Havelok spoke
softly to me, and with him was Goldberga, clad in her mail. And I
thought that they and I were slain also, and I cried to this one who
seemed to be one of Odin's maidens that I too would fain be stayed up
with Cadwal and the rest, that I might have part in victory.

Then Goldberga stooped to me, and laid her soft hand on my forehead, and
took off my helm, so that the air came to me, and thereat I woke altogether.

"Brother," she said, "you are restless and sorely wounded, as it seems.
It is not good that you should lie in this mist."

At her voice the others woke, and for a while she talked with us in a
low tone, cheering us. And presently she asked of that strange request
that I had made to her.

I told her, for it was a message that should not be kept back, thus
given; and when he heard it, Withelm sighed a little, and said, "Would
that we had all those who have fallen. Yet if it is as they have asked
our brother, our host will seem as strong as before we joined battle in
the morning. Leave this to me, brother, for it may be done."

Then he rose up and went softly to where Idrys, the friend of Cadwal,
lay, and spoke long with him. It was true that Cadwal was slain, though
I had not yet heard of it until he told me himself thus.

Then I slept heavily, while the others talked for a while. It is a hard
place at a wedge tip when Englishmen are against one; and I am not much
use in a council. Presently they would wake me if my word was wanted.

But it was not needed, for the sunlight woke me. There was a growing
stir in our lines and across the water also, and I looked round. The
mists were yet dense, for there was not enough breeze to stir the heavy
folds of the banner, and Raven slept still with his arm round its staff.
Havelok was not here now, and I thought that he had gone to the camp
with Goldberga, and would be back shortly.

Then I saw that our rear rank was already formed up, as I thought, and
that is not quite the order of things, as a rule, and it seemed far off
from the stream. I thought that they should have asked me about this,
for there were some of my courtmen in that line.

And then I saw that in the line was no movement, and no flash of arms,
as when one man speaks to another, turning a little. And before that
line stood the form of a chief who leant on his broad spear, motionless
and seeming watchful. I knew him at once, and it was Cadwal, and those
he commanded were the dead. That