Part 4 (2/2)

What other thoughts were in his mind will be seen hereafter, but I will say now that it was not all so hopeless as it seemed to Erpwald.

”What of the other men,” asked one or two of Erpwald's following.

”They shall bide here, where we can keep an eye on them,” the priest answered. ”They will not hurt us, nor we them, save only if they try to make trouble.”

Then some of our house-caries said in a low tone to Owen: ”Better to die with the master. Let us out and fall on them.”

But he said: ”This is for the boy's sake. Let me be, my brothers; I have the thane's word to carry out.”

Then they knew that he was right, but they bade him make Erpwald swear to keep faith with them all.

So he spoke again with the priest, asking for honest pledges in return for his own oath. Whereon from across the courtyard, where a few wounded men lay--a voice weak with pain cried, with a strange laugh:

”Get him the holy ring, that he may be well bound. It hangs yonder where I put it, in the gateside timbers.”

Erpwald glowered into the darkness, but he could see nothing of the man who had spoken. But one of his men had seen the spear cast, and knew what was meant, though the fight had set it out of his mind.

So he ran, and found the shaft easily in the darkness, and took the ring from it, bringing it back to Erpwald.

”It is luck,” he said. ”Spear and ring alike have marked the place for Woden.”

”Hold your peace, fool,” snarled Erpwald, with a sharp look at Owen.

And at that Stuf laughed again, unheeded.

Then Owen swore as he had promised, on the cross hilt of his sword, and Erpwald swore faith on the ring, and so the swords were sheathed at last; and when they had disarmed all our men but Owen, Erpwald's men took torches from the hall and went to tend the wounded, who lay scattered everywhere inside the gate, and most thickly where my father fell.

Owen went to that place, with a little hope yet that his friend might live, but it was not so. Therefore he knelt beside him for a little while, none hindering him, and so bade him farewell. Then he went to Stuf, who was sorely hurt, but not in such wise that he might not recover.

”What will you do with the child?” the man asked.

”Have no fear for him. I shall take him westward, where my own people are. He shall be my son, and I think that all will be well with him hereafter.”

”I wit that you are not what you have seemed, Master,” Stuf said.

”It will be well if you say so.”

Then Owen bade him farewell also, and went to find me and get me hence before the ale and mead of the house was broached by the spoilers. And, as I have said, I was already dressed, and I ran to his arms and asked what all the trouble was, and where my father had gone, and the like. I think that last question was the hardest that Owen ever had put to him, and he did not try to answer it then. He told me that he and I must go to Chichester at once, at my father's bidding; and I, being used to obey without question, was pleased with the thought of the unaccustomed night journey. And then Owen bethought him, and left me for a moment, going to the chest where my father had his store of money. It was mine now, and he took it for me.

It seemed strange to him that there was no ransacking of the house, as one might have expected. Had the foe fired it he would not have been surprised at all, but all was quiet in the hall, and the voices of the men came mostly from the storehouses, whence he could hear them rolling the casks into the courtyard; so he told me to bide quietly here in the chamber for a few minutes, and went out on the high place swiftly, closing the door after him, that I might see nothing in the hall.

There he found Erpwald himself close at hand, sitting in my father's own chair while the wound that Owen himself had given him was being dressed. At the side of the great room sat the rest of our men, downcast and wondering, and half a dozen of the foe stood on guard at the door. It was plain that nought in the house was to be meddled with.

Erpwald turned as he heard the sliding door open.

”Get you gone as soon as you may,” he said sullenly.

”There is one thing that I must ask you, Erpwald,” Owen said. ”It is what one may ask of one brave man concerning another. Let Aldred's people bury him in all honour, as they will.”

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