IN WINTER QUARTERS.
Next morning Halfdan's men joined forces with the new arrivals, and
got the two ships up on the shore, dismantling and unloading them,
while parties of men hastened out to the surrounding woods, and
returned with great quantities of firewood and timber, with which
fresh huts were built.
This was finished by evening, for Halfdan had a hundred and fifty
men, and many hands made light labor. For several days the Norsemen
rested quietly, for they had many wounded, and some of the Saxons
were still down with fever. Sigrid, however, was now almost well,
and the jovial roughness of Halfdan amused her and brought the roses
back to her cheeks.
Sigurd and Alfred wished to visit the town above, and if possible to
take up their quarters there, but Halfdan discouraged them from doing
so.
"King Idwal watches us sharp enough, for he has suspicions of every
Northman within a hundred miles. One cannot blame him, either; the
vikings have ravaged poor Bretland terribly, destroying monasteries
and towns, and burning and plundering. Your own man Biorn is a
sample; he was carried off in his youth.
"As for visiting the town, it is not worth while. There is nothing
there save a great castle and a cluster of dirty little houses, and
in any case Idwal has forbidden our men to enter the town. Once a
week the country folk come down here with their market stuff, and
Idwal sends us ale by the cask. Never fear, he will be down pretty
soon to see for himself who these new vikings are."
For two weeks they remained in camp, seeing nothing of the Welsh
king, but all were greatly interested in the people, who brought
fresh meat and food into camp once a week. Indeed, the vikings' camp
at these times assumed the appearance of a fair, for most of the men
made small objects which the country people took in exchange, and
many merchants set up permanent booths inside the camp. The Welsh
people were smaller by far than the Norsemen or Danes, and their
bright, quick eyes and black straight hair contrasted strangely with
the Northmen and Saxons, most of whom were fair.
Sigurd and Alfred had at first feared that the Saxons and Danes,
hereditary enemies, would not mingle well; but their fears proved to
be unfounded. Halfdan discovered from the country people that in the
forests to the west, only a few miles distant, wolves were a terrible
scourge; so the men set to work and made skis for themselves, and
even Sigrid learned to use the "snow-skates," as the Saxons called
the long wooden runners. In the second week of their stay the four
young people and Halfdan took a score of men, leaving the camp in
charge of Biorn, and for three days went off on a wolf-hunt in the
forest.
On their return Biorn told them that word had arrived in their
absence from King Idwal, who intended to visit them on the following
day, with all his court. Great preparations were made for his
reception. Pine boughs were brought in from the forest, with which
the huts were decorated gayly, and Halfdan's large hut was hung with
tapestries and cloths, which Sigurd found in the cargo of the vessel
which Biorn had captured.
All the men rubbed up their armor and weapons, and when in the
morning the Welsh were seen winding down the hill, the force was
drawn up in three divisions, the Danes, Norsemen and Saxons grouping
themselves together under the standards of Halfdan, Sigurd and
Alfred. Presently the Welsh arrived in the valley leading to the
camp, and their coming was greeted by a loud burst from the horns of
the vikings.
[Illustration: "_They were greeted by a loud burst from the horns of
the vikings._"]
Leading the way came a troop of archers, behind whom, mounted on
small shaggy ponies, rode the King and his court. Idwal was a larger
man than most of his followers, with keen black eyes and firm
features, shaved in the Danish fashion, with two long mustaches. As
he came up Halfdan advanced and greeted him.
"Welcome, my lord King! It gives us pleasure to return the
hospitality of your castle!"
Idwal smiled. "Truly, Jarl, I am glad that these men of yours are
not minded to foray my borders! We would have a hard time of it to
repel such a force as this. I heard that you had been joined by a
fresh band of vikings, so came down to assure myself that we were in
no danger."
At this Halfdan motioned Sigurd and his friends to advance and
presented them to the King. The latter frowned as Alfred came
forward, and swept his eye over the band of Saxons.
"It is many years since a Saxon has dared seek hospitality from the
Cymry, my lad," he remarked. Then Alfred told his story, and the
king's face cleared.
"Well, to be frank, I have small love for Saxons, but since you are
enemies of Ethelred, that is another matter. Tell me, in case your
father returned home and I joined with King Svein, would you be for
or against me?"
He gazed keenly at Alfred, but the lad met the look squarely, though
with a smile. "As to that, my lord King, I can only say that I would
fight for my own land against the invader, whoever he was; yet if my
father thinks it right to join King Svein, as well he may, I will be
at his side."
Halfdan broke in with a laugh. "Don't be afraid, my lord, this Saxon
will not have to be feared for some time to come! I dare say that if
you make a foray against Ethelred this spring, he would stand as
stoutly at your side as any of your nobles. But come into the camp,
my lord."
The vikings opened a path between their ranks, and Idwal led his men
through them. In an open space amid the huts, Halfdan had cleared
away the snow and stretched a large sail over a number of long
tables, while on either side blazed a dozen great fires.
"By my faith," cried King Idwal, "this is a right royal reception,
Jarl! An open air banquet is far more to my liking than one inside
these huts, and these fires would warm an army!"
So saying, the king tossed aside his fur cloak, and Sigurd saw that
he wore a light suit of armor beneath it. In the king's train were
some twoscore nobles, and a bishop, to whom Halfdan accorded the
place of honor. Among the Welsh, bishops and priests were honored
even above the king, and they found Bishop Dafydd a learned, kindly,
and intensely religious man, who was at once interested in Astrid and
Wulf, with both of whom he conversed at great length.
It was well, indeed, that Halfdan had been hunting for three days
previously, for his stock of venison was heavily drawn upon. Great
fish were brought in, newly taken from the river below, and to the
delight of the Welshmen a huge boar's head, in the Saxon style, was
placed before the king. The vikings spared no pains to make the
feast a notable one, and to Sigurd's satisfaction the presence of
Bishop Dafydd and his men prevented it from becoming a wild carouse,
as the Norsemen were only too apt to make it.
Before the King left that evening there was an exchange of gifts, as
was customary. Biorn and Jarl Halfdan, who were skillful smiths, had
the week before made a beautiful byrnie, of woven gold rings, and
this was presented to the king, who was delighted with it.
He presented Halfdan with a great boar-hound, and to Sigurd he gave a
cloak, edged with fur, the scarlet cloth embroidered in silver
thread. As he had been informed of the presence of the two girls, he
had thoughtfully brought for them new outfits of garments suited to
their rank.
Idwal returned to his castle that evening, and the bond between him
and the vikings was firmly cemented. He assured Jarl Halfdan that as
soon as King Svein landed in the east he would pour a flood of men
over the West Saxon earldoms, and Halfdan had no doubt that the
Danish king would fulfill the oath he had sworn at his accession
feast.
After this the camp settled down for the remainder of the winter.
Every week hunting parties, on skis, brought in fresh meat from the
surrounding forests, while their arms were repaired and added to by
the smiths. The chiefs of the Northmen were all trained armorers,
and his work at the forge added greatly to Sigurd's strength and
widened his shoulders immensely.
The two girls had a most enjoyable time, for every man in the camp
worshiped them. They joined the hunting parties, and many a wolf
fell before Astrid's bow, while Sigrid, though less warlike, took
part with equal zest.
The time passed away rapidly, and in March the snows melted and the
four ships were run out and overhauled. They were freshly pitched
and calked, the masts were stepped, and at last they lay at anchor,
fully ready for the sea.
King Idwal paid the camp a second visit, after which the chiefs
returned to the castle with him for a few days. He sent down
provisions of all kinds for the ships, and at the beginning of April,
Sigurd took leave of Halfdan.
They gathered in the Jarl's hut on the evening before sailing.
"Now, Jarl," said Sigurd, "I suppose you will take Astrid home with
you?"
"That depends," replied Halfdan, quizzically, "upon whether she wants
to go or not! She seems to like wandering about the world, with a
knight-errant to rescue her and guard her from harm!"
Astrid blushed, and cried, "That's not fair, uncle! I'm going home
with you--but listen! Why can't you come with us to King Olaf, and
go home by the north? It is just as short that way, and far less
dangerous!"
The big Jarl leaped to his feet. "Hurrah! I never even thought of
that; I thought to go home around the south of England, but in truth
this way is as short, and I would fain see this King Olaf, whom you
praise so highly."
It had been arranged that Halfdan was not to sail till the next week,
so he at once dashed out and called his chiefs together. Telling
them of the new plan, the men went to work, by torchlight, and
finished loading his two ships, and by morning all was ready.
With a fair wind they reached out into the bay, and three mornings
later, after coasting along the Irish shore, they came in sight of
the towers of Dublin.