Then my father would have him come back to the house at once, out of the stormy weather, for the rain was coming now as the wind fell; and we went, not waiting for the change of garments, for that the king would not suffer.

As we turned away from the staithe, Lodbrok took my arm, asking me where he might find shelter.

“Why, come with us, surely!” I answered, having no thought but that he would have done so as our guest.

“Thanks,” he said; “I knew not if your help could go so far as that to a man whose story might well be too strange for belief.”

Now it had seemed to me that no one could doubt such a man, and so I told him that we had no doubt of him at all in that matter.  And he thanked me gravely again, walking, as I thought, more freely beside me, as knowing that he was held to be a true man.

We followed my father, who walked with the king, at a little distance because of this small delay; and presently Lodbrok asked me if this was the King of all England.

“No,” I answered; “though, indeed, he is the only king we know aught of.  This is Eadmund of East Anglia.”

“You know him well, as one may see by his way with you,” said the jarl.

“Surely, for he is my father’s close friend.  They were comrades together in King Offa’s court until the old king laid down his crown and gave the kingdom into Eadmund’s hands; and they are the same to each other now as ever.  He is my godfather; and I was in his court till I was eighteen.  Moreover, I am one of his armour bearers yet when need is.”

So I spoke plainly enough, for I think that I had, and ever shall have, reason to be proud of our nearness to the king, of whom no man had but good to say since he, almost as a boy, came to the throne.

“So then it seems that fate has brought me to court,” said the Dane.

“Yes, in a way,” I told him; “for the king will ever bide with us when he would visit this side of his kingdom.”

“I think that I have seen this king before,” said Lodbrok presently; “for he is a man the like of whom one sees not twice.”

“Then,” said I, “he will surely remember you, for he never forgets one whom he has had reason to notice.”

Whereat the jarl laughed a little to himself; but I had no time to ask why, for now we were come to the great door; and when my father would have let the king go in first Eadmund laughed at him, and took his arm and drew him in with him, so that there was a little delay, and we drew close.

Very bright and welcome looked the great oaken hall as we came in from the dark, rainy night.  A great fire burnt on its stone hearth in the centre, and the long tables were already set above and below 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 changing colour run along the bright woven stuffs that covered them to more than a man’s height from the floor.  No one in all East Anglia had so well dight a hall as had Elfric, the rich Thane of Reedham.