The Dragon And The Raven: Or The Days Of King Alfred(Fiscle Part-3) by G. A. Henty (e book reading free TXT) 📕

He Knew,  Be A Long One. The Northmen Expressed Their

Satisfaction At Finding That Their Burden Need No Longer Be

Carried,  And Throwing Aside The Boughs Which Had Formed The

Litter,  Proceeded With Him On Their Way. They Asked Him

Many Questions Concerning The Dragon. Most Of These He

Answered Readily Enough,  But He Evaded Those As To The Place

Where She Had Been Built,  Or The Port From Which She Had

Sailed. It Was Not Until Late In The Afternoon That They Arrived

At The Abode Of The Jarl Bijorn.

It Was A Rough Abode Constructed Of Timber,  Thatched

With Rushes,  For As Yet The Northmen Were Scarcely A Settled

People,  The Tribes For The Most Part Wandering In The Forests

Hunting When Not Engaged In Those Warlike Expeditions Which

They Loved Above All Other Things. Only The Leaders Dwelt In

Anything Like Permanent Abodes,  The Rest Raising Huts Of

Boughs At Such Places As They Might Make Any Stay At.

One Of Edmund's Conductors Had Gone On Ahead,  And

As The Party Approached The Building Bijorn Came Out From

His House To Meet Them. He Was,  Like Almost All Northmen,  A

Man Of Great Stature And Immense Strength. Some Fifty Years

Had Passed Over His Head,  But He Was Still In The Prime Of His

Life; For The Northmen,  Owing To Their Life Of Constant

Activity,  The Development Of Their Muscles From Childhood,  And

Their Existence Passed In The Open Air,  Retained Their Strength

And Vigour To A Great Age.

So Assiduous Was Their Training,  And So Rapidly Did Their

Figures Develop In Consequence,  That At The Age Of Fifteen A

Young Northman Received Arms And Was Regarded As A Man,

Although He Did Not Marry Until Many Years Afterwards,  Early

Wedlock Being Strongly Discouraged Among Them. By Bijorn's

Side Stood His Son,  Who,  Though But Twenty-Two Years Old,

Rivalled Him In Stature And In Muscular Development,  Although

Lacking The Great Width Of Shoulder Of The Jarl.

As Edmund Approached,  A War-Horse Of The Jarl Fastened

Up To A Post Close To The Entrance Of The House Neighed Loudly.

Bijorn Looked Surprised. The Neighing Of A Horse Among The

Northmen Was Regarded As The Happiest Of Auguries,  And In

Their Sacred Groves Horses Were Tied Up,  As The Neighing Of

These Animals Was Considered An Infallible Proof That A

Propitious Answer Would Be Given By The Gods To The Prayer Of

Any Petitioner Who Sought Their Aid.

"By Thor!" Bijorn Exclaimed,  "My Good War-Horse Welcomes

The Stranger. As I Said To You Anon,  Sweyn,  I Had Intended

To Offer Him As A Sacrifice To Odin; But As The Gods

Have Thus Declared Him Welcome Here I Must Needs Change

My Intentions. Who Are You,  Young Saxon?" He Asked As

Edmund Was Brought Before Him,  "And Whence Do You Come?

And How Is It That A War-Ship Of Your People Is Found Upon

Our Coasts?"

"I Am Edmund," The Young Man Said Steadily,  "An

Ealdorman Of King Alfred Of The West Saxons. The Ship Which

Was Seen On Your Coast Is Mine; I Built It To Attack The

Northmen Who Harry Our Coasts. I Am Here Because,  When

In Chase Of Four Of Your Ships,  A Storm Arose And Blew Us

Hither."

"You Speak Boldly," The Jarl Said,  "For One In The Hands Of

His Foes. How Old Are You?"

"I Am Twenty-Two," Edmund Replied.

"The Same Age As You,  Sweyn. Stand Side By Side And Let

Me Compare You. Ay," He Went On,  "He Lacks Nigh Three Inches

Of Your Height,  But He Is More Than That Bigger Across The

Shoulders--A Stalwart Young Champion,  Indeed,  And Does

Brave Credit To His Rearing. These West Saxons Have Shown

Themselves Worthy Foemen,  And Handled Us Roughly Last Year,

As This Will Testify," And He Pointed To The Scar Of A Sword-Cut

Across His Face. "Doubtless This Is The Son Of That Saxon Earl

Who More Than Once Last Summer Inflicted Heavy Losses Upon

Us. Is That So,  Young Saxon?"

"I Am The Ealdorman Edmund Himself," The Young Man

Replied Quietly. "My Successes Were Won Not By My Own

Strength Or Courage,  But By The Valour Of Those Under Me,

Who,  Fighting In A Novel Manner,  Gained Advantage Over Your

Northmen."

"By Thor!" Bijorn Exclaimed,  "And This Is The Youth Who

Attacked Us At Night And Drove Off The Cattle We Had Taken

And Slew Many Of Our Followers,  Sweyn! Truly He Would Be A

Rare Sacrifice To Offer To Odin; But The God Has Himself

Welcomed Him Here."

"It May Be That He Welcomed Him As A Sacrifice,  Father,"

Sweyn Suggested.

 "Ah! That May Be So," The Jarl Replied. "We Must Consult

The Omens To Find Out The True Meaning Of My Charger's Neighing.

Nevertheless In Either Case I Shall Be Content,  For If He

Be Not Welcomed As A Sacrifice He Is Welcome As Bringing

Good Fortune; And In Truth He Will Make A Noble Cup-Bearer

To Me. It Is Not Every Jarl Who Is Waited Upon By A Saxon

Ealdorman. But Till The Omens Have Spoken Let Him Be Set

Aside And Carefully Watched. In A Day Or Two We Will Journey

To Odin's Temple And There Consult The Auguries."

Three Days Passed,  During Which Edmund Was Well Fed

And Treated. At The End Of That Time He Was Ordered To

Accompany The Jarl On A Journey. Two Days' Travelling Brought

Them To A Temple Of Odin. It Was A Rough Structure Of Unhewn

Stones Situated In A Wood. Bijorn And His Son Entered,  While

Edmund Remained Without Under A Guard. Presently The Jarl

And His Son Came Out With A Priest. The Latter Carried A White

Bag In His Hand With Twelve Small Pieces Of Wood. On Half Of

These Four Small Nicks Were Cut,  On The Others Five Nicks. All

Were Placed In The Bag,  Which Was Then Shaken.

"Now," The Priest Said,  "You Will See The Will Of Odin; The

First Three Sticks Drawn Out Will Declare It. If Two Of The Three

Bear An Even Number Of Nicks,  The Neigh Of Your Horse Signifies

That Odin Accepted The Sacrifice; If Two Of Them Bear Unequal

Numbers,  Then It Meant That His Coming Was Propitious To You."

The Bag Was Again Shaken. Edmund Looked On Calmly,

For Saxons And Northmen Alike Disdained To Show The Slightest

Fear Of Death; Even The Colour Did Not Fade From His Cheek

As He Watched The Trial Upon Which His Life Depended.

The First Stick Drawn Out Bore Five Marks; The Priest

Showed It To The Jarl,  And Without A Word Dropped It In The

Bag Again. This Was Again Shaken And Another Stick Drawn

Out; This Bore But Four Notches; The Chances Were Even. The

Silence Was Unbroken Until The Third Twig Was Drawn.

"Odin Has Spoken," The Priest Said. "The Neigh Of The

Horse Indicated That The Coming Of This Saxon Was Propitious

To Your House."

The Jarl Gave An Exclamation Of Satisfaction,  While

Sweyn's Brow Darkened. Bijorn Had Indeed Set His Heart Upon

Retaining This Famous Young Saxon Leader As His Slave And

Cup-Bearer,  And It Was Probable That In His Interview With The

Priest Before The Drawing His Inclinations Had Been Clearly

Shown,  For A Slight Difference Between The Thickness Of The

Sticks Might Well Have Existed And Served As An Index To The

Priest In Drawing Them.

Bijorn,  In His Gratification At The Answer Of The God,

Bestowed A Handsome Present Upon The Priest,  And Then Rode

Back To His Abode Well Content With His Journey. Edmund

Was At Once Installed In His New Duties. Hitherto He Had Not

Entered The House Nor Seen The Females Of The Family. Ulfra,

The Jarl's Wife,  Was A Woman Of Commanding Stature And Appearance.

Like Most Of The Northern Women She Had Accompanied Her

Husband In His Many Wanderings,  And Shared His Dangers And

Privations. The Wives Of The Norsemen Occupied A Far

More Exalted Position In The Households Of Their

Lords Than Did Those Of The People Of Southern Europe; They

Were Not Only Mistresses Of The House,  But Were Treated With

Respect As Well As With Affection; They Were Not,  As In The South,

Regarded As Puppets For The Amusements Of An Idle Hour,  But

Were The Companions And Advisers Of Their Husbands,  Occupying

A Position At Least As Free And Respected As At The Present Day.

There Were Two Daughters,  Who Both Bade Fair To Resemble

Their Mother In Stature And Dignity Of Demeanour,

For Both Were Models Of Female Strength And Activity.

Edmund's Duties Were Light. In The Morning He Gathered

Firewood For The Household; At The Meals He Handed The

Dishes,  And Taking His Station Behind The Jarl's Chair,  Refilled

His Goblet With Mead As Often As It Was Empty. Usually A Large

Party Sat Down To Supper,  For An Expedition To France Was

Talked Of In The Spring,  And The Jarls And Warriors Often Met

To Discuss The Place Of Starting,  The Arrangements For The

Voyage,  And The Numbers Which Each Leader Would Place In The

Field. The Feasts Were Kept Up To A Late Hour,  And,  As Was The

Invariable Custom Of The Northmen,  The Arrangements Decided

Upon Overnight Were Rediscussed At A Morning Meeting;

For They Held That While Over The Wine-Cup Each Man Would

Speak The Truth Frankly And Honestly,  The Colder Counsels And

Greater Prudence Which The Morning Brought Were Needed

Before Any Matter Could Be Finally Settled.

A Month Thus Passed,  And Bijorn,  His Family And Followers

Then Moved South,  As There Was To Be A Great Conference

Near The Southern Point Of The Country,  At Which A Large

Number Of The Chiefs From Denmark Were To