“Three sons have I in Jutland, Wulfric, my friend, and they, when they hear my story, will hold you dear to them.  Ingvar is the eldest, Hubba, the next, and the third, Halfden, is three-and-twenty, and so about your own age, as I take it, as he is also about your equal in build and strength.  Yet I would sooner see a ship of mine steered by you than by him, for he is not your equal in that matter.”

Now that praise pleased me well, as it did also my father.  For we hold the Danes as first of all peoples in the knowledge of sea craft; and we had seen that this man was a master therein.  But though at this time I thought of naught but the words of praise, hereafter I was to remember the words that Jarl Lodbrok spoke of the way in which these sons of his would hold me when the tale was told them.

At last we hailed the shore through the creeping dusk, and the shore lines were thrown out.  Then were we alongside our staithe {iii}, and Lodbrok the Dane had come to Reedham.

Now it may seem but a little thing that a seafarer should be driven to a strange coast, and be tended there in friendly wise by those who saved him from the breakers, for such is a common hap on our island shores.  Yet, from this day forward, all my life of the time yet before me was to be moulded by what came of that cast of line to one in peril.  Aye, and there are those who hold that the fate of our England herself was in hand that day, though it seems to me that that is saying overmuch.  Yet one cannot tell, and maybe those who will read this story of mine will be able to judge.

What I do know certainly is this, that all which makes my tale worth the telling comes from this beginning.

CHAPTER II.  HOW LODBROK SPOKE WITH BEORN THE FALCONER.

So soon as we had stepped ashore there came in haste one of our housecarles with word from my mother that Eadmund, the king, had that day come to our house from Caistor; so at once my father bade the man return and bring changes of clothes for himself and me and Lodbrok to our steward’s house, that we might appear in more decent trim before our guest and master.

So we waited for a little while, watching the men as they berthed the ship; and as we stood there a word went round among the knot of people watching with us, and they parted, making a little lane, as they said, “The king comes”.  And then I heard the well-known voice of Eadmund calling gaily to us: 

“Ho, friend Elfric, here have I come to see what a man fresh from a stormy voyage looks like, if light will serve me.”

And so saying, I being nearest to him, the king turned me round with his strong hands, and scanned my rough, wet garments and fur cap.

“Truly, son Wulfric,” he cried, laughing, “I think these things suit you as well as war gear, and better than court finery, in this dim light at least.  Now let me see the thane himself.”