AT ETHELRED'S COURT.
Sigurd flung his hand up and sheathed his sword. The Saxons paused,
and one of their number stepped forward.
"You will get little plunder here, vikings, and many hard knocks," he
called, "so you had best put to sea again."
"We are no vikings or sea-wolves," answered Sigurd. "I am Jarl
Sigurd Buisson, one of King Olaf's men from Dublin, and am in pursuit
of these men who fled up to the town. Two days since they abducted a
noble lady from Olaf's own castle, whom I seek to rescue."
The Saxon leader gave an exclamation of astonishment, and at this
moment Sigurd's men ran up and joined him. The Saxon bows were
raised, but the leader checked them.
"You look over-young to be a Jarl," he declared, "but if your story
is true we have indeed done ill. The leader of those men said he was
pursued by sea-robbers, and that he was on his way to King Ethelred;
so, although he was a Northman, we gave him safe conduct. What proof
have you of your tale?"
Sigurd, who was in despair at this unexpected check, knew that it was
necessary to win the Saxon over. "Does my ship look like a viking
dragon?" he said calmly. "Were we vikings, we would not be abroad
this time of year. See, I wear the Cross, and my men are from Olaf's
courtmen, as you may see from their shields and weapons. We are
Christians all, and no followers of Thor."
At this the Saxon stepped up and shook his hand heartily. "Your
pardon, Jarl, but I am warden of the coast, and must do my utmost to
defend it from sea-rovers. I am Jarl Edmund, and now I recall that
in the other party was a woman, or rather girl."
"She is a noble lady of Denmark," said Sigurd, not thinking it wise
to tell Astrid's real position. "Now, cannot we follow these men to
the town?"
Jarl Edmund turned. "Of course, but they told us they were on the
King's business, and I sent a man with them to get them horses at
once. I am indeed sorry for this, Jarl."
"You but did your duty," replied Sigurd, "and there is no help for
it." He looked at Biorn: "What is your counsel, old friend?"
"Ketil will push forward to London," replied Biorn, "so I think you
had best follow him with the Jomsborg men, and try to catch him. I
will take the others and the 'Crane,' and proceed by sea to London."
"Good!" Sigurd turned to Edmund again. "I suppose we can procure
horses in the town yonder?"
"Yes," replied the Saxon, eager to repair his mistake, "I will myself
go with you."
Sigurd picked out his old Jomsborg men, and saying farewell to Biorn,
made all haste to reach the town. As they entered, Edmund dispatched
several men, one of whom returned with the news that Ketil's party
had left ten minutes before. At this Edmund made a gesture of dismay.
"I fear you will not come up with them, Jarl Sigurd, for they took
the best horses to be found. However, we will see what we can do."
In half an hour Sigurd and his men were riding east, Edmund having
furnished them with a guide. They pushed on for many days, but found
that Ketil kept well ahead, commandeering the best horses as he went,
on the plea of the King's business. At Malmesbury and Wantage,
Sigurd and his men were surprised at the size of the cities and the
splendid civilization they found there, which was far ahead of any
that the north could boast of. Wessex and Sussex had not been
ravaged by the Danes for many years, and the country amazed them by
its beauty and fertility.
"If these Saxons had kings like ours," remarked Sigurd to his men,
"King Svein would have a hard time indeed before he could take the
throne of England."
At Reading they found that Ketil was only half a day ahead of them so
they pushed on to London with all speed, reaching it in the evening.
Next morning Sigurd took his way to the palace.
Here he gave his name and title to the chamberlain, and was shown
into the great hall, around which ran a buzz of astonishment as he
appeared. Sigurd had filled out amazingly in the last few months,
and was large for his age; he wore his golden helm, a blue cloth
kirtle and waist, and the great sword that Olaf had given him, its
hilt wound with gold and the scabbard thick with carved ivory. As he
walked up the hall, he removed his helm and let his long golden hair
stream over his shoulders.
The chamberlain led him to the high-seat, and Sigurd knelt a moment
before King Ethelred, then rose. The king was a pale, crafty-looking
man, and as Sigurd looked around his heart sank for an instant, for
among the courtiers he beheld the mocking face of Ketil.
After the chamberlain announced his name and title, the King arose.
"Greeting, Jarl Sigurd! The men of King Olaf are ever welcome at our
court, and we look forward to another visit from himself. Well I
remember Olaf, who spent a year or two with us, and I would fain see
him again. You look young to hold a Jarlship under so great a man!"
Sigurd answered fittingly, then said, "My lord King, I ask your aid.
Among your men I see a certain Norseman, Ketil Gormson, who not long
since abducted a lady from the castle of King Olaf. I have followed
him closely, and since he is here, the Lady Astrid is not far away."
King Ethelred looked surprised. "Why, what is this? The man Ketil
is a peaceful trader, and arrived here only yesterday. He has told
me nothing of any lady!"
"Nevertheless," replied Sigurd firmly, "she is with him, and King
Olaf sent me to rescue her. I must crave your help, King Ethelred."
The king ordered Ketil to stand forth, which he did, a sly smile upon
his face. Ethelred asked him what he knew of Sigurd's tale.
"Nothing, my lord; I have no woman with me, and have but just arrived
by slow stages from the west coast where I was trading."
Ethelred looked at Sigurd, and then the latter knew that he was being
made a mock of. No doubt the king had Astrid hid away, intending to
hold her for a hostage.
"You see, Jarl Sigurd," said the king softly, "you must have been
mistaken in this man, who is a kind-hearted fellow indeed. Anything
that I can do to aid you will be done at once. Bring your men to the
palace, and you shall be given quarters here."
At these words, and Ketil's mocking smile, Sigurd lost his temper.
Taking a step forward, he cried angrily: "There is no mistake, King
Ethelred, and well you know it! Think not that you will escape the
heavy hand of Olaf by smooth words, when he hears of this. As for
you, Ketil," Sigurd turned on the man, who shrank back at his blazing
eyes, "take heed to yourself! If I meet you outside the palace I
will slay you like the dog you are!"
[Illustration: "_As for you, Ketil, take heed to yourself!_"]
"You forget yourself, Jarl Sigurd," spoke out the king, sternly. "I
have promised you assistance in this matter, so bring your men to the
palace at once, and we will have search made for the lady."
Sigurd rejoined his men with dismay in his heart. He knew only too
well that the King's command meant that he would be watched closely,
and he saw no way of rescuing Astrid. When he told the men the
result of his visit to court, they were as angry as he; but there was
no help for it, and in the afternoon they took up their quarters in
the palace.
Ketil took good care to keep out of Sigurd's way. The Jomsvikings
wandered freely about the city, staring wonderingly in the shops, and
Sigurd bade them keep a sharp lookout for Astrid. The days passed
away, and Ethelred tried to soothe his visitors by a pretended search
of the city, and by soft words, but at last Sigurd determined to take
matters into his own hands. It was now the middle of February, and
Sigurd was impatient to return to King Olaf.
Calling his men together after the evening meal, he said, "Men, if we
are to find Lady Astrid we must do it ourselves. I believe she is
held here in the palace, in the woman's wing; do you therefore hang
about that side, pretending to look in the shops. I myself will do
the same, and mayhap the Lady Astrid will either see us, or we will
light on some clue."
Sigurd was treated with great honor, but when he went abroad he knew
that he was spied upon closely. The next day he visited the shops
near the women's quarters of the palace, and as he sauntered along
one of his men strolled up.
"Come with me, Jarl," he whispered. Sigurd accompanied him, talking
and laughing, and the man said, "Look at the third window from the
end."
Sigurd did so, and his heart gave a leap of joy. There, hanging from
a corner of the window, was a scrap of blue and gold cloth that he
knew had been taken from Astrid's scarf. As he looked up, a face
appeared, but at a quick sign of warning from him, it vanished.
"Hurrah!" he cried, when he had regained his room, "we have found
her, sure enough! And now to rescue her."
That same evening he heard a wild shout go up from his men, in the
next room, and a moment later Biorn strode into his room. Sigurd
greeted him with unbounded joy, then seeing Biorn's face half covered
with bandages, cried:
"What is this? Wounded, Biorn?"
The old viking smiled. "We met a Danish ship four days ago, Jarl,
and she stopped to talk with us."
"Up to your old tricks, sea-wolf!" laughed Sigurd. "What did you
talk about?"
"The price of swords, mainly," answered Skarde. "The Danes finally
decided that ours were better, so we gave them Ketil's old trading
ship and brought in the Dane with us; she is brand new, and as fast
as the 'Crane.' It was hard work, though, for I had only thirty men,
and they were double that. We lost ten killed, and half of us are
wounded; but that is no matter. Now for your story."
Sigurd quickly outlined the position of himself and Astrid. When he
concluded, Biorn was silent for some time.
"It is no light matter, Sigurd, to brave Ethelred; but I think we had
best carry off the Lady Astrid. Once aboard the 'Crane,' we would be
safe. But how to do the business?"
"By craft only, Biorn. Astrid saw me to-day, and knows we are here.
How to get a message to her?"
"That is easy enough. Do you write it, and I will shoot an arrow
into her window to-night."
"Good! I never thought of that." Sigurd procured a bit of
parchment, and in a few minutes the message was ready. "I told her
that to-morrow night we would wait beneath her window. She must
contrive to let herself down, and if necessary we will fight our way
down to the 'Crane.' Is she below the bridge or above it?"
"Below. I will go down to-morrow and bid the men be ready to receive
us. We must get some fresh water on board, too."
An hour later Biorn returned. "The arrow flew straight, Jarl. I
waited a few minutes and saw a light cross her shutter thrice."
Sigurd nodded. "Then she understands. Get the 'Crane' ready
to-morrow, and return by nightfall. Better have a boat or two at the
water-stairs, just at the end of this street."
"Trust me, Jarl," said the old viking, and returned to the ship.