Wulfric the Weapon Thane / A Story of the Danish Conquest of East Anglia

ng, had that day come to our house from Caistor; so at once my father bade the man return and bring changes of clothes fo

word went round among the knot of people watching with us, and they parted, making a little lane,

see what a man fresh from a stormy voy

ing turned me round with his strong hands, a

s suit you as well as war gear, and better than court finery,

tormy weather, for the rain was coming now as the wind fell; and we went,

the, Lodbrok took my arm, askin

wered, having no thought but that

p could go so far as that to a man whose s

e had no doubt of him at all in that matter. And he thanked me gravely again, walkin

ittle distance because of this small delay; and present

he is the only king we know aught o

one may see by his way

d down his crown and gave the kingdom into Eadmund's hands; and they are the same to each other now as ever. He is m

ave, reason to be proud of our nearness to the king, of whom no man

fate has brought me t

king will ever bide with us when he

e," said Lodbrok presently; "for he is a

ember you, for he never forgets one

to the great door; and when my father would have let the king go in first Eadmund laughed at hi

elow it. The bright arms and shields on the walls shone below the heads of deer and wolf and boar, and the gust of wind that came in with us flew round the wall, making a sort of ripple of changin

emed it more homelike to me than when I c

mother, and Eadgyth my sister, and beside them were Bishop Humbert, our own bishop, and many thanes of the court, and

er at us for coming thus sea clad and spray stained into the midst of that gay company.

gyth sai

ng man who stands so sad

eeming heedless of all that was going on. Nor do I think that I had ever seen one look so sad as look

gently, and he started a little. Th

d when I woke from my dream at your touch, half thought I that

he at me that I could n

will, until there comes a ship that will take you home. Gladly will some of

Lodbrok the Jarl with them,"

thought that any hidden meaning lay in his words. So that his saying passed fr

vel, having doubtless heard his story from one of the seamen, but covered his wonder by bowing low and bidding him to an inner room where the thane had prepared chang

aid Lo

astaway meet with so great kindness in my own land. Nor do I think that we Danes have mad

d no cause to blame his people, who had

t to seek gear more courtly than salt-stai

and against its walls, so that the thanes who came with him, or to see him, might have no cause to complain of ill lodging with Elfric of Reedham. So it had come to pass that our house was often the place where the court lay, and I know that many of the poorer thanes thanked my father for thus

he place that we might enter the great hall in his train at supper time, for there was a door which led to the high table thence, so that the king need not go through the crowd of housecarles and lesser folk who sat, below the salt, along the walls. And in that chamber was a chimney to th

unhooded on his hand, should I have known Lodbrok in the rich dress my father had had prepared for him. The other was Beorn, the king's falconer, who went everywhere with his maste

with a smile of welcome, and Beorn w

on--which has three wing feathers missing, moreover--and he will not sell, though I trow that a man cas

lfric's," said

e so loving a hawk from her master, and o

of delight, not heeding my last words, "Wu

I could not but understand, and said that it woul

nd boastful, though of great skill in his art of falconry--I thanked the Dane, and went to where a hawking glove hung on the wall, for my arm would fe

uld bide with no man but myself and her keeper. But today she has sat on your wris

rist to mine, and there she sat quietly, lookin

s hand, on which he wore his em

is rightly held out to her, so she be properly called," an

ng his arm and face as he pushed them forward; and had he not drawn

she is bewitched! And if her master is,

and this, moreover, is the court for the time. Why, the bird is drowsy,

wered again, but I spoke to Lodbrok, asking him what the falcon was, as she was like none of ours

went on to tell us of her powers of flight, and at what game she was best, and how she w

erfalcons to fly from Iceland to Norway in

Iceland to say that a lost h

s at a jest; though one could tel

ort in Iceland, and he found her at home in Nidaros at his journey's ending; and the

est Beorn shou

ree from here, surely she

t me. Wherefore keep her safely mewed until she has learnt that

I might not leave him with the surly Beorn, I asked the jarl

o the mews, where our good ha

coner is ill pl

he king of his rudeness

t he should be thus baffled for all his skill, which, from his talk,

athering, and it was not long before t

hat one is your seafarer. Let me know hi

the king looked long at one

is a strange one," he said pleasantly.

rok, my forefather," said the jarl. "M

at Ragnar's son has a share in his courage. But your face also seems known to me

ut that the very day might be remembered by reason of a great wedding that he had been to see out of curiosity, k

nd laughed

h in helm and mail, with axe and shield hung on shoulders. Moreover, for that reason, when men bade you depart and

to kiss, after our custom. But Lodbrok

remembrance, and maybe also

th the freedom, but at that l

aybe, if the citizens had not expected you to behave as w

e truth," s

n some fray, of little mom

him. Soon I knew all that an hour or two of pleasant talk would teach me of his home and sons

ng hardships until the feast is ov

nd himself, the men setting down ale cups and knives to listen, for he had a wondrously sweet voice, and sang from the ancient songs of Caedmon {iv}. Th

king a little wistfully at my father; "but a man s

ed him, as did we

d. "Let us sit awhile in the other

, so that the housecarles and lesser guests migh

sourly at Lodbrok; and it misliked me that he should harbour a

hop Humbert and his folk went to their lodgings in th

is sons, Eadmund lo

a. Did they not make a raid into Northumbria two y

They fought well and bravely at the place men call Streoneshalch {v}, gaining much booty. And it was by Ingvar's plan that the place

we had naught to do. So, except perhaps the king, the rest of us were as little moved as if he had spoken of the

ave a mind to be first

s in their veins it could not well be othe

th him, so that he bade him bide in the court for a while t

; and therefore slept across the doorway of his chamber when he went to rest. So my father

drew towards morning the king stirred uneasily, and I looked up at him. Seeing that I woke he called me softly. The gra

ught amiss?" I said, rising

y son," he said, in his quiet

uble will pass; for often that which seems sorely troublo

you," he answered; and when I wa

ne glorious light, and I heard the sound of voices singing in such wise that I knew it was naught but the gate of Heaven itself, and I would fain go therein. But between me and the gate sped arrows thick as hail, so that to reach it I must needs pass through them. Then said Jarl Lodbrok, 'Here is the entry, and it is so hard to win through because of me, yet not by my fault. But I thin

ot knowing what to make thereof, havi

so hereafter. Nevertheless it comes into my mind that the dream warns me that

ill full daylight came; but I for very sadness closed no

eerful, as was his wont, and said naught of it. However, I told my father thereof, for the remembra

ave had, I think that I should take no joy in life. Why, every year, for the last five past

dgment was ever the best in my eyes--and so set my mind at rest, though

ave us; for his ways and words were pleasant to all alike, and there seemed to be no craft of which he knew not something, so that he could speak to each

oth loved well. And in this last Lodbrok was the best skilled master I have ever known; and the king would ever have him ride beside him in the field while the court was yet with

mistress since her mother died but a few years since, and her two elder sisters had been married to chiefs of their own land. Sometimes, too, they would ask him of the dress of

both, and that was when I needed a war flag. And so I drew out the great raven I would have embroidered on it, and they worked it in wondrous colours, and gold and si

l would plan one. So it seems to me now that that evening was very pleasant, for they planned and shaped and began a flag whereo

while the summer rain swelled in torrents, with thunder and lightning sweeping over

"it seems to me that you must needs shorten the one and lengthen the other b

weapons, else would he not have spoken so plain

learn to us

me better; for of all things, I longe

each you that which will keep yours against any foe that you may meet; fo

while the thunder raged outside, he f

the red glow of the forge to a glimmer. "This should be a good axe, and were you n

need for me to answer. And in the end he ta

now. Some day you will meet an axeman face to face, and will find out what you know. The

ther, and I knew that I had learned that much. But I could not tell how muc

ing it many times, until it would take an edge that would shear through iron without t

y they?"

read," he

ric, Elfric's son, Lodbr

ught me. Yet when I asked why he wrote those first words, he o

ough he was so much older than myself, I grew to be his fast friend. And many a long day did I spend with him in his boat, learning

admund 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

tch for many a mile north and west and south of the town. No better sport is there for hawk and hound than on Brandon and Croxton heaths, and the wilds to which our Saxon Icklings and Lakings have given their na

, even had not both my father and Lodbrok loved to be with him, wh

ound to London with some goods we had, and with some of the new barley, just harvested, which would ev

e would say that he was owner, not captain, and but a passenger of mine; so, though I was sorry not to go to Thetfor

might keep me long in the river, my father bade me stay with him, if I would, and if need were lay up the ship in Thames for the winter, coming home by

aid, "I shall surely come back

or the court of Ethelred himself will very likely be there, and there will be much to see. And maybe you will find some Danish s

ailing to ports that he named; and that I promised I would do. Thereon he gave me a broad silver rin

may be of use to you some day, if not on this voyage. Jarl Lodbrok

rl to use her; and I asked him also to train for himself a

k and dog in all Thetford town, and Beorn

lousy was a sport to us when we tho

t week of August I sailed for London, with a