Havelok the Dane

by Charles W. Whistler

with us from Denmark, and now with the fullrising of the sun he took his harp and went along the stream banksinging the song of Dunheidi fight and so sweet was his voice, and sostrong, that even Alsi's men gathered to hearken to him. His name wasHeidrek, and he has set all that he saw with Havelok into a saga; butwe, here, mostly remember the brave waking that he gave us that morning.It was wonderful how the bright song cheered us. One saw that thestiffened limbs shook themselves into litheness once more, and thelistless faces brightened, and into the hearts that were heavy came newhope, and that was the song's work.

  Now men began to jest with their foes across the stream, and those whohad Danish loaves threw them across in exchange for English, that theymight have somewhat to talk of. Ours were rye, and theirs of barley; butit was not a fair change after ours had been so long a voyage.

  It was not long before our war horns sounded for the mustering, and menran to their arms. The Lindsey host drew back from the talk with our menat the same time, and, without waiting for word from their leaders,began to get in line along the stream, where they had been when wehalted last night. But we had no thought of falling on them until we hadhad some parley with the king or the Earl of Chester. And now it wasplain that with the grim rearguard behind us we outnumbered the men ofAlsi who were left.

  Now came from the village in rear of the foe a little company, in themidst of which was one horseman, and that was the king himself. His armwas slung to his breast, and he sat his horse weakly, so that it wastrue enough that he had been hurt. With him were the earl and Eglaf, andthe housecarls, and I sent one to fetch Havelok quickly, that theremight be no delay in the words that were to be said.

  Alsi rode to the water's edge and looked out over our host, and hiswhite face became whiter, and his thin lips twitched as he saw that ourline was no weaker than it had seemed when first he saw it. He spoke tothe earl, and he too counted the odds before him, and he smiled a littleto himself. He had not much to say to Alsi.

  Then broke out a thunderous cheer from all our men, for with Havelok andSigurd at her horse's rein, and with Withelm's courtmen of her own guardbehind her, came Goldberga the queen to speak with the man who hadbroken his trust. She had on her mail, as on the day when we endedHodulf; and she rode to the centre of our line, and there stayed, with aflush on her cheek that the wild shouts of our men had called there.

  Then I heard the name of "Goldberga, Goldberga!" run down the Englishline, and I saw Alsi shrink back into himself, as it were; and then someLincoln men close to him began to grow restless, and all at once theylifted their helms and cheered also, and that cheer was taken up by allthe host, as it seemed, until the ring of hills seemed alive withvoices. And with that Alsi half turned his horse to fly.

  Yet his men did not mean to leave him. It was but the hailing of thelady whom they knew, and her coming thus was more than the simplewarriors had wit or mind to fathom. But now Goldberga held up her hand,and the cries ceased, and silence came. Then she lifted her voice, clearas a silver bell, and said, "It seems strange to me that English folkshould be fighting against me and my husband's men who have brought mehome. I would know the meaning of this, King Alsi, for it would seemthat your oath to my father is badly kept. Maybe I have thought that thepeople would not have me in his place; but their voice does not ring inthose shouts, for which I thank them with all my heart, as if they hatedme. Now, therefore, I myself ask that my guardian will give up to methat which is my own."

  We held our peace, but a hum of talk went all through the English ranks.The Earl of Chester sat down on the bank, and set his sword across hisknees, and began to tie the peace strings round the hilt, in token thathe was going to fight no more. Now and then he looked at Goldberga, andsmiled at her earnest face. But Alsi made no sign of answer.

  Then the queen spoke again to him.

  "There must be some reason why you have thus set a host in arms againstme," she said, "and what that may be I would know."

  Then, as Alsi answered not at all, the earl spoke frankly.

  "We were told that we had to drive out the Vikings, and I must say thatthey do not go easily. But it was not told us that they came here toright a wrong, else had I not fought."

  Many called out in the same words, and then sat down as the earl had done.

  And at last Alsi spoke for himself.

  "We do not fight against you, my niece, but against the Danes. We cannothave them in the country."

  "They do not mean to bide here, but they will not go before my throne isgiven to me. Never came a foreign host into a land in more friendly wisethan this of mine."

  At that Alsi's face seemed to clear, and his forced smile came to him.He looked round on the thanes who were nearest him, and coughed, andthen answered, "Here has been some mistake, my niece, and it has costmany good lives. If it is even as you say, get you to your land ofAnglia, and there shall be peace. I myself will send word to Ragnar thathe shall hail you as queen."

  Then up spoke a new voice, and it was one that I knew well.

  "No need to do that, lord king," said Berthun the cook. "Here have Icome posthaste, and riding day and night, to say that Ragnar is but aday's march from here, that he and all Norfolk may see that their queencomes to her own."

  Then Alsi's face grew ashy pale, and without another word he swung hishorse round and went his way. I saw him reel in the saddle before he hadgone far, and Eglaf set his arm round him and stayed him up. After himGoldberga looked wistfully, for she was forgiving, and had fain that hehad spoken one word of sorrow. But none else heeded him, for now thethanes, led by the earl himself, came thronging across the water, thatthey might ask forgiveness for even seeming to withstand Goldberga. Andon both sides the men set down their arms, and began to pile mightyfires, that the peace made should not want its handfasting feast.

  For the fair princess had won her own, and there was naught but gladness.

  CHAPTER XXIV. PEACE, AND FAREWELL.

  Now there was feasting enough, and somewhere they found at a thane'shouse a great tent, and they set that up, so that Havelok and Goldbergamight have their own court round them, as it were. Gladly did Berthunrid himself of war gear and take to his old trade again. I suppose thatthe little Tetford valley had never heard the like sounds of rejoicingbefore.

  Near midnight a man came to me and said that a message had come to mefrom the other side, and I rose from the board and went out, to findEglaf waiting for me in the moonlight. He was armed, and his face waswan and tired.

  "Come apart, friend," he said; "I have a message from the king."

  "To me?"

  "No, to Havelok. But you must hear it first, and then tell him as you will."

  We walked away from the tent and across the hillside for some way, andthen he said without more words, "This is the message that Alsi sends toHavelok, whose name was Curan. 'Forgive the things that are past, formany there are that need forgiving. I have no heir, and it is for myselfthat I have schemed amiss. In Lincoln town lies a great treasure, ofwhich Eglaf and I alone know. Give it, I pray you, to your Danes, thatthey may harm the land not at all, and so shall I ward off some of theevil that might come through me even yet. I think that, after me, youshall be king.'"

  "That is wise of Alsi; but is there no word for Goldberga?"

  "Ay, but not by my mouth. I fetched David the priest two hours ago, andhe bears those messages."

  "Is there yet more to say?" I asked, for it seemed to me that there was.

  "There is," he answered. "Alsi is dead."

  So there was an end of all his schemings, and I will say no more ofthem. It was Eglaf's thought that it was not so much his hurts that hadkilled the king, but a broken heart because of this failure. For thesecond time now I knew that it is true that "old sin makes new shame."

  Now how we told Havelok this, and how Goldberga was somewhat comfortedby the words that David the priest brought her from her uncle, there isno need to say. But when the news was known in all the host of Lindsey,there was a great gathering of all
in the wide meadow, and we sat in thecamp and wondered what end should be to the talk. Ragnar had come; buthis host was now no great one, for we had sent word to him of the peace,and there was a great welcome for him and his men.

  The Lindsey thanes did not talk long, and presently some half dozen ofthe best of them came to us, and said that with one accord the gatheringwould ask that Havelok and Goldberga should reign over them.

  "We will answer for all in the land," they said. "If there are otherthanes who should have had a word in the matter, they are not herebecause, knowing more than we, they would not fight for Alsi in thisquarrel. If there is any other man to be thought of, he cannot goagainst the word of the host."

  "I have my kingdom in Denmark," said Havelok, "and my wife has hers inAnglia. How should we take this? See, here is Ragnar