CHAPTER XIII--VICTORY SITS WITH THE SAXONS

When Egwina awoke from her sleep, the sun was shining, and she did not know where she was. She was lying on a tick of straw which seemed to be moving under her. To her amazement, on sitting up, she found that she was in a rude cart with two Danish women and some children. As the memory of the events of the night before rushed upon her mind, she felt for the jewel of the king. It was gone. A torrent of bitterness gashed into her soul.

"Where is Gyda?" she demanded of the women fiercely.

"She went with Sigurd the skald we know not whither," answered one of them. "To thee, maiden, she bade us say that as she had obtained the jewel, she had kept her word, and sent thee from the hand of Hakon Jarl, so that thou mightst not have to lead him to thy king. Also she bade us say to thee that naught else of thine adornment was touched save the jewel only. Behold the chain which the jarl gave thee; the bracelet, and thy other ornaments are untouched."

"Tell me where we are and whither we go?" cried the girl eagerly.

"We go into Devonshire to join Hubba, who hath wintered in Demetia, and now cometh into the land of the Saxon from the west. It draws near the time for the feast of the spring. Then will the Northman sweep over the whole of the land, and finish that which he hath so well begun."

Egwina groaned. And none was there to warn the king.

"See," she said to the women taking from her throat the chain which the jarl had given her; "here is this, and the bracelet also. Both are of much value. Ye shall have them if ye will let me go from ye unmolested."

The women shook their heads, and the one who had done the speaking spake again:

"We durst not let thee from us. Of that did the seid woman bid us beware. Neither doth it lie in our power so to do, for the Northmen are on every hand. See for thyself."

Egwina looked, and her heart sank as she beheld the long line of horsemen and men on foot before and behind. Many carts were there filled with women and children, and the supplies of the Danes. Everything gave evidence of preparations for a long march. Burying her face in her hands, Egwina resigned herself to the inevitable.

The march was long and of several days' duration. At last they came to the extreme western part of Devonshire. Here they were greeted by another large party of Norsemen under the renowned Hubba, one of the sons of Ragnar Lodbrock. The Saxons fled in terror at their approach. Some few, taking their wives and children with them, repaired to the castle of Kynwith.

The Danes followed after these last rapidly, and, seeing that the castle was impregnable, would not risk an attack upon it, but sat down before it in a camp, hoping thus to make the Saxons surrender either from famine or want of water; for there was no spring near the castle.

Vainly did Egwina seek to join the Saxons in the castle. Her every movement was watched, and she was forced to abandon the idea. Listlessly she mingled with them, listening apathetically to their songs. Often did they try to force her to join in their mirth and gladden their hearts by music, but she looked at them with unsmiling face and would not sing.

Thus the days passed. The pagans waiting only for the surrender of the castle which they thought must come soon through the dire necessity of the Christians.

Early one morning, just as the first faint streaks of dawn were tinting the sky, Egwina was awakened from slumber by the shouts of men and the clash of steel. In alarm, the Danes sprang to their arms, but the Saxons had surprised them too completely for anything but a furious resistance. From the first they cut down the Northmen in great numbers, for they were filled with the inspiration of despair, deeming death inevitable and preferring to fall in battle rather than by starvation.

The trembling maiden prayed fervently in her tent for the success of her people. While she was thus engaged, the flap was pushed rudely aside, and two men entered. They seized her before she was aware of their intention, and dashed out of the tent and into the thick of the fray where Hubba their king was.

"Take this for thy shield, Hubba," cried one, thrusting the maiden before the Danish king.

"If, then, thou art slain it must be through the body of the girl. They will not slay one of their own maidens."

But Hubba haughtily put the girl aside, making the sign of Thor as he did so.

"Am I not strong in mine own strength? Why should I use a living buckler when mine own is better? Skoefnung (the name of his charmed sword) hath already drunk the blood of many who cannot find relief from its life stein. Besides, stand I not under the magical banner woven by my sisters in a single day? I need no maid for protection."

Proudly he turned from them and hastened again into the conflict. But the Norsemen stood looking at the magical standard, and suddenly they cried out, "Behold the raven lieth motionless! No longer doth he flap his wings in token of victory. We are doomed."

A wail of anguish went up from the ranks as they beheld the motionless raven. Above it came the voice of Hubba:

"If die we must, then die as sons of Odin should. The one-eyed one prepareth the feast of Shaehrimnir the boar. Fast floweth the mead from the goat. Welcome awaits us in Valhalla. Welcome and good cheer! But take with ye many of the Saxon warriors. Thus doth the Alfadur bid ye."

Roused to further exertions, the Danes raised their war chant and rallied round the fatal standard. Those who had brought Egwina to the combat now left her standing, and joined the others.

The bewildered girl stood, not knowing what to do or which way to turn. Everywhere Saxon and Dane mingled together in battle. The Norse women and children had withdrawn to one side. The women screamed or shouted encouragingly to husbands or fathers, or chanted the battle songs of their land. In the midst of the contest, the skalds' voices could be heard reciting the deeds of heroes and inciting the Norsemen to greater achievements.

The girl stood an unwilling, fascinated spectator, with no thought of danger to self. Bravely and fiercely fought the Dane. Bravely and fiercely fought the Saxon. True sons of Wodan they, and to the fighting blood of the old Norse heroes was added the lofty exaltation of striking for home and country.

Suddenly one of the Danish women caught sight of Egwina standing there in the midst of the battle. With a cry of fury she dashed toward her, and seizing her by the hair began dragging her back to where the women and children were.

Egwina cried out at the assault, and strove to tear herself from the grasp of the woman. At her cry, some of the Saxons turned. One, a youth, left the others and bounded toward the two.

"Unhand the girl," he commanded.

"Nay," cried the woman; "she shall serve as an offering to Odin. The battle goeth against us, and the fierce one demandeth a victim. Away!"

The youth grasped the woman by the wrists. "Release thy hold," he shouted; "or, by St. Peter of blessed memory, I will forget that thou art a woman."

"Forget it, then! Strike if thou durst! Strike, and upon thy head fall the curse of Odin."

"I care not for Odin's curses," cried the Saxon, "but I war not with women. Unhand the girl!"

The woman only tightened her grip the more on the long beautiful hair of Egwina.

"There is but one way, maiden." The youth let go one of the woman's wrists to draw his seax. The woman thought that he meant to cut off her hands. Egwina was of the same opinion, and suffering though she was, exclaimed, "For the love of Heaven, maim not the woman!"

There was a grim smile on the youth's face. He raised the seax and the stroke fell. With a scream the woman let the bright hair of the maiden fall, and fled to the others.

"Oh, didst thou hurt her?" cried Egwina, as the young man assisted her to her feet.

"No;" and he held up two fair locks of her hair. "I meant only to sever thy hair from thy head."

"And thou didst not intend to cut off her hands?" cried Egwina, relieved.

"Am I not a Christian? Do Christians treat others so?" demanded the youth. "Come, let us to the Saxons, for the battle is ended."

It was true. Elated by their triumph, the Saxons pursued the flying Danes, and great was the slaughter. Great also was the booty they obtained from the camp, and, among other things, the magical banner of Hubba, under which the chief lay dead.

"Now," said the youth to Egwina, "the slaughter is done. Great will be the joy of Alfred when he hears of this day's prowess. A bode am I to thee from the king. Mickle and sore doth he repent having let thee go from his sight as bode for him to his family. He bids me, with others, to accompany thee on thy journey, and bring thee back in safety to him."

"Oh, hast thou seen him?" cried Egwina. "Heavy was my heart that I could not warn him of Hakon's intended search. Heavy did it lie in my breast when I knew that Hubba was to come from the west to overrun the land. I feared that the king's hopes were vain."

"That was the reason, maiden, that I left thee in the house of Hakon the jarl," said Ethelred. "Niddering did it seem to leave thee, a girl, in the hands of the foe, unwitting what might befall thee. But in the king lieth all our hopes. 'Twere better that thou shouldst perish than that the king be not warned."

"Thou didst right," declared the girl, warmly. "What am I to be thought of in comparison with the king? Better, oh, better a thousand such as I should perish than Alfred."

"Thou art a true Saxon, and so I deemed thee," cried the youth. "Would that thegn and coerl were filled with thy spirit, and the Dane would no longer uprear his raven standard in the land. But to tell thee all: Hakon went forth with a goodly company. Alfred, who had been joined by numbers of the Saxons, sallied forth, took the jarl by surprise, and the bones of him and all his company lie whitening on the field."

"Dost thou not remember what the seid woman said?" asked Egwina in awe-struck tones:

"''Ware, 'ware of the forest, Jarl Hakon, The dragon steals forth from his lair; He tears thee and thy people asunder, And leaves ye as food for the bear.'

"Dost thou suppose, Ethelred, that the vala doth really see what the future holds?"

"I wot not. There are many things that I understand not, but this do I know, that 'tis a heathenish practice, and little use have the good priests for it," and he crossed himself piously.

"True; but oft have I wondered whence came the power that seemed to belong to them."

"Think not of it," answered the youth, hastily. "Whatever of power they may have, 'tis of evil. Concern not thyself with such pagan doings, for unseemly doth it become a Christian. Come, let us to the castle. Bode must be sent to the king to tell him of this victory. Then thou, and I, and others will wend us to the depths of Somerset, where the king's family abide, and then back to Athelney."

And Egwina accompanied him to the castle.