I promised, and then she led me to her doorway; and there I left her, but not before she had thanked me again.  I suppose that to share a burden even with me helped somewhat to lighten it.  And in all truth I meant to do my part in watching, and if possible guarding, the king.  Perhaps it would be as the queen said, that being in and yet not of his train I might be able to look on at all that went on more easily.

To that end I kept my Frankish dress, though I had meant to take to plain Saxon wear once more, with the knowledge that none would wonder that Carl’s man was kept near the king, and that in Offa’s court I should not be taken for an Anglian of his train.

Now the day came when we should set out on the long ride across England to the Welsh border, where Offa had set his throne for the time.  As may be supposed, we went first of all on that morning to the church in the dim daybreak, and there heard mass and sought for blessing on our going and returning, and then I went and saw all ready for the ride.  I had bought two more horses, good enough for change of mount now and then, one brown and the other black; and Erling was to lead them, with our belongings on a pack.  The king would travel steadily, but no more slowly than might be managed, and we were to have no wagons or the like to hinder us, though there were three ladies besides the Lady Hilda who were to go with us.

It was past sunrise when I went to find Erling, but the morning was dull and dark.  It was hot, too, for no breath of wind stirred the trees, and I seemed to notice a silence around me.  That was because the thrushes and blackbirds were not singing after their wont in the dewy daybreak of May time, and I thought they waited for the sun to break out.

When I came to the stables there was bustle everywhere, of course; but the grooms seemed troubled in some way out of the common, and Erling himself came to meet me with a puzzled face which told me that all was not well.

“There is thunder in the air, thane,” he said.  “If I mistake not, we shall have somewhat out of the way, too.  The horses are feeling it—­unless some thrall has poisoned the whole stable.”

Truly the horses were looking strangely.  Their coats stared, and their ears were cold and damp, while they seemed glad of the company of the men, whinnying low and rubbing themselves against them as they came into the stalls.  I heard one thrall say to another that the whole stable had surely been witch ridden in the night.

“Get the horses into the open,” I said.  “It is stifling in this stable.  Maybe that is what is wrong.”

My own horse was standing ready, and he greeted me, after his wont, with a little neigh; but he was wet, and his coat had lost the gloss of which Erling was so proud.  I did not like it at all, but as every horse in the place seemed to be in the same way or worse, I put it down to the thundery feel in the air.  I led him out myself, and there were two thanes of our party, who had come for their horses.