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Updated: June 3, 2025
I was glad that Thorleif showed himself on the bows of the prize and hailed Thrond. "Send the Saxon lad on board here," he said; "we have met with a friend of his." That could be none but the atheling, and I leaped up. The men were heaving on the tow line, and the ships were slowly nearing each other. "Thrond," I said breathlessly, "will Thorleif let me go?" "Of course," he answered, smiling.
And there Thorleif landed us at a fishing village, among whose huts rose the walls of a building which promised us shelter at least. Terribly frightened were the poor folk at our coming, but they took us, with the guard Thorleif sent ashore with us, to the building, and it turned out to be a monastery, where we were most welcome.
After them came a man with food in plenty in a ship's cauldron, and a leathern jack of ale, which he set before us as we sat on the coils of rope which were stowed forward. "Welsh mutton and Welsh ale," said Thorleif, smiling. "That is plunder one may ask a Saxon to share without offence. Fall to, I pray you."
"We of the line of Ina know your folk of old. Well, be it as you will, for, on my word, I am lonely; and I think, comrade, that if I had choice of one to stand by me, the choice would have fallen on you. "There was little need, chief, for you to tell me that Wilfrid of Frome was steadfast. We are old friends." "Bide so, then. Friends are not easily made," answered Thorleif, laughing.
The weary men laid in the oars at that moment, and threw themselves down to rest. "Ho, Saxon!" he said, "on my word I had forgotten you. Who had you tied up?" "I did," said Thrond. "He said somewhat about taking back a promise, and wanted to go overboard." Thorleif stooped and unbound me, and I thanked him. "Well, you won't go overboard now," he said, nodding toward the shore.
I had to leave the deck, being in the way of the men, and Ecgbert did not see me, as far as I could tell. Thorleif and his men boarded the prize over her bows and went aft, Ecgbert going with them. The two ships drifted apart again, and I found my place by Thrond once more, while the men sat on the gunwale, waiting for the time when their chief should return.
Thorleif hailed the other ship to send him a line from the bows, and one flew on board us as we shot past. Then in a few moments we were under easy sail again, towing the great trader slowly after us; and the men were grumbling at the ease of the capture, thinking, with Thrond, that it boded a useless chase. Thorleif came aft to speak with the shipmaster from our stern.
"Pick up the sheriff," he said to some of his men. "I never saw a braver fool. Maybe he is not hurt." But, however he died, Beaduheard never moved again. Some of the Danes said that a horse must have kicked him; Thorleif had never drawn weapon. "Pity," said Thorleif. "He was somewhat of a Berserk; but he brought it on himself." Which was true enough, and we knew it.
Presently, when the turn of the tide brought with it no eddy into the bay which set me homeward, Thorleif would let me go no longer, and followed me in the boat with two men; which was easy enough, for I swam between the ship and the place where the red glow of burning Weymouth still shone in the northern sky. He could not leave me to drown. For a time, in the growing dusk, he could not find me.
And so it came to pass that when we landed I saw two men in the Danish array standing behind the Welsh nobles, and I seemed to know them. One was tall and grim and scarred, and the other broad of shoulder and white of hair and beard. They were Thorleif and old Thrond, come from Ireland to see their friends in this land, and so Jefan's guests.
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