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Havelok The Dane written by Charles Whistler

C >> Charles Whistler >> Havelok The Dane




Alsi led her by the hand, and set her on the bench that was to his left,
and signed to the nurse to sit beside her, which the old lady did,
bridling and looking with scorn at the king as she took her place. There
she sought the hand of the princess, and held it tightly, as in
comforting wise. Very rich garments had the nurse, but Goldberga was
dressed in some plain robe of white that shone when the light caught it.
Mostly I do not see these things, but now I wished that she always wore
that same.

As for Alsi, he had on his finest gear, even as at the great feast of
the Witan--crimson cloak, fur-lined, and dark-green hose,
gold-gartered across, and white and gold tunic. He had a little crown on
also, and that was the only thing kingly about him, to my mind.

Now he cast one look at Goldberga, which made her shrink into herself,
as it were, and turned with a smile to us all.

"Friends," he said, "this is short notice for a wedding, but all men
know that 'Happy is the wooing that is not long a-doing,' so no more
need be said of that. All men know also that when good Ethelwald died he
made me swear to him that I would wed his daughter to the mightiest and
goodliest and fairest man that was in the land. I have ever been mindful
of that oath, and now it seems that the time for keeping it has come.
Whether the man whom my niece will wed is all that the oath requires,
you shall judge; and if he is such a one, I must not stand in the way. I
do not myself know that I have ever seen one who is so fully set forth
in words as is this bridegroom in those of the oath."

Now I heard one whisper near me, "Whom has Goldberga chosen?"

And that was what Alsi would have liked to hear, for his speech seemed
to say that thus it was, and maybe that he did not altogether like the
choice.

But now Alsi said to Berthun, "Bring in the bridegroom."

"Whom shall I bring, lord?" the steward asked in blank wonder, and Alsi
whispered his answer.

At that Berthun's hands flew up, and his mouth opened, and he did not stir.

"Go, fool," said Alsi, and I thought that he would have stamped his foot.

Now I knew who was meant in a moment, and even as the steward took his
first step from off the dais to go down the hail to his own entrance, I
said to Eglaf, "Here is an end to my service with you. My time is up."

"Why, what is amiss?"

"The bridegroom is my brother--that is all; and I must be free to
serve him as I may."

"Well, if that is so, you are in luck. But I do not think that either of
Grim's sons can be the man. Big enough are you, certainly, but goodly?
Nay, but that red head of yours spoils you."

I daresay that he would have said more about Raven and Withelm, for a
talk was going round; but a hush came suddenly, and then a strange
murmur of stifled wonder, for Havelok came into the hall after Berthun,
and all eyes were turned to him.

Now I saw my brother smile as he came, seeing someone whom he liked
first of all; and then he looked up the hall, and at once his face
became ashy pale, for he saw what was to be done. Yet he went on firmly,
looking neither to right nor left, until he came to the high place.
There he caught my eye, and I made a little sign to him to show that I
knew his trouble.

They came to the step, and Berthun stood aside to let Havelok pass, and
then Alsi held out his hand to raise my brother to the high place. But
Havelok seemed not to see that, stepping up by himself as the king bade
him come. Then the women who were in the hall spoke to one another in a
murmur that seemed of praise; but whiter and more white grew the
princess, so that I feared that she would faint. But she did not; and
presently there seemed to come into her eyes some brave resolve, and she
was herself again, looking from Alsi to Havelok, and again at Alsi.

Now, too, the king looked at him up and down, as one who measures his
man before a fight. And when he met Havelok's eyes he grew red, and
turned away to the folk below him.

"So, friends," he cried, "what say you? Am I true to the words of my
oath in allowing this marriage?"

There was not one there who did not know Havelok, whom they called
Curan; and though all thought these doings strange, there was a hum of
assent, for the oath said naught of the station in life of the
bridegroom. Good King Ethelwald had been too trustful.

"That is well," said Alsi, with a grave face. "All here will bear
witness that this was not done without counsel taken. Now, let the
bridegroom sit in his place here to my right."

He waved his hand, and Havelok sat down on the bench that faced
Goldberga; and now he looked long at her with a look that seemed to be
questioning. Alsi was going to his seat in the cross bench, where the
parents of the couple are wont to sit at a wedding while the vows are
made, but he seemed to bethink himself. It is my belief that he said
what he did in order to shame both Havelok and Goldberga.

"Why, it is not seemly that the bridegroom should sit alone without one
to be by him. Where are your friends, Curan?"

At that Alsi met with more than he bargained for. At once Berthun came
forward, and forth came I, and without a word we sat one on each side of
him. There were others who would have come also, for I saw even Eglaf
take a step towards the high place, had we not done so.

Alsi's face became black at that, for here was not the friendless churl
he was scoffing at. But he tried to smile, as if pleased.

"Why, this is well," he said. "Good it is to see a master helping his
man, and a soldier ready to back a comrade of a sort. Now we have
witnesses. Let us go on with the wedding."

Now the golden loving cup that was used at the feasts had been filled
and set at a little side table that stood there, and it was to be the
bride cup that should be drunk between the twain when all was settled.
So Alsi took this cup and held it, while he sat in the place of the
father of the bride. Now, I knew nothing of what should he done, but
Berthun did so, and well he took my brother's part, having undertaken
for him thus.

"It is the custom," said Alsi, "that the bridegroom should state what he
sets forth of the dowry to the bride."

Whereat Berthun, without hesitation, spoke hastily to Havelok, and told
him to let him answer, meaning, as I have not the least doubt, to
promise all that he had saved in long years of service. But Havelok
smiled a little, and set his hand to his neck, and I remembered one
thing that he had--a ring which had always hung on a cord under his
jerkin since he came to Grimsby, and which my father had bidden him keep
ever.

"This give I," he said, setting it on the floor at his feet, "and with
it all that I am, and all that I shall hereafter be, and all that shall
be mine at any time."

Alsi looked at the ring as it flashed before him, and his face changed.
No such jewel had he in all his treasures, for it was of dwarf work in
gold, set with a deep crimson stone that was like the setting sun for
brightness. I do not know whence these stones came, unless it were from
the East. Eleyn the queen, his mother, was thence, and I know now that
the ring was hers. But I think that when Alsi saw this he half repented
of the match, though he had gone too far now to draw back. So he bowed,
and said that it was well, as he would have said had there been nothing
forthcoming.

Then Berthun, in his turn, asked for the bridegroom that the dowry of
the bride should be stated for all to hear.

"The wealth left my niece by her father," said Alsi. "The matter of the
kingdom is for the Witan of the East Anglians to settle."

Then came from out the king's chamber two men bearing bags of gold, and
that was set before the princess. It was a noble dowry, and honest was
the king in this matter at least.

Now were the vows to be said and the bride cup to be drunk, and that was
the hardest part of all to Havelok.

Slowly he rose as the king held it out to him, and he took it from his
hand and stood before Goldberga; and she, too, rose and faced him, and
for a moment they stood thus, surely the most handsome couple that had
ever been.

Then Havelok said, looking in the clear eyes of the princess, "This have
I sworn, that I will wed no unwilling bride. It is but for you to say
one word, and the cup falls, and all is ended."

Alsi started at that, and I thought he was going to speak, but he held
his peace. Still as a rock was Havelok while he waited for the answer,
and the folk in the hall were as still as he. They began to see that all
was not right as the king would have it thought.

Once the princess looked at Alsi, and that with pride in her face, and
then she looked long and steadfastly at Havelok, and one by one his
fingers loosened themselves on the golden stem of the cup, that she
might know him ready for her word.

Then she put forth her hand and closed it round his strong fingers, that
he must hold it fast by her doing, and that was all that was needed. It
was more than words could have told. And she smiled as she did it.

And at that a light came on Havelok's face, and he smiled gravely back
at her, and he said in a low voice that shook a little, "May the gods so
treat me as I treat you, my princess. Can it be that you will trust me
thus?"

She answered in no words, but I saw her hand tighten over his, and her
eyes never left his face.

Then Havelok raised his other hand, and took that of Goldberga, which
was on the cup, and faced to the people.

"Thus do I pledge her who shall be henceforward my wife through good and
ill; and may Odin, Freya, and Niord be witnesses of my oath of faith to
her in all that the word may mean."

So he drank, and I stole a glance at the king. Never saw I a man so
amazed, for to him the Danish names of the Asir had come as some sort of
a shock, seeing that he had deemed this man, with the name of Curan, a
Briton. And he looked at Berthun with a look that seemed to say more
than was likely to be pleasant by-and-by. But the steward paid no heed
to him.

Now Havelok had made his vow, and he gave the cup to the princess; and
she, too, turned a little toward the people, but still she looked on
Havelok.

"Faith shall answer to faith," she said in a clear voice. "Here do I
take this man for my husband, in the sight of God, and with you all as
witnesses, and I pray that the blessing of Him may be on us both."

So she drank also, and Havelok stopped and raised the wondrous ring from
where it had been unheeded on the floor, and took the band of Goldberga,
and set it on her finger, and kissed the hand ere he let it go.

But Goldberga lifted her face toward him, and he bent and kissed her
forehead, and so they were wedded.

I have heard men scoff at the thought of love at first sight, but never
can any one of us do so who saw this wedding.


CHAPTER XVII. HOW THE BRIDE WENT HOME.

Now the folk cheered, and loudest of all honest Eglaf and his warriors.
I wondered what should come next, for neither feast nor bride ale was
prepared, and Berthun was looking puzzled. Then I saw that the only face
in all the wide hall which was not bright was that of Alsi, and his brow
was black as a thunder cloud, while his fingers were white with the
force with which he clutched and twisted the end of his jewelled belt.
Plainly he was in a royal rage that none had scoffed at this wedding,
but that all had taken it as a matter that was right altogether.

But he had one more evil thing in his mind that must be seen through;
and he came forward, smoothing his face, as best he might, to the fixed
smile that I had seen when he spoke with Ragnar, and learned that his
first plot had miscarried.

"Now, friends," he said, "all this has been so hasty that we have
prepared no feast. Even now, it seems that the horses stand at the door
to take bride and bridegroom hence, and doubtless there waits somewhere
the feast that has been bespoken without my knowledge. Well, strange are
the ways of lovers, and we will pardon them. I have therefore only to
bid them farewell."

With that he turned to Havelok, and held out his hand, as in all good
fellowship, but Havelok would not see it.

"Fare as it shall be meted to you by the Asir, King Alsi," he said, "for
at least Loki loves craft."

Then he turned to me, and asked hurriedly where we should go if we must
leave thus.

"To Grimsby," I said. "That is home."

Alsi spoke to the princess now, and maybe it was as well that he did not
offer so much as his hand. Wise was he in his way.

"Farewell, niece," he said; "all this shall come shortly before the
Witan of Ethelwald's folk."

"Farewell, uncle," she answered calmly. "That is a matter which I will
see to myself. You have carried out your oath to the letter, so far, and
now it remains that you should leave the government of the realm to me."

With that she put her hand on Havelok's arm.

"Come, husband; we have heard that the horses wait. Let us be gone."

And then in a quick whisper she added, as if nigh overdone, "Take me
hence quickly, for I may not bear more."

They wasted no more words; and through a lane of folk, who blessed them,
those two went to the great door down the long hall, and I followed, and
Berthun and the nurse came after me. One flung the door open; and on the
steps, all unaware of what had happened, lounged Mord, waiting, and up
and down on the green the grooms led the horses of the princess--six
in all. On two were packed her goods, and the third had a pack saddle
that waited for the bags that held her dowry. The other three were for
herself and Mord and the nurse. There was not one for Havelok.

"This is hasty, my princess," Mord said. "Whither are we bound?"

"For Grimsby, Mord," I answered quickly. "Are there no more horses to be
had?"

"Never a one, unless we steal from the king," he answered.

The people were crowding out now that they might see the start, and I
saw Berthun speak to a man among them who was a stranger to me. And from
him he turned directly with a glad face.

"Go down to such a hostelry," he said to me, "and there ask for what
horses you will. Maybe I shall have to follow you for my part in this
matter--that is, if I am not put in the dungeon."

"Faith," I answered, "better had you come with us than run that risk.
Alsi is in a bad mood."

He shook his head; and then the people behind him made way, for the king
was coming.

"Almost had you forgotten this," he said; "and I think you will want it."

The men with the money were there, and he waved his hand to them.
Havelok lifted the princess to her horse without heeding him, and the
men set the bags on the pack horses.

"See the bridegroom down the street, you who were his witnesses," the
king went on, with a curling lip; "and if you are a wise man, master
Berthun, you will not come back again."

Berthun bowed and went into the hail, past the king, and across to his
own door, without a word. After him the thronging people closed up, and
though I thought that a housecarl would have been sent to see what he
was about, this would have made an open talk, and Alsi forbore.

"Let Havelok take your horse, Mord," I whispered to him; "I will tell
you why directly."

He nodded, and I told Havelok to mount. Then I helped up the nurse, who
wept and muttered to herself; and so we started, Alsi standing on the
steps with words of feigned goodspeed as we did so.

But the housecarls and the people shouted with wishes that were real, no
doubt thinking that we were bound for the far-off kingdom of the prince
who had won Goldberga by service as a kitchen knave in her uncle's hall
for very love of her.

Directly we were outside the gate that leads down the hill, I saw
Withelm, who was there waiting for me, and he knew at once what had
happened.

He came to my side, and asked only, "Already?"

"Already," I answered; "but it is well. Go to the widow's straightway,
and bring Havelok's arms to him at the hostelry at the end of the
marketplace, where we have to find more horses."

He went at once, and silently we came down the street and to the
courtyard of the inn. Some few folk stared at us; but the princess was
hardly known here, and she had cast her long, white mantle hoodwise over
her head and face, so that one could not tell who she was. So early in
the day there were few people in the marketplace either.

Berthun was in the courtyard of the inn, and I was glad to see him, for
I did not know what would happen to him. It was likely that Alsi would
seek for someone on whom to visit his anger at the way things had gone.
But the steward had been warned, and was not one to run any risk.

"I did but go back for a few things that I did not care to leave," he
said; and he showed me that he had brought his own horse from the
stables, and on it were large saddlebags. No poor man was Berthun after
years of service in the palace, where gifts from thane and lady are
always ready for the man who has had the care of them. Across the saddle
bow also were his mail shirt and arms, and his shield hung with his helm
from the peak.

"You see that I must needs cast in my lot with yours, or rather
Curan's," he said, laughing; "but it is in my mind that in the end I
shall not be sorry to have done so. I think that I am tired of the
fireside, and want adventure for a while."

"Well," I answered, "you are likely to have them, and that shortly, if I
am not mistaken; but we shall see. Now about these horses, for we had
better get out of Lincoln as soon as we may."

The man he had spoken with was a merchant, who came yearly, and was a
friend of his. He had more horses than he meant to keep, as he had here
each year; for every one knows that a horse can always be sold in
Lincoln, and they were good ones. Then my gold came in well, and I
bought three, one for each of us brothers. I daresay that I paid dearly
for them, but there was no time for haggling in the way that a horse
dealer loves. Out of the way of Alsi we must get, before he bethought
him of more crafty devices. And I thought, moreover, that we should be
riding towards East Anglia shortly, and it was not everywhere that a
steed fit to carry Havelok on a long journey was to be had.

I had bidden him leave all this to me as we came down the hill, and glad
he was to do so. Now he had dismounted, and stood by the side of the
princess, speaking earnestly to her. It was plain that what he said was
pleasant to her also. But we left them apart, as one might suppose.

Now came a warrior into the courtyard, and he bore more arms. It was
Withelm, who had borrowed the gear of the widow's dead husband, that he
might be ready for whatever might happen: and it was good to see
Havelok's eyes grow bright as he spied the well-known weapons that his
brother had in his arms. He said one word to Goldberga, and then came to us.

"Let me get into war gear at once," he said, laughing in a way that
lightened my heart. "I shall not feel that I have shaken off service to
Alsi until I have done so."

And then he saw Berthun here for the first time.

"Nay, but here is my master," he added. "And I will say that I owe him
much for his kindness."

"Now the kindness shall be on your part, if any was on mine. Take me
into your service, I pray you, henceforward."

"Good friend of mine," said Havelok, "naught have I to offer you. And
how should one serve me?"

"With heart and hand and head, neither more nor less," answered Berthun.
"I have seen you serve, and now will see you command. Let me bide with
you, my master, at least, giving you such service as I may."

"Such help as you may, rather. For now we all serve the princess,"
Havelok said.

And with that Berthun was well content for the time.

"Well, then," said I, "see to Havelok's arms, while we get the horses
ready, for I want Withelm here."

So Havelok and his new man went into the house with his arms, and then I
saw Goldberga beckoning to us. It was the first time that I had spoken
to her, and I think that I was frightened, if that is what they call the
feeling that makes one wish to be elsewhere. But there was nothing to
fear in the sweet face that she turned to us.

"Brothers," she said, "Havelok tells me that it was one of you who
brought David the priest to me. I do not rightly know yet which is Withelm."

With that she smiled and blushed a little, and I stood, helm in hand,
stupidly enough. But my brother was more ready.

"I am Withelm, my princess--" he began.

"Nay; but 'sister' it shall be between me and my husband's brothers.
Now, brother Withelm, there is one thing that is next my heart, and in
it I know you will help me."

There she wavered for a moment, and then went on bravely.

"Christian am I, and I do not think that we are rightly wedded until the
priest has done his part. And to that Havelok agrees most willingly,
saying that I must ask you thereof, for he does not know where the old
man is now."

"Wedded in the little chapel that is in the thick of Cabourn woods shall
you be, for David has gone there already. We can ride and find him
before many hours are over, sweet lady of ours."

She thanked him in few words, and with much content.

Then came forth from the house Havelok, in the arms that suited him so
well--golden, shining mail shirt of hard bronze scales, and steel,
horned helm, plain and strong, and girt with sword and seax, and with
axe and shield slung over shoulder, as noble a warrior surely as was in
all England, ay, or in the Northlands that gave him birth either; and
what wonder that the eyes of the princess glowed with a new pride as she
looked at her mighty husband?

But Mord almost shouted when he saw him come thus, and to me he said,

"It is Gunnar--Gunnar, I tell you--come back from Asgard to help my
princess."

"Wait till we get to Grimsby, and Arngeir will make all clear," I said.
"Get into your arms, and we will start. All is ready now."

We did not wait for Mord, but mounted and rode out, and the princess
looked round at us as she rode first beside Havelok, and said, "Never
have I ridden so well attended, as I think."

And from beside me, with broad face from under his helm, Berthun
answered for us all, "Never with men so ready to die for you, at least,
my mistress."

And that was true.

Half a mile out of the town we rode at a quick trot, and then thundered
Mord after us, and his hurry surely meant something. I reined up and
waited for him.

"What is the hurry, Mord?" said I.

"Maybe it is nothing, and maybe it is much," he answered; "but Griffin
of Chester has gone up to the palace, for I saw him. He has his arm in a
sling, and his face looks as if it had been trodden on. Now Alsi will
tell him all this, and if we are not followed I am mistaken. He would
think nothing of wiping out our party to take the princess, and Alsi
will not mind if he does. How shall we give him the slip?"

Withelm rode with his chin over his shoulder, and I beckoned him and
told him this. Not long was his quick wit in seeing a way out of what
might be a danger.

"Let us ride on quickly down the Ermin Street, and he will think us
making for the south and Norwich. Then we will turn off to Cabourn, and
he will lose us. After that he may hear that some of us belong to
Grimsby, and will go there; but he will be too late to hurt us. Hard men
are our fishers, and they would fight for Havelok and the sons of Grim."

So we did that, riding down the old Roman way to a wide, waste forest
land where none should see us turn off, and then across the forest paths
to Cabourn; and there we found the hermit, and there Havelok and
Goldberga were wedded again with all the rites of Holy Church, and the
bride was well content.

Now while that was our way, I will say what we escaped by this plan of
my brother's, though we did not hear all for a long time. Presently we
did hear what had happened at Grimsby towards this business, as will be
seen.

To Lincoln comes Griffin, with Cadwal his thane, just as we had left the
town thus by another road, and straightway he betakes himself to the
palace. There he finds Alsi in an evil mood, and in the hall the people
are talking fast, and there is no Berthun to receive him.

So, as he sits at the high table and breaks his fast beside the king, he
asks what all the wonderment may be. And Alsi tells him, speaking in Welsh.

"East Anglia is mine," he says, "for I have rid myself of the girl."

Griffin sets his hand on his dagger.

"Hast killed her?" he says sharply.

"No; married her."

"To whom, then?"

"To a man whom the Witan will not have as a king at any price."

"There you broke faith with me," says Griffin, snarling. "I would have
taken her, and chanced that."

"My oath was in the way of that. You missed the chance on the road the
other day, which would have made things easy for us both. There was no
other for you."

Now Griffin curses Ragnar, and the Welsh tongue is good for that business.

"Who is the man, then?" he says, when he has done.

"The biggest and best-looking countryman of yours that I have ever set
eyes on," answers Alsi, looking askance at Griffin's angry face. "There
is a sort of consolation for you."