merchandise and the like. Then we hired a ship that came from the Frankish coast and waited for cargo in the Thames, and sailed at the end of July to Reedham.
So he took my hand and I went quickly thereafter, the men calling after me "Farewell, axeman!" heartily enough, knowing of my going to Reedham, and caring nothing for the monks, seeing that there would be no fighting. Now, guided by the bell, I went on quickly, seeing no man.
Once a year she carried a picnic party over Breydon Water, on which occasion, I believe, Mrs. Nightingale was invariably seasick going over to Breydon. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Nightingale ever used her for pleasure except on that one annual excursion up to Reedham. Well, well! There are no Red Rovers now, and no Fred Baldrys coming on.
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