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Updated: May 2, 2025
Now of those days that followed there is little to say. The other thanes left, each to gather his own men, vowing vengeance on the Danes; but before they went there was hardly one who did not seek out Wulfhere, Wislac, and myself, and in some way or another tell us that we had spoken right.
Now when he had read the first few lines, he looked up, and reading from the letter, which doubtless told him the names of the bearers "Heregar I know," he said; "which is Wulfhere?" Then Wulfhere bowed, and the king asked for Wislac and Aldhelm, and then for each of the men in turn.
Maybe this is not so wonderful, for the doom was the doom of the Moot, and spoken by Eanulf as its mouthpiece, and that passed on my body only. And Matelgar had found a new place in my thoughts, but Wulfhere was my friend, and the bishop had spoken to my heart, so that his words and looks abode there. Then the servant cut short my thoughts, and led us to the bishop, bidding me unhelm first.
Now it is strange that of Eanulf, the mighty ealdorman who had pronounced my doom, I thought little at all, but as of one who was by the bishop. All that day's doings seemed to have been as a dream, wherein I and Wulfhere had living part with this bishop, while the rest, Eanulf and Matelgar and the others, were but phantoms standing by.
"Up and to your work!" said the crone, pointing towards Bridgwater; and I, who had already made two steps, with drawn sword, towards that broken, flying rabble, remembered Alswythe, and turned away, groaning, to hasten to her rescue. For it was, as Wulfhere had said, all that I could do.
So I put my hand into the bag, and crying, "Here is withal to drink to Somerset and Dorset shoulder to shoulder," scattered the silver pennies among them, and so left them without any order among them at all, though shoulder to shoulder certainly. "Ho, master!" said Wulfhere, "you looked mighty angry when you were carried aloft an hour ago."
"They will keep to the road, and we can draw back to the edge of the hill, so taking them in flank as they leave it." For the hills bend round a little beyond the place where the road falls into the level below Matelgar's hall. "So be it," said the bishop. "Go you, Wulfhere, and see how near the host is, and come back quickly." When he was gone the bishop bade me wake the men.
My first thought was to hasten thither and alarm Wulfhere, and then to hurry back to that outpost I had passed half a mile away, for the country danger must be thought of too. Then a better thought than either came to me.
So for a long two hours we sat and told him all we knew of those Danes, I of the ships, and Wulfhere and Wislac of numbers, and Wulfhere of their ways in raiding a country, for this he had seen before, in Dorset, and also in Ireland, as he told us, in years gone by.
"Aye," said I, "'tis pity a thane cannot walk abroad quietly on his own business." "Well, well, they thought that you were their business, doubtless." "Whence came all those pennies?" I asked, for we had no store at all to cast away. "From Eanulf and Ealhstan," said Wulfhere, laughing.
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