ee leapt away into the darkness up the hill,
leaving me to follow if I listed.

That was not my way, however, and I ran on to Matelgar's hall.

One stood at the gate. It was Wulfhere. Inside I heard the trampling of
horses, and knew that they would be ready in time. Wulfhere laid hand on
sword as I came up, doubting if I were not a Dane, but I cried to him
who I was, and he came out a step or two to me, asking for news.

And when I told him what I had seen and done, he, too, said I had done
well, and that I had saved Alswythe, if not many more. Also, that he had
sent a man to tell Matelgar of his plans. Then he told me that even now
the horses were ready, and that he was about to abandon the place, going
to the house of that thane of whom I had told him. And I said that I
would go some way with him, and then return to join the levy, making
known my ill-luck with Osric.

"Ho!" said he; "it was well he sent you away, as it seems to me."

That was the word of the old crone, I remembered, that it should be so.

Then came a soft touch on my arm, and on turning I saw Alswythe standing
by me, wrapped in a long cloak, and ready. And neither I nor she thought
shame that I should lay my arm round her, and kiss her there, with the
grim old housecarle standing by and pretending to look out over Stert,
where the light of my fires shone above the trees.

"Heregar, my loved one, what does it all mean?" she said, trembling a
little. "Have they come?"

I folded my arm more closely round her, and would have answered, but
that Wulfhere did so for me.

"Aye, lady, and it is to Heregar that we owe our safety, for he has been
down to Stert and warned us all."

At that my love crept closer to me, as it were to thank me. Then she said:

"Will there be fighting? And will my father have to fight?"

"Aye, lady," said Wulfhere again, "as a good Saxon should."

"Must I go from here?" she asked again; and I told her that the house
would be burnt, maybe, in an hour or so.

At that she shivered, and tried not to weep, being very brave.

"Where must we go?" she said, with a little tremble in her voice.

I told her where we would take her, and then she cried out that she must
bide near at hand lest her father should be hurt, and none to tend him.

And Wulfhere and I tried a little to overpersuade her, but then a groom
came to say that all was ready.

And, truly, no time must be lost, if we would get off safely.

Then I said that it