_How Wulnoth met with Wyborga again_
Now after the slaying of Edmund the King, the Danes cast his body into
a field as though it were but the body of some base-born slave, and
even those who had cried shame forgot all about it, and went back to
their feasting; for what was one foe more or less? And as to burying
the body, the viking lords were too busy slaying to think of burying,
and the dogs and the crows would soon make an end of the corpse.
But the heart of Wulnoth was heavy within him at this murder, for so he
felt it was, and he thought within himself that these Danes were ill
masters to serve. Yet he would not leave them, because he knew not whom
else to follow, and also because he felt in his heart that there was
a matter yet to be settled between Hungwar and himself; and moreover,
unless he tarried, how should he ever learn the fate of Guthred his
friend?
Now that night all over the land there shone the glare of flames,
telling of the work which was being done by the Danish bands, but in
the camp the leaders stayed and feasted.
Some were for pushing on at once, but Hungwar was too cunning for
that, and he said that it was ill to put too great a distance between
themselves and the sea until their ships returned with more of their
men, seeing that they were safe where they were.
"The army of the East Saxons is destroyed," he said, "and will not come
against us again; therefore here will we abide for the time, and the
people shall serve us, and presently we will march into Mercia and join
our brethren there."
Most agreed to this, but some grumbled, and in the end left Hungwar and
marched inland, and amongst these was Hubba, but that was not yet.
Now on the night of the killing of the King, Wulnoth took his spear
in his hand, and, with his sword by his side, he wandered into the
darkness, for his mind was full of restless thoughts, and he cared not
whither his feet bore him.
And as he went he thought of Wyborga and the little cross she had made,
and the wonder tale which Edgiva had told him, and of the way in which
the King had died for his Lord; and he wondered also whether the tales
of the gods of the Northland were true tales or false, and he wondered
whither he must go to seek the strongest and the mightiest lord, now
that old Regner Lodbrok was dead.
And as he wandered he came to a wood, and he entered its darkness and
solitude, for he had little fear of meeting any foe, all having fled
far from the Danes, and only the churls remaining, and they would be
more afraid of him than he need be of them.
It was quiet here, and reminded him of the woods in distant Lethra,
where he had walked with Edgiva the Beautiful in the happy days. And
the Danes had destroyed Lethra and laid it in ruins--and yet he was
serving with the Danes! Wulnoth shook his spear at that thought, and he
said aloud--
"Yet for the while I will tarry, and presently I will speak a word with
the sons of Regner for the deeds they have done to those dear to me,
and then shall Hungwar know who the Wanderer is and why he has joined
him."
And then he paused and stared in wonder, thinking that some night hag
must be playing with him, for from the darkness came the voice of
Edgiva the Beautiful, and it said--
"Greeting, Wanderer, who wast called Wulnoth!"
"Who art thou who callest to me with the voice of my Princess?" he
cried. "Whoever thou art, good or evil, show thyself I command thee by
the name of Thor."
"Little care I for that name, Wanderer," the voice answered, and then
there was silence, and he called again and again, but without success.
Then just as he would have turned back, another voice spoke and said--
"Greeting, Wulnoth!" and this time he made out a figure coming towards
him. And he sprang forward and caught at it, saying--
"Now who art thou who walkest by night and callest greeting to me?"
"One whom thou hast known as a friend, Wulnoth," came the reply, and
Wulnoth knew the voice then for that of Wyborga the Wise, and he cried,
trembling with eagerness--
"O Wyborga, is it thou? How dost thou come into this land? Then I was
not deceived when I thought that my Princess spoke to me not long
since! O Wyborga, lead me to her, for I have sought her with a long and
weary seeking, and my heart failed me at last."
But Wyborga answered--
"No, Wulnoth, for it has already been told to thee that you two will
not meet again to abide until thou hast learnt the wonder tale, which
thou hast till now rejected."
"The story of the White Christ?" said Wulnoth. "Oh, Wyborga, I have
heard that tale, but it seems to me an idle saga and fit for nithings."
"Wulnoth," said Wyborga gravely, "there was one in yonder camp of
murderers who was not a nithing, and yet who believed in that tale."
"The Saxon King!" he said. "Ah, Wyborga, I dare not ask thee how thou
dost know that, for thou knowest so many things, thou woman of mystery.
But this I say--that King was a brave man, and they who put him to
shame are cowards even though they are brave in the war game."
"Tell me how he died, Wulnoth," said Wyborga. "Tell me all." And he
obeyed, while Wyborga listened with bent head and with many a sigh.
"So does the Lord desire of His people," she said when he finished,
"and so does Edmund gain a better crown than the golden one of earth."
"I understand not your words," Wulnoth made answer. "They are still
dark with mystery--all the world is a puzzle to me now, and where to
seek for Guthred the Prince I know not. Cannot you speak clearly to me,
Wyborga?"
"Edgiva spoke clearly, Wulnoth, but you could not understand her tale."
"But that was of the White Christ," he cried. "Does everything refer to
Him?" And Wyborga said--
"Everything is to Him."
Then there was silence for a space, and Wulnoth spoke again and asked
of Edgiva; and Wyborga made reply and inquired whether he would like to
see her.
"To see Edgiva, O Wyborga!" he cried. "I would do anything to see my
Princess again." And Wyborga nodded.
"Now I will test thee, Wulnoth, and there shall be nothing of dishonor
in my request. Tell me first, where is the body of the King?"
This Wulnoth told to her, and then Wyborga said--
"Now listen, Wulnoth. Thou art to stand here without moving, and there
will come to thee a man. Him thou must lead stealthily into the camp,
and if any meet thee, thou must pass him off as a companion. Canst thou
do this?"
"Easily can it be done, Wyborga, for the camp is feasting now, and only
the watchers are at their posts."
"That is good, then," the wise woman replied. "Now thou must guide this
man, asking no questions, to the place where the dead King is thrown,
and thou must help him to bear the body without the camp. Wilt thou do
this?"
"Yea, Wyborga, for there is no harm in it; and if, as I suppose, this
man is the King's man, seeking to do honor to the dead, then will I
gladly do it. But how may I see Edgiva?"
"When thy work is done the reward shall be sure, Wulnoth. The man
who will go with thee will tell thee how and when thou shalt see the
Princess."
But then an angry suspicion came to Wulnoth, and he cried--
"O Wyborga, of old the Princess told me that she had a Lord. Now is
this man her lord, or was the dead King her lord, that she is in his
country?"
"Set thy heart at rest, Wulnoth," replied Wyborga. "Edgiva's Lord is
the Lord for Whose honor the King died. Thou art hasty and foolish, and
therefore trouble has been thine. Be patient now, and remember that as
of old, I am thy friend."
"I will trust you, Wyborga," Wulnoth answered.
And then Wyborga called softly thrice, like the cry of the wood owl,
and a step sounded, and through the bushes a man came and greeted
Wyborga.
"Thou hast called, good mother," he said. "Then thy mission is
successful, and thou hast found some one who can guide me, and who will
help me?"
"I have found some one," answered Wyborga, and then again she turned to
Wulnoth and addressed him by his name of Wanderer.
"Wanderer, this is the man I spoke of; and were it not that I know thee
to be brave and true, I would not have trusted thee, for though thou
knowest it not, thou hast a great treasure--ay, the hope of this land
in thy hand. Wanderer, guard this man as thou wouldst guard thine own
life--nay, more closely even, for thy life thou wouldst risk, but this
man's life thou must not risk. Only because a holy duty is to be done
shall this danger be run."
"Now," thought Wulnoth, "this must be some son of the dead King who
will seek to reign in his stead. But that matters not. I will guide
him and so shall I see my Princess again, and if any try to hinder me,
well, it will mean hard blows will be given."
Then he loosened his sword in its sheath, and he turned to the man,
saying simply--
"Come with me, stranger, and tread boldly. To do otherwise might be to
make suspicion. Thou art one of the soldiers returning with me, and
thou must laugh and sing and be merry; so shall we pass through the
camp without fear."
"Atheling!" cried Wyborga in alarm. And Wulnoth thought to himself--
"So I am right! We have a prince here," for so the word meant in the
Saxon.
But the man laughed and said--
"Have no fear, my good mother, for the way this good man advises is the
best. 'T is often safer when we wish to hide something to place it where
all may see it, and the best disguise may be to appear to desire to be
seen. Come, Wanderer, since so you are called, and we will go about our
work."
"I am ready," answered Wulnoth. "Farewell, Wyborga, and greet me to my
Princess. 'T is for her that I undertake this work to-night."
"Thy Princess greets thee, Wulnoth, but not in the name of Thor."
It was Edgiva's voice again! Then she was somewhere near at hand,
hidden in the darkness of the forest. Wulnoth stopped, but the voice
spoke again, bidding him hasten to his task, and so, muttering to
himself that all this was too deep for him to understand, Wulnoth
accompanied the stranger from the wood towards the Danish camp.
And when they drew near to it he said to the other--
"Now there is much danger here. Shall I go by myself and bear the body
out to you?"
"Nay, friend," came the quiet answer. "I have faced danger before. Do
thou lead the way and I will follow."
"So be it," answered Wulnoth, and they went in, passing the guard who,
knowing Wulnoth, took no notice of his companion.
There was little to fear. The Danes knew that no foe was near, for
their bands had come in with the report that they had driven the East
Saxons far afield, and now all were resting from the labor, and telling
their tales of the fight, and but few were away from the camp fires.
So on the two went, talking as though they were friends, and the
stranger acted his part well and laughed as though he had been in the
war game himself, though when they passed a watch fire Wulnoth noted
that his face was stern and his eyes gleamed, and he thought that
presently this man would indeed be in the war game and avenge the story
of that day's fight.
A young man was he and without the girth and strength of the viking
men. But his face was noble and his brow high, and a crisp red-brown
beard graced his mouth and chin.
So they reached the place where the body of the dead King had been
thrown, and lo, a man stood there guarding it, and at sight of that
Wulnoth gripped his sword.
But the man rose and spoke, and it was Wahrmund's voice, and he asked
who they were and what they did there; and to him Wulnoth answered--
"Wahrmund," he said, "thou art a brave man who loves not to see a hero
put to shame."
"And for that cause am I here, Wanderer," the Dane replied. "For there
was a sneaking wolf howled, and methought that so brave a man should
not become wolf's food. Therefore, to-night I watch, and to-morrow will
I bury the body of this hero, so deep that no wolf can dig it up."
"Wahrmund, there be others who would bury the body of this man with the
honor due to a fallen hero," Wulnoth made reply, "and I have such a one
with me. We come to carry this body without the camp, that it may be
given honor and have a death-song sung."
"And thou hast brought a stranger within the camp, Wanderer," was the
stern retort. "That is not right."
"Then to-morrow let me pay for it, if you think it wrong, comrade. But
for the sake of a brave man who died well, let him now take the King's
body away."
Then gruff old Wahrmund smote his spear into the ground and swore a
lusty oath.
"Now, Wanderer, my mind misgives me that we two are doing that for
which our heads may leave our bodies," he growled, "but still it shall
be done. So lend me thy aid and we will lift this hero from his humble
bed and bear him away."
"I knew that thou wert a true comrade, Wahrmund," said Wulnoth. But the
Dane answered--
"I knew that thou wert a fool, Wanderer; and thou dost make me one,
and, by Thor, perhaps I love thee the better for the doing of it."
Reverently did the young stranger take the severed head from Wulnoth;
and he bowed his head for the moment over it, while the other two
lifted their heavy burden.
"Now, how shall we bear this through the camp?" mused Wulnoth. And his
friend answered--
"We will not bear it through the camp; we will cross from here to the
forest. There are no sentries on this side that I know."
And so quietly the two carried their burden, the stranger walking
beside them with the head, and when they reached the shelter of the
wood they laid the body down and asked what next was to be done and
whither it was to be borne.
"Leave it here with me," answered the stranger, "and all will be well.
For you, kind foe, my best thanks." This he said to Wahrmund, who
growled again, feeling perhaps a little ashamed of himself that he had
been led into doing this thing; and the stranger turned to Wulnoth--
"To you I am bidden to say that if you wait here to-morrow night, about
this hour, that which you most desire shall be, and a messenger will be
here to guide you."
"Thou wilt give yon hero honor?" growled Wahrmund. "He should be buried
with honor." And the stranger smiled--
"If thou dost want to see that, warrior, come thou with thy friend
to-morrow and see for thyself--"
"How do you know that you can trust me, and how do I know that I can
trust you, Saxon?" the Dane asked mockingly; and the Saxon answered
calmly--
"I can trust a man who is noble enough to watch by the body of a shamed
hero through the long night hours."
"Good," said Wahrmund. "Then how may I know that I can trust you?"
"You may trust me," answered the other, "because for that which you
have done I am grateful. Not even to a foe does a true man repay
kindness with ingratitude." And again Wahrmund said, "Good."
"I know not who you are, stranger; but I know you to be a true man," he
said. "One day we may meet face to face in the war game, but to-morrow
night we will meet, as thou sayest, in peace."
"Till then, farewell," said the stranger; and then the two turned and
went. And the stranger called like the wood owl, and from the shadows
came silent ones, who lifted the dead King and bore him away, with
sound of weeping and lamentation.
Now, this is how Wulnoth met Wyborga the Wise in the woods of East
Anglia, and this is how the body of King Edmund was carried from the
camp of the Danes.