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Updated: June 16, 2025
But those wise words of Osritha's had made things easier for me, for now Halfden knew that into the story of the jarl's death, I and my doings must come, so Ingvar's words meant little to him. "You went not to Reedham?" I said, for now the men were at work again, and all was noise and bustle round us. "I have come here first by Orkneys from Waterford, where we wintered," he answered.
"And, moreover, Eadmund the King, and Elfric, my father, will do him all honour." "I will see to that," growled Ingvar, turning sharply from where he sought another weapon on the wall. Not knowing all he meant, this pleased me, for I thought that we should sail together to Reedham for this, before very long.
Yet the hall, though it was carved on wall, and rafter, and doorway, was not so bright as ours at Reedham, nor so pleasant. Ingvar and Hubba sat on one side of the fire, where the smoke was driven away from them, and before them was set a long bench where we should be placed. There Hubba bade us sit down, telling the two men to go without and wait.
And there is one man whose folk, from himself to the least of all, are no foes of ours and that is the Thane of Reedham. Ah! now I see that I have gladdened you, and I think that you will come." "This seems almost impossible," I said, in my wonder and gladness. "Nay, but word went round our host that it was to be so. There you might have bided all unknowing that war was near you.
"Aye, 'tis murder," said another, looking from Beorn to me and then to Beorn again; "but which is murderer and which true man?" Now all these men were strangers to me, but I knew one thing about them from their dress. They were the men of mighty Earl Ulfkytel himself, and seemed to be foresters, and honest men enough by their faces. "I am Wulfric, son of Elfric of Reedham," I said.
I had known him when we were little lads together at our own king's court, but he had left to go to that of our great overlord, Ethelred, so that I had not seen him for long years. And one may sail up our Waveney river to Hoxne, where his father's house is, from ours at Reedham, though it is a long way.
It had been in my mind that Halfden would have come to Reedham, and at first I looked for him, but he had not been heard of, so that now we knew that we should not see him before springtime came, for he must needs be wintering somewhere westward.
When morning came it was great wonder and joy to me to wake and find myself in England and free, for indeed I had begun to think of my comradeship with the Danes as a sort of thralldom that I knew not how to break. And now I longed to make my way back to Reedham as soon as I might, for I had been many weeks away, though I have said little of all that befell in that time beyond what was needful.
And this I took willingly, saying that it should be as a loan till he came to Reedham. "Nay," quoth he, "this is your share of booty; we surely gained enough on yonder shores to bring you this much." Then I was silent, for I was ashamed of those gains, and I did not look into the bag, but bestowed it inside my mail shirt, for I would not offend him.
So we parted, each as I think pleased with the other, and I knew that East Anglia had found a wise ruler in Guthrum the Dane. Straightway now I told my people the good news that Reedham was safe.
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