did not think that Mercians would have troubled to fight to upholdAlsi of Lindsey in his ways with his niece," Havelok said.
"What is that?" said the earl. "Hither came I for love of fighting,maybe, in the first place; and next to drive out certain Vikings. I knownaught of the business of which you speak."
"Then," said I, "go and ask Eglaf, the captain of the housecarls, for heknows all about it. We are no raiding Danes, but those who fight forGoldberga of East Anglia."
At that a hum of voices went down the English line, and this earl bithis lip in doubt.
"Well," he said, "that is Alsi's affair, and I will speak to him. Wehave had a good fight, and I will not say that either of us has the bestof it. Shall it be as I have said?"
"Ay," answered Havelok; and the earl drew off his men for half a mile,and in the gathering dusk we crossed the brook, and went on our errandacross the field. It was not hard to find our men, for they lay in agreat wedge as we had fought. There had been no straggling from thatarray, and no break had been made in its lines. Alsi had lost more thanwe, for his men had beaten against that steel wall in vain, and the armsof the Northman are better than those of any other nation.
We took the wounded back to the camp, and there Goldberga and the wivesof our English thanes tended them; and as we gathered up the slain theLindsey men were among us at the same work, and we spoke to them as ifnaught was amiss between us, nor any fight to begin again in themorning. And then we learned how few knew what we had come for. It waswith them as with the Earl of Chester. They had no knowledge ofGoldberga's homecoming, and least of all thought that at the back of thetrouble were the wiles of Alsi. It was two years ago that Goldberga hadgone, and her wedding had seemed to end her story. Now the men heard andwondered; and it is said that very many left Alsi that night and wenthome, angry with him for his falsehood.
Now when all was done we sought rest, and weary we were. I will say formyself that I did not feel like fighting next morning at all, for I wastired out, and the one or two wounds that I had were getting sorelystiff. Raven was much in the same case, and grumbled, sailor-wise, atthe weight of the banner and aught else that came uppermost in his mind.Yet I knew that he would be the first to go forward again when the timecame.
The host slept on their arms along the bank of the stream through thehot night, and the banner was pitched in their midst. Soon the moonrose, and only the footsteps of the sentries along our front went up anddown, while across the water was the same silence; for both hosts werewearied out, and each had learned that the other were true men, andthere was no mistrust on either side. When the light came once more weshould fight to prove who were the best men at arms, and with no hatredbetween us.
Presently the mists crept up from the stream and wreathed the sleeperson either bank with white, swaying clouds, and I mind that the lastthought I had before I closed my eyes was that my armour would be rustedby the clinging damp--as if it were not war-stained from helm todeerskin shoe already with stains that needed more cleansing than any rust.
Then I waked suddenly, for someone went past me, and I sat up to see whoit might be. The moon was very bright and high now, but the figure thatI saw wading in the white mist was shadowy, and I could not tell who itwas. And then another and yet another figure came from the rear of ourline, and passed among the sleeping ranks, and joined the firstnoiselessly; and after a little while many came, hurrying, and theyformed up on the bank of the stream into the mighty wedge. And I fearedgreatly, for not one of the sleepers stirred as the warriors went amongus, and I had looked on the faces of those who passed me, and I knewthat they were the dead whom I had seen the men gather even now and layin their last rank beyond our line.
Then I saw that on the far bank was gathered another host, and that wasof Alsi's men, and among them I knew the forms of some who had fallen inthe first onset when I led the charge.
I tried to put forth my hand to wake Withelm, but I could not stir, andwhen I would have spoken, I could frame no word, so that alone in allthe host I saw the slain men fight their battle over again, step bystep. The wedge of the Northmen won to the far shore as we had won--asthey had won in life but a few hours ago--and into the line of foementhey cut their way, and on the far side of the stream they stayed andfought, as it had been in the battle. Yet though one could see that themen shouted and cried, there was no sound at all, and among the wildestturmoil walked the sentries of Alsi's host unconcerned and unknowing.And to me they seemed to be the ghosts, and the phantom strife thatwhich was real.
Then I was ware of a stranger thing yet than all I had seen so far, foron the field were more than those whom I knew. There stood watching oneither side of the battle two other ghostly hosts, taking no part in thestruggle, but watching it as we had watched from our place when we fellback into the rear to rest, pointing and seeming to cheer strokes thatwere good and deeds that were valiant. And I knew that these were menwho had fought and died on this same field in older days, for on oneside were the white-clad Britons, and on the other the stern, dark-facedRomans, steel and bronze from head to foot.
So the battle went onward to where we had won and had been pressed back;and then, little by little, the hosts faded away, and with them went thewatchers, and surely across the field went the quick gallop of noearthly steeds, the passing to Odin of the choosers of the slain, theValkyries.
Then came across the brook to me one through the mist, and the sentriespaid no heed to him, and he came to my side and spoke to me. It wasCadwal, the Welsh thane, and his breast was gashed so that I thoughtthat he could not have lived.
"Ay, I am dead," he said, "as men count death, and yet I would have partin victory over Alsi, for the sake of Havelok and of Goldberga. Stay upmy body on the morrow, that I may seem to fight at least, that I maybide in the ranks once more in the day of victory. Little victory havethe British seen since Hengist came. Say that you will do this."
Then he looked wistfully at me, and I gave him some token of assent; andat that came back all the shadows of our men, and seemed to pray thesame. And then was a stir of feet near me, and a shadow across thetrampled grass, and instead of the dead the voice of Havelok spokesoftly to me, and with him was Goldberga, clad in her mail. And Ithought that they and I were slain also, and I cried to this one whoseemed to be one of Odin's maidens that I too would fain be stayed upwith Cadwal and the rest, that I might have part in victory.
Then Goldberga stooped to me, and laid her soft hand on my forehead, andtook off my helm, so that the air came to me, and thereat I woke altogether.
"Brother," she said, "you are restless and sorely wounded, as it seems.It is not good that you should lie in this mist."
At her voice the others woke, and for a while she talked with us in alow tone, cheering us. And presently she asked of that strange requestthat I had made to her.
I told her, for it was a message that should not be kept back, thusgiven; and when he heard it, Withelm sighed a little, and said, "Wouldthat we had all those who have fallen. Yet if it is as they have askedour brother, our host will seem as strong as before we joined battle inthe morning. Leave this to me, brother, for it may be done."
Then he rose up and went softly to where Idrys, the friend of Cadwal,lay, and spoke long with him. It was true that Cadwal was slain, thoughI had not yet heard of it until he told me himself thus.
Then I slept heavily, while the others talked for a while. It is a hardplace at a wedge tip when Englishmen are against one; and I am not muchuse in a council. Presently they would wake me if my word was wanted.
But it was not needed, for the sunlight woke me. There was a growingstir in our lines and across the water also, and I looked round. Themists were yet dense, for there was not enough breeze to stir the heavyfolds of the banner, and Raven slept still with his arm round its staff.Havelok was not here now, and I thought that he had gone to the campwith Goldberga, and would be back shortly.
Then I saw that our rear rank was already formed up, as I thought, andthat is not quite the order
of things, as a rule, and it seemed far offfrom the stream. I thought that they should have asked me about this,for there were some of my courtmen in that line.
And then I saw that in the line was no movement, and no flash of arms,as when one man speaks to another, turning a little. And before thatline stood the form of a chief who leant on his broad spear, motionlessand seeming watchful. I knew him at once, and it was Cadwal, and thosehe commanded were the dead. That was even to me an awesome sight, for inthe mists they seemed ready and waiting for the word that would nevercome to their ears, resting on the spears that they could use no more.It had been done by the marshmen in the dark hours of the morning, andfrom across the stream I saw Alsi's men staring at the new force thatthey thought had come to help us. There were men enough moving along ourbank with food to us to prevent them seeing that this line stirred notat all.
There was a scald who came