OF THE FATE OF FEARGUS
When Osbert fell, Feargus told his men to lift him and carry him with
them, and they marched on, Feargus at their head. And Torfrida rode by
his side, for the day was too far spent for her to reach her father’s
camp; but Feargus sent a messenger saying that Torfrida should be
delivered up to her brother Edwy at the place of battle. And so they
marched on through the night, making all haste. But few words did the
lovers speak together, for the heart of Feargus was torn by a horrid
dread and great grief, for he saw that he must lose all his worship in
the sight of Penda. And soon they drew nigh to the spot where three days
since they were to have joined the king, but no sound of battle fell
on their ears, though as they came nearer, through the mist of early
morning, they espied the place where were the tents of the Northumbrians
by the field of battle. And then the Lindeseymen, who lay towards the
south nearest the point from which Feargus came, saw his men, and at
first they took them to be another army come against them, and arose
and stood to their arms. Then Sigmund spoke with king Oswy, telling him
of the love that was between Feargus and his daughter, and king Oswy
agreed to send young Edwy to bring in Torfrida and to offer fair terms to
Feargus and Osbert if they would join the Northumbrian host.
“For,” said Oswy, “two such captains are not in all Britain, and pity it
were to fight with them and their host, which numbers but as a third of
ours. Tell them that Penda is fallen and that I will give to both the
Pict and young Osbert lands and money and men if they will join with me.
So, Edwy Sigmundsson, take thou this my message.”
Then Edwy went forth and Feargus rode also to meet him, with Torfrida,
for there was great friendship between the three.
“I have sad news for thee, noble Feargus—Penda is down and all his
princes, and thine own Duncan and all thy men. To the north of yonder
knowe they lie, with the nobler part of the host of Penda, but the more
part of that host the waters of Aire have swallowed up. And Oswy bids
me say that if thy men will lay down their arms and join him, they being
greatly outnumbered, he will give thee lands and gold and men.”
“Go back, gentle Edwy, and tell king Oswy that Feargus, whom cruel fate
and, alack! his own folly have thus overthrown, is faithful to Penda, and
that Penda’s deathbed shall be his. Gold hath no lustre to him, and his
only laying down of arms will be when the last of his host or that of
Oswy lies down death-stricken, and Penda is avenged.”
“Nay, I am loth to take such a message. Hath not enough blood flowed, and
Torfrida—see how pale she hath grown.”
“Never shall Torfrida wed with one who hath disgraced his name and
herded with the foes of his king; my doings call for death. Penda hath
died believing me false, and him will I hasten after that he may know me
aright.”
“Nay, say not so—and all these thy men?”
Then the young brothers of Osbert who were present stood forth, for they
had talked much together, and they said—
“Lo! Edwy Sigmundsson, the Pict may do as he listeth, but we are not of
his host nor are these, our brother’s men. We bid thee tell king Oswy
that we will join him on troth given.” So Edwy gave them his word, and
they and all the host of Osbert went with him. Then did Feargus turn
his beast and without further word spoken strike spurs; but Edwy caught
his bridle and begged him that he would stay for Torfrida’s sake, and
Torfrida wept. And when the two of them looked upon Feargus they knew
that he was beside himself; and suddenly then he shook Edwy’s hand from
his arm, causing his beast to leap aside, and quickly fled. Edwy saw that
Torfrida could ride no further, and he stayed beside her, crying to his
thanes—
“Haste, for the prince hath taken leave of his senses. Haste, and by no
means let him slay himself, and be ye not adread of him, riding without
arms, for such is he that rather would he be taken than strike ye.”
But Feargus was already far ahead of them, and he fled toward the knowe
above the Aire water where the battle had swayed and waxed the fiercest.
Now he reached the spot where the dead lay thickest—kings and princes
and thanes, many of them Christians long since, but held together
by the power and the splendour and the faithfulness of Penda. There,
heaped up ring within ring they lay, true men to their lord—Angle and
Saxon, Pict and Briton, with men from Lindesey and men from Trent and
men from the flat country of East Anglia—all dead, with Northumbrians
intermingled—dead—dead! And there, within the last ring, lying all alone
in a cleared space, as though even the dying had dread of him, and crept
apart in their very death agony, to leave him as he had lived, without
peer, lay Penda; his white hair of eighty years bedabbled with blood,
blood on his breast and beard, blood on his sword, and blood on his
broken byrny—dead, the unconquerable death-dealer! Nighest to him lay
Duncan, and around were Picts and princes together in the last circle.
Then Feargus knelt and drew his father’s sword and laid it upon Duncan’s
breast. “For thou, brave Duncan, art more fit to carry my father’s sword
with thee among the dead than am I, and I will die with thy soldiers’
brand in my palm.” And then he knelt down by the king and kissed his brow.
“Not long shall it be, O king, ere thou wottest that Feargus, though he
hath failed thee, is yet faithful,” and so he took his sword and made to
fall thereon, but as he raised his head he saw the thanes of Edwy riding
in haste and without arms towards him. Then he sprang to his horse and
fled and they close behind him. And now he wins the brae that hides the
waters from sight at that point, and now he disappears behind it, and now
they reach the hill but little in rear of him, for his beast was aweary.
And lo! there was Feargus on the brink of the black water, and now he has
plunged into the flood and the creature he rides seeks to win the side
and shrieks out for very fear; but Feargus steers him amidstream, and now
he pants and staggers. And the prince threw his arms aloft, and waving
his brand cried, “Torfrida! Torfrida!”
And the great red beast went down and the rider with him. And so swift
ran the flood that half a mile soon lay between the sought and his
seekers, and the bend of the river hid the rest. Seeing this the thanes
turned back to carry the news to Edwy. And when they reached him they
found he was bending over the body of one of the Picts who seemed to be
still breathing, for he had great regard for his mother’s kin.
“Where is Feargus?” said Edwy, looking up.
“Alas! he hath thrown himself into the water of Aire and is drowned.”
“Then right heavy am I and sad indeed will the lady Torfrida be, for
to me he was ever as a kinsman and to her, alas! such store she set by
him as never woman by man before, for surely he was the noblest man and
the greatest swordsmith in all the land. And so was his heart set upon
Torfrida that he knew not himself how much; and such was his love and his
faith to his chief that ’twixt love and grief for tryst unkept he was
beside himself.”
And when they told the lady Torfrida she fell down in a swoon and lay
sick unto death for many a day, and ever in her sickness called upon her
lover nigh to the breaking of the hearts of those that watched.