est men among the Danes.

Alfred treated his captives very well, giving them good lodgings,
and bating them often at his own table, so that I saw much of
Osmund. And more than that, I saw much of the Lady Thora, his
daughter, who would not leave him. I do not think that there could
be more certain manner of beginning a close friendship between a
warrior and the lady whom he shall learn to hold first in his
heart, than that in which I first met this fair maiden.

Now one will say that straightway I must fall in love with her, but
it was not so: first of all, because I had not time, since every
day Alfred planned new ships with me and Thord; and next, because I
was his guest, and Osmund was his hostage. Maybe I thought not much
of that, however, not having the thoughts of a Saxon towards a
Dane. But I will say this, that among all the fair ladies of the
queen's household there was none of whom I thought at all; while of
what Thora would say I thought often, and it pleased me that the
Lady Etheldreda, Odda's fair eldest daughter, took pity on the
lonely maiden, and made much of her after a time.

Three weeks I was in Exeter, and then the king went eastward
through his country to repair what damage had been done. Then I
took up my work for him, and got out my ship and sailed westward,
putting into every harbour where a ship might be built, and set the
shipwrights to work, having with me royal letters to sheriffs and
port reeves everywhere that they should do what I ordered them. In
each yard I left two or three of my men, that they should oversee
all things; because if one Saxon thinks he knows better than his
fellow, he will not be ruled by him, whereas no man can dispute
what a born viking has to say about ship craft. It seemed that all
were glad of our coming, and the work began very cheerfully.

All this took long, but at last I came up the Severn, and so into
the river Parret--for the weather would serve me no longer and laid
up the ship in a creek there is at Bridgwater, where Heregar, the
king's standard bearer, was sheriff. He made me very welcome at his
great house near by, at Cannington, and then rode with me to
Bristol; and there I set two ships in frame, and so ended all I
could do for the winter. King Alfred would have a fleet when the
spring came.

Then Heregar and I would go to Chippenham, to spend the time of the
Yule feast with King Alfred; and we rode there with Harek and
Kolgrim, and were made most