We sent the fleet southward into the Wash, that it
might wait for us at the port of the Fossdyke, on
what men call the Frieston shore; and then we left
Saltfleet and marched across country to the wolds,
and southward and westward along them, that we might
draw Alsi from Lincoln. And all the way men joined
us for the sake of Curan, whom they knew, and of Goldberga,
of whom they had heard, so that in numbers at least
our host was a great one. Ragged it might be,
as one may say, with the wild marshmen, who had no
sort of training and no chiefs to keep them in hand;
but I knew that no host Alsi could get together had
any such trained force in it as we had in the fifteen
hundred Vikings, for they had seen many fights, and
the ways of the sea teach men to hold together and
to obey orders at once and without hesitating.
So we went until we came to Tetford, above Horncastle
town; and there is a great camp on a hilltop, made
by the British, no doubt, in the days when they fought
with Rome. There we stayed, for Alsi was upon
us. We saw the fires of his camp in the village
and on the hillsides across the valley, but a mile
or two from us that night; and it seemed that his
host was greater than ours, as we thought it would
be, but not so much so as to cause dread of the battle
that was to come.
Now there were two men who came to us that night,
and we thought that they had brought some message
from Alsi at first. But all that they wanted
was to join Havelok, and we were glad of them.
They were those two seconds of Griffin’s, Cadwal
and the other, whose name was Idrys, and with them
was David the priest, who had fled to us.
“We know that Havelok is one who is worth fighting
for,” they said, “for we have proved it
already. We are not Alsi’s men, and our
fathers fought for his mother’s Welsh kin against
the English long ago. Let us fight for the rights
of Goldberga, at least.”
Havelok welcomed them in all friendliness, though
he asked them if they had no grudge against him for
the slaying of Griffin.
“As to that,” they said, “after
the duel we think that he deserved all that has befallen
him. We were ashamed to be his seconds.”
Now these two took in hand to lead the marshmen, and
set to work with them at once, for they were ready
to follow them as known thanes of the British.
And that was something gained.
We slept on our arms that night, and all night long
David woke and prayed for our success, and I think
that his prayers were not lost.
CHAPTER XXIII. BY TETFORD STREAM.
In the early morning Alsi set his men in order in
the valley, and seemed to wait for us to come down
to him, for it was of no use to try to take the strong
camp which sheltered us. And so, after council
held, we did not keep him waiting, but left the hill
and marched on him. We had the camp to fall back
on if things went the wrong way, and beyond that the
road to the sea and the ships was open, with a chance
of meeting Ragnar on the way, moreover.
