Then I was touched a little by the kindness of this rough warrior, and thanked him.  After that we sat silent for a while, and the good dame brought out food and ale for Raud, and I envied his pleasure therein, for I took little as yet.

Now for many days past a great longing to be away from this place had filled my mind, and now seemed to be the time.

“Take me to London, Raud,” I said.

“Why, that is part of my errand here,” he answered, smiling.  “I have a message to you from Guthrum the King.”

“What might that be?”

“He wants to speak to you as one who is known to be friend to Dane and Anglian alike, and being blamed by neither for friendship with the other.  So he would have you give him counsel.”

“Let me get to London,” I said, “and then I will answer.  I cannot now.”

So Raud bided in the farm with me for a while, and now with new thoughts and with his talk of Halfden and Osritha, I mended quickly, for it was my troubled mind that had kept me back mostly, as I cared for nothing.

One day I felt strong again, waking up and taking delight in the smell of the fresh morning and in the sunlight.  And I ate heartily of the brown bread and milk they gave me, and afterwards told Raud of what I had been long thinking.

“All things are quiet in the land now.  Let us gather a few of my people and seek the head of our king, if you fear not to go into Hoxne woods.”

Raud thought for a while before he answered me.

“I fear not, for the poor king thanked me, smiling at me.  Let me go with you.”

So that day the dame sent messages by her son to some who had come back to their places, and in the evening when he came home, there were with him two of Bishop Humbert’s monks, dressed like churls, for they dared not wear their habits.  These two and some others would gladly come with me on my search.

Next day, therefore, they set me on a pony that was quiet, and slowly we went towards Hoxne, coming thither in the afternoon early, seeing no Danes anywhere, while many of our folk were back and at work in the fields.

Then I asked Raud if these poor people were safe now.

“Surely, master,” he said, for so he would call me, having heard the farm people name me thus.  “There is none so great difference between you and us, and we Danes love to be at peace if we may.  I think there will be no more trouble here.  And, anyway, we are too wise to hinder a harvesting of that we may eat.”

So too thought I, and my heart was less sad after that ride, though there was not one place left unburnt of all that we saw.

When we came to Hoxne I told the two monks where we had bestowed the king’s body, bidding them look to see if it was not disturbed.  And they said that his bones were safely there.

Now we must seek for the head of the king, and in that Rand could not help us, for one had ridden away with it while he was taken up with me and my plight.