The guard took our weapons from us, bound us afresh but not very tightly, and set us with our backs against the gunwale of the fore deck of the ship they had us on board, which was that with the raven flag.  Over us towered a wonderful carven dragon’s head, painted green and gilded, and at the stern of the ship rose what was meant for its carven tail.  The other ships had somewhat the same adornment to their stems and stern posts, but they were not so high or so handsome.  Plainly this was the chief’s own ship.

Now I suppose that the presence of a captive or two was no new thing to the men, for when they had secured us each to a ring bolt with a short line, they paid little heed to us, but stood and talked to one another with hardly a glance in our direction.  Seeing which my cousin spoke to me in a low voice.

“This is a bad business, Wilfrid,” he said.  “Poor lad, I am more than sorry I let you come with me.  Forgive me.  I ought to have known that there was danger.”

“Trouble not at all,” I said, as stoutly as I could, which is not saying much.  “I wanted to come, and there was no reason to think that things would go thus.  Even now I suppose we shall be let go presently.”

Elfric shook his head.  I could see that he was far more deeply troubled than he cared to show, and my heart sank.

“I cannot rightly make it all out,” he said.  “But these men are certainly the northern strangers who have harried Wales, even as we feared.”

“Well,” I said, “we shall have the sheriff here shortly.”

“Beaduheard?  I suppose so.  Little help will be from him.  It would take three days to raise force enough to drive off these men, and he is headstrong and hot tempered.  His only chance is to scare them away with a show of force, or, at best, to prevent their going inland after plunder; for that is what they are here for.”

“Maybe they will hold us to ransom.”

“That is the best we can hope for.  Of course I will pay yours.”

The bustle went on, and I watched the stowing of the plunder after this, for I had no more to say.  I thought of my father, and of the trouble he would be in if he knew my plight, and tried to think what a tale I should have to tell him when I reached home again.

And then came an old warrior, well armed and handsome, with iron-gray hair and beard, and he stepped on the deck and looked curiously at us.

“Captives, eh?” he said to the men.  “Whence came they?”

“Thorleif sent them in,” answered one of the guard.  “It was his word that they would be good hostages.”

As I knew that this man spoke of his chief, it seemed to me that he was hardly respectful; but I did not know the way of free Danes and vikings as yet.  There was no disrespect at all, in truth, but full loyalty and discipline in every way.  Only it sounded strangely to a Saxon to hear no term of rank or respect added to the bare name of a leader.