CHAPTER XVI

OF THE BURNING OF THE HALL OF EDMUND

For many months Feargus dwelt at the court of king Sigmund, and went wheresoever he listed about the city, and Sigmund was much puzzled as to how he might get out of so great a difficulty, for Osbert was ever at his side with complaints of Feargus and Torfrida. And so one night it chanced that Feargus sat late with Torfrida, for her maidens were singing songs and holding great merriment among themselves. When at last he went to be down outside the gate as was his wont, he found an arrow sticking fast at the foot of the door where his body would have been had he left Torfrida earlier. The next day he told Torfrida of this, but no other person. And he saw that he must soon be flitting, yet wotted not how he might depart with Torfrida, for he knew she would not leave her father. So he lingered, and ever Osbert urged the king to rid himself of his troublesome guest and let him take Torfrida to wife. But Sigmund would not hear of any breaking of the bond he had given to Feargus. When, after Feargus had found the arrow, Osbert came to talk with her, Torfrida denied him admittance altogether, and he went to Sigmund threatening him with war unless he would slay Feargus. Then heartily the old king wished that the two would settle their differences between them. So thereafter when he heard that Osbert was making a trap to catch his enemy, he took no heed. It chanced at this time that Sigmund called a great hunting in the forest, and Torfrida with Feargus and Osbert and many others attended. When night fell the party set their tents up in the forest and lit their fires and made merry. Some way apart from all the others was the tent of Torfrida, outside of which Feargus lay keeping guard. It was about the middle of the darkness that he found himself sitting up half awake, and behold, before him was a bear of huge size, and he saw that it was held on either side by a leash through which means it had been led to where he lay. No sooner did Feargus see the creature than he was wide awake, and, starting to his feet, seized his sword and thrust it down the beast’s mouth, then stepping aside stabbed it with his skene dhu and ran swiftly out among the trees, hoping to find some of his would-be assassins, but quickly and silently as he had acted, those who had driven the beast on had been more swift and had fled. On the morrow he told Torfrida and again asked her to fly with him, and she was much troubled lest between them they should slay him, but still she refused to leave her father.

“Now of a surety thy father hath a hand in this.”

“Nay, say not so; my father would not break oath with thee or any man; hath he not lost enough and fought enough for the truth?”

“I am certain, Torfrida, that thy father hath at least some knowledge of this thing, and unless thou wilt fly with me they will slay me by these unmanly means, and Osbert will wed thee first and overcome thy father and brother afterwards.”

“Nay, if I were to leave with thee then would the thane more surely slay the old man.”

Feargus then saw that her mind was set and said no more, but kept ever watchful, and let no man see that he had any fear or suspicion, but was open with all. And the thane Osbert waxed more friendly than he had ever been, and even sought out Feargus and spoke of him to all men as the greatest warrior of Britain, and Feargus wondered why he was thus friendly, and grew weary with very watchfulness. And when a thane, one Edmund, professed great friendship for him Feargus was fain to believe him sincere and he even went to his hall with him to sup. So on a day Edmund was giving a feast, and, thrown off his guard by his good-fellowship, Feargus went with him and sat in his hall that lay in the fens below the city of Lindum where they were then staying. They had much jollity and most of them drank deep. Now Feargus drank little at all times, yet in the middle of the feast he was overcome by the little he had taken and fell beneath the board. Then, at a signal, the revellers arose and left the hall, but Feargus was unable to follow though he tried to raise himself, and fitted an arrow to his great bow lest any should attack him. When he saw the hall empty he could move neither hand nor foot, but fell asleep, and woke not till it was past midnight and the stars shone amidst black clouds without. He felt sore and stiff and sick, like as he had never been before, and he knew not where he was, till he thought of Torfrida and looked around and saw that the hall was not hers, and he felt that the place was filled with smoke.

“Now,” said he, “is the reek of a hundred fires turned into this hall or whatever it be, and I am like to smother,” and then the noise of burning caught his ear and he knew that the place was on fire. Half stupid still, he arose to his feet and staggered across the floor to the table and found water, and drank, for his throat seemed all aglow like to a furnace. As best he might he went stoitrin across the hall and felt along the walls for the door, but when he came to it found that it was locked. Then he pushed against it with his shoulder, but it stood steadfast, and he sank down beside it and sat upon the ground, for his brain was not quick, and he could not think what to do to get forth. Again he arose and went round the hall and found at length a pole-axe; with this he tried to prise the door open, but in vain. Then, seeing the fire so quickly growing, he took the axe by the heft and began to hew at the stout oak. His strokes were at first feeble, but at length the work stirred the life in him and the blows soon fell with regular stroke and grew in weight, so that the planks sent forth a shower of splinters and rent and parted till at length there was a great hole yawning in the middle of them. Then Feargus became aware that there were men outside, for a dozen burning faggots were shot in through the hole. At this he was wrath and remembered what had passed, seeing that he had been poisoned and betrayed. He fastened the buckles of his byrny, and, finding there were so many foes at the door, climbed up to one of the windows and looked forth, but the fire had now a hold on the more part of the hall, and only the hole in the door kept him from suffocation. Outside he saw men stationed around the burning building to prevent his escape, and the chiefs themselves standing around the door. Among them were Edmund and the brothers of Osbert, and they had heaped faggots up against the walls all round the building. He returned to the hall and, lifting the skins which lay as a covering on the seats, he wrapped them about his arms and legs and feet and body and, tying them securely, took a huge faggot which the thanes had cast into the hall, and went to the door and struck a few blows with the pole-axe. He then mounted to the window on the side opposite to that on which the thanes stood, and sprang outside among the burning faggots. The skins kept his feet from scath, and it was but a moment before he had dashed through them, and, gripping the burning brand in the one hand and the axe in the other, he ran lightly round the corner of the building and, with fragments of burning wood sticking to his helm, and the hairy skins which covered him alight in many places, with a fierce cry burst like a demon of the fire upon his astonished foes. There were Osbert’s brethren, Thorkill and Osric, standing with the traitor thane, Edmund, while two soldiers of the lowest class stood one on either side the doorway. As they turned to meet him Feargus thrust the red faggot into the face of his nearest foe, and struck the traitor Edmund to the earth with his axe. Osric and Thorkill then rushed upon him, but the one, Thorkill, was much hurt with the faggot thrust, and, calling out for his men, fell back into the fire, while Osric, not being able to reach Feargus, owing to the length of his weapon, in trying to avoid it was caught about the middle and wounded. Feargus paused to pluck the body of Thorkill from the fire and then dashed headlong at the soldiers. These seeing one clad in skins and all afire coming to meet them, turned and fled.

“Alack!” said Feargus, as he freed himself from his hairy covering, “alack for so much slaughter. Gladly would I have spared thee, Thorkill, for methinks thou wert gentler than thy deeds, but he that herds with traitors must fare with them also.” And so saying he laid the two bodies and the wounded man side by side in a row for Osbert.