HOME AGAIN
Saebald, chief of the Billingas, had just returned from visiting his
outposts on the Wharfe. He was standing at the gate of his burg when
he beheld six horsemen and some pack animals advancing towards him up
the hill. As they came nearer he saw that the men were fully armed
and accoutred, but he could not guess who they could be. They rode
up, dismounted, and stood before him. He looked from one to the other
with doubt and astonishment, until his eyes rested upon Sivel, whom he
recognised at once. In a moment they were in each other's arms, and
Sivel spoke the names of his companions. It was long before Saebald
could recognise his little friends in these stalwart young warriors.
His surprise was extreme, but his welcome was hearty and cordial. He
showed unfeigned joy at their marvellous reappearance. "Knowing your
friendship," said Coelred, "we came here first to hear from you all
that has happened in our absence, for we know nothing. We did not
dare to go to our homes, fearing to find empty hearths." He then very
briefly told the story of the kidnapping, said that they had had many
strange adventures, but that they had sworn to each other to come home
together, and that at length they had succeeded. "Our stories will
keep," he added, "but our anxiety is so great that we cannot wait
longer for your news." Saebald insisted upon their having supper first,
and then they went out and sat round the Billinga chief on the hillside.
"You have given me a melancholy task," said the Fairfax, "for I shall
cause grief and pain to each one of my young friends. No anxiety was
felt until you had been missing for two days. Then search was made
in every direction, and vigilant watch was kept on the rivers. The
Princess Bergliot was overwhelmed with grief, and told some story
about the curse of a nixy, but neither she nor the dog could guide the
search farther than to the mouth of Stillingfleet beck. Guthlaf stopped
every boat that passed up and down the river, hanging all the crews
whose answers did not satisfy him. By this means many sea-thieves were
disposed of." "But not our sea-thieves," said Porlor, "for they were
all hanged by the Franks when we were landed." "At last," continued
Saebald, "anxiety gave way to despair. There was mourning in many
homes, for no boys were ever so beloved. My poor Forthere, your loss
must be told first. Verbeia, your gentle mother, never held up her head
again. She died of grief within a month." Forthere and Sivel bowed
their heads to hide their tears. The eyes of the rest were full, for
too surely they felt that worse was coming.
"Towards the end of the year," Saebald went on, "a great calamity
befell Deira. Our King died very suddenly with suspicion of poison.
Some looked askance at Coifi; for the dirge he chanted at Aldby when
King Ella returned victorious from the borders of Elmet was remembered
against him. Things looked even more suspicious when it was known
that Coifi had taken refuge with King Ethelric of Bernicia. Ella was
scarcely in his grave before news arrived that the King of Bernicia
was advancing upon York with a large army, led by his two fierce sons,
Ethelfrith and Theobald. Elfric, the unconquered Atheling, hastily
assembled a force to oppose them. The gathering was at York. I came
first with the Billingas. Seomel, Guthlaf, and Brand, with their men,
were close on my heels. But there was no time to wait for more. The
Heslingas were to guard the Princess and little Edwin, the hope of
Deira, at Aldby. Elfric then advanced to encounter heavy odds. Battle
was joined beyond the forest. We were overpowered by numbers. First
the noble Guthlaf fell, like a stag at bay surrounded by the dogs.
Seomel was slain while valorously warding off blows from the Atheling.
Finally, Elfric himself, after dealing death around him, bowed his
proud head and breathed his last. Brand and I were fighting near,
and when we saw that all was lost, we drew off our men. 'Edwin must
be taken out of the land or he will be murdered. The sons of Ida are
merciless.' These were Brand's words as we galloped towards York. The
old warrior said he would go to Aldby and secure the child, if possible
inducing the Princess to come with him, while I placed relays of fresh
horses outside York and at Tadcaster.
"Old Brand, as I have been told, broke the fatal news to the Princess,
and urged upon her that there was no time to lose, and that she and
Edwin must escape out of the country. She replied that her duty was to
remain; but that she would entrust the child to her father's oldest
and most faithful friend. There was no time to be lost. It was known
that the Bernician army was marching rapidly on York. The Princess
Alca folded the child in a tender embrace, and put it into the arms
of Brand. 'Most valorous warrior,' she said, 'I entrust to your care
the hope of Deira.' Her own resolution was immutable. Brand knelt and
kissed the hand of the elf-maiden, then mounted his horse and galloped
away. I waited with fresh horses on the Mount at York, and rode with
them to Nehalennia's ford. There I bade farewell to old Brand, my
beloved uncle, and swore obedience to young King Edwin, returning
disconsolately to Bilbrough.
"Brave old Ingeld, with the Heslingas, remained as a guard at Aldby.
But they were not molested. Ethelric advanced to York, and, as
resistance was unavailing, the country submitted. We had no Atheling to
lead us. Hereric was lost, his brother Osric was a child. The Bernician
King was an old man. He appointed Coifi Priest of Woden, with charge of
all the sacred images at Godmundham. Four years afterwards he died, and
was succeeded by his son Ethelfrith the Wild--a fierce, dangerous man,
hating all opposition, and often false to his plighted word. He had
twice asked for Alca in marriage, but had been repulsed.
"The Princess continued to live at Aldby, with the children of Elfric,
Osric and Bergliot, the Lady Volisia, and her young daughters Braga and
Nanna. Worn out with grief and anxiety, Volisia died a year after the
coming of the Bernicians. Month after month, year after year, passed
away, and nothing more was heard of Brand and little Edwin. One day an
aged British priest, named Urien, arrived at Aldby and asked for an
interview with the Princess. He came owing to a solemn promise he had
made to Brand when he died in Gwynedd. Urien brought up the boy after
Brand's death, but one day Edwin said that he would leave Gwynedd, and
go to a country where Englishmen dwelt. The boy departed, and Urien had
heard nothing more of him. So the old man kept his vow, undertook the
long journey to tell Alca, and then returned. The Princess remained
quite confident that Edwin was safe, and all knew that she must be
right.
"The last event I have to relate is the strangest of all. About a year
ago King Ethelfrith again asked for Alca in marriage, and she consented
on conditions. She sent for us, the surviving thegns of Deira, and said
that she only lived for her country, and that she would consent to be
Queen of Bernicia on condition that Ethelfrith would solemnly declare
that Edwin was King of Deira, and that he only ruled until the child
was old enough to assume the government. 'The King has consented,'
continued the Princess, 'and is here,' Ethelfrith came into the great
hall and made the declaration in our presence. He looked haggard and
fierce, but cowed. Then Alca became his Queen. She has a beautiful
child named Oswald. Ethelfrith is devoted to Alca, but we all think
that his devotion is more like terror than love. A glance from her
stills his rage, and he almost cowers in her presence. Fierce, cruel,
and suspicious when he is away from the Queen, her presence at once
calms and softens him. All who are under her protection are safe. It is
evident that he dare not molest them. It may be her goodness and purity
which effect this change, but she must also possess some power which
is incomprehensible to us. Thus we his enemies, the thegns of Deira,
are not molested, though we must obey the King's summons to war. And
now, my boys, my sad story is told. I see that you are overwhelmed with
grief, and it is best that you should all seek rest."
The lads got little sleep that night. The wounds were too fresh, the
grief too acute during the first hours. They wept long and silently
over their lost ones and the desolated hearths. In the morning they
besought Saebald to make their plans for them. He said that he would go
with Forthere and Sivel to Ulfskelf. The other four should cross the
Ouse at Acaster, whence Lilla would visit his home at Hemingborough.
"You must go to your homes at once," he said, "and assume your
positions among your people. On the first of the next moon you shall
all meet again at Stillingfleet, and thence fare onward to Bambrough,
where the Queen now is. I will send a messenger in advance with the
wonderful news of your arrival, to prepare her mind. The little girls,
too, must not be taken quite by surprise. A great war with the Scots is
threatened, so you must promptly offer your swords to King Ethelfrith."
It was so arranged. Hereric, Coelred, Porlor, and Lilla (Oswith) rode
over to Stillingfleet, where Tanwin, the old and faithful servant of
Seomel, had kept things in order and led the Stillingas since his
master's death. He was overjoyed at the sight of them, and it was long
before he could believe his eyes. Hereric and Coelred, he declared,
were Elfric and Seomel over again, as he remembered them when they
first bore arms. They went slowly up the hill to the deserted hall,
their hearts too full for words. An aged dog was lying on a heap of
ferns in the yard. "Shuprak," they cried, and the faithful old dog
raised itself on its forelegs, gave a joyful bark, and fell forward.
The lads burst into tears. It was the last straw. When they ran up,
Shuprak was dead. Tanwin said that it had lain for months without
moving, and taking little food. They made its grave on the other side
of the beck, near the place where it generally ran into the forest.
As they covered its remains with earth, slowly and reverently, Porlor
said, "Suparaka is Yama. We will not be less worthy than Yudisthira."
The lads understood each other.
Next day the Stillingas assembled and swore that Coelred and Porlor
were their leaders. Each ceorl walked past his chiefs and touched their
weapons in token of fealty--the ceremony of the wapentake. Sad as it
all was, it was necessary to give a great feast in the old hall. Lilla
wished his friends to accompany him to Hemingborough, where the same
scenes were repeated. The Hemingas crowded round the son of Guthlaf,
and swore that Oswith (they did not yet know him by the name of Lilla)
was their leader, also performing the wapentake ceremony. They might
well be proud of the splendid young warrior as he went round to each
man, renewing the acquaintance of his boyhood. Again and again, both
at Stillingfleet and Hemingborough, the tale of their disappearance,
of the long-continued but fruitless search, of the despair of their
parents, was repeated to the friends, with many details passed over by
Saebald. They heard about the great battle in which their fathers fell,
and were told of the numerous losses on the field, and of the sullen
submission of the survivors, while curses were heaped on the head of
Ethelfrith the Wild. Their homes seemed desolate without the loved
faces of their dear ones and the welcome bark of old Shuprak. It was
indeed a sad home-coming.
They were glad when, at the appointed time, Forthere and Sivel arrived
from Ulfskelf, where they too had passed a mournful time. The gentle
mother of Forthere had been killed by extremity of grief. Old Brand had
died far away from home and kindred. The hearthstone was quite cold at
Ulfskelf.
The six lost ones, found again, set out together from Stillingfleet and
rode northwards into Bernicia. Pack-horses, with their precious bales,
were in charge of old Tanwin and his son Froda, and of Ingebrand, the
faithful servant of Elfric, who had now attached himself to Hereric. In
three days they reached Bambrough, the capital of Bernicia. It was an
almost impregnable place. The fortress rises up from a solitary rock of
black basalt overlooking the sea. The building of Ethelfrith's time was
constructed by his grandfather Ida in A.D. 550, on the site of a fort
built by order of Agricola, and was named Bebbanburgh after his wife
Bebba. The interior court was extensive, with a great hall of timber,
and many rooms opening into the hall or directly upon the court. The
whole had been surrounded by a quickset hedge at first, for which a
stone wall was afterwards substituted.
Orders had been given for the suitable reception of the guests, and
they were soon ushered into the presence of the Queen. Alca was more
stately and more beautiful than when they parted from her at Aldby.
Her cheering words had sunk into their hearts, and had inspired their
actions, keeping alive hope when their need was greatest. Coelred and
Porlor regarded her with such devoted love that no one else ever found
a place in their hearts. The adoration of the others was little less
profound. She embraced them all as dear brothers returned after a long
absence, but with no surprise. "I knew you would return," she said,
"and I know by your looks that you have returned unscathed by sin or
shame. You have returned, strong and bold and full of knowledge, to
serve your country in its sore need. May the All-father bless and
preserve you!"
Then the girls and little Osric ran in, and after the first warm
greetings, Bergliot burst into tears at the thought of the last parting
with her boys. The nixy's curse had always been ringing in her ears. It
would cease now. She put her small hand shyly into her dear Oswith's
large one, while Braga nestled close to Hereric, and Nanna tried to
divide herself between her brothers Coelred and Porlor. The rest of the
day was passed very happily, and on the morrow the young warriors were
to be presented to Ethelfrith at a great audience.
Ethelfrith sat in the hall, surrounded by his thegns. He scowled
savagely as the young men came in and stated their names and positions,
offering him their swords. But when Alca entered and looked at him with
a calm searching glance, his mien changed and he welcomed them warmly
enough, accepting their services with thanks. Next day Coelred sent for
Bassus and Godric, who arrived at Bambrough soon afterwards.
In the following days the young men, one after the other, related
all they had seen and heard to Alca in the minutest detail. They told
her of their conversations at Canterbury, of their perplexities, of
their proposed _Gemót_; and they besought her guidance and advice.
The precious bales were opened before her and offered for her
acceptance. There were gold ornaments of eastern workmanship, precious
stones, spices, myrrh and frankincense, the small parcel of bdellium
presented by the Guru, boxes of sandal-wood, fine calico and muslin,
besides many bags of gold coin. She insisted upon Coelred and Porlor
retaining the money, and they afterwards dug a hole by the side of
Shuprak's grave, which became the "_uvaru_" for their treasures. Alca
kept the bdellium and a few things to please her young friends, and
distributed the rest among the delighted girls. Alca had had described
to her the whole realm of France; the buildings and people of Rome,
Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, and Ujjayani; the navigation
of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Red and Erythraean Seas, and the
German Ocean; the habits and customs of many peoples; the religion of
Christ, with Porlor's version of some heresies; and the religions of
the Fire-worshippers and the Hindus; besides innumerable anecdotes and
stories. In the minds of most people such an enormous mass of fresh and
surprising information could not have been assimilated. It would simply
have caused utter confusion. But it was not so with Alca. She told the
boys that she would take a long time to think over all they had told
her, and arrange everything clearly in her mind. When she had done so,
she promised to take them into her counsels, to consult with them, and
to let them know her thoughts. But first they must all fight bravely in
the coming struggle in which their country would be engaged.
[Illustration: The Young Warriors Presented to Ethelfrith]
Ædan, the King of the Scots, was assembling an immense army with the
object of invading Northumbria and destroying Ethelfrith, his forces,
and his kingdom. Ethelfrith's followers were very numerous, and both he
and his brother Theobald were valiant soldiers. But they were ignorant
of the art of war, head-strong, and without judgment. Alca consulted
privately with her young friends. It was ascertained that Ædan would
advance up the valley of the Eden, intending thence to pour his forces
down the western valleys and converge on York. To defeat this plan
Lilla and Bassus conceived the brilliant idea of imitating the strategy
of Narses in the Median Mountains. Ethelfrith was to advance down the
valley of the Eden with the main body of his army, while his brother
Theobald occupied the mountains and threatened the enemy's flank,
but with strict orders to avoid an engagement. Lilla and Bassus were
to remain with the King and direct the campaign. Coelred and Porlor
were to be at the head of the troops gathered from between Ouse and
Derwent. Saebald, Forthere, and Sivel were to head all the levies from
the west of the Ouse. Hereric and Godric were to fight in company with
the thegns and their followers from the east of Derwent. Thus all the
Deirans would be with the King, as well as part of the Bernician army.
The detached force of Theobald would consist wholly of Bernicians.
"But how are we to induce King Ethelfrith to adopt all these measures?"
said Bassus. "Leave that to me," replied the Queen. "You and Lilla, as
you have named our Oswith, are experienced men of the world. You now
have to practise that forbearance for the cultivation of which you have
resolved to take counsel with each other. Take care that Ethelfrith
gives all the orders, and so manage as that he will think that they all
originated from himself. Let him have the glory, and it will be well.
It is sufficient for you to serve your country as brave and faithful
warriors."
Soon afterwards there was a great assembly of chiefs in the hall
of Bambrough to hear the final instructions of the King. To the
astonishment of Lilla and Bassus, they heard Ethelfrith make the
following speech:--"I have conceived the plan of marching down the
valley of the Eden to meet the enemy in front, while my brother with
a picked force of Bernicians will threaten their flank from the
mountains. But it is my strict and positive order to Theobald to avoid
an engagement. Lilla and Bassus are to remain near my person. The whole
Deiran force will form part of my division, and I shall have my eye on
their chiefs, especially on the young men who lately offered me their
swords. My plan is perfect, and victory is certain if our men do their
duty. Prepare to march in a few days."
Ethelfrith believed that all the arrangements were originated by
himself when the army set out from Bambrough in two divisions, to fight
one of the most decisive battles in the dawn of our history.