t of the ship, and Eadward
came and joined us. The men ate their breakfast forward, and
brought us some, and the two churchmen came out with the little
atheling, and then Sister Sexberga, as I called her, came and
shivered in the cold breeze and spoke to Bertric, who was alone on
the after deck steering, and so went back to the cabin, where the
queen had all things needful for breaking her fast.

Then Bertric whistled sharply, and I looked up at him. He pointed
away to the eastward, and out to sea. There I saw far off on the
skyline the sails of two ships that grew larger as I watched them.

I went to the break of the after deck and climbed up beside him.

"Men say that two ships passed westwards tonight, master," he said.
"Here be two more heading over from the south."

"Can you tell what they are?" I asked him.

"Longships, as I think," he answered. "We shall know betimes."

The vessels hove up quickly, for our great brown sail bore us more
or less across their course.

"It is safer to hold on, master," he said, "for to up helm and fly
would be to bring them after us if they are vikings. They will see
that we are not laden with cargo, and will not pay heed to us
therefore."

It was but half an hour after that when we knew that the two ships
were Danish war vessels, and that they were laying a fresh course
to overhaul us. Nor was there any chance of our escaping them. They
were thrice as fast as we.

Then I feared greatly, for I knew not what would happen. It might
be that they would let our party go on, finding them to all seeming
nought but church folk; but one could not tell, and I feared. So
also did Elfric when I went to him and told him what these ships
were, and that they were bearing down on us.

"We cannot fight," he said. "We must let things be as the Lord
will."

"If any roughness is shown to the womenfolk," I said, "there will
be one man who will fight."

"And will lose his life for naught," he answered. "If the worst
comes to the worst we must even do as the queen has bidden us
before now. We must proclaim her, and then we shall be safe from
harm, if captives to Cnut. Tell me, have you heard that he is cruel
to those he takes?"

"Rather I have heard that he is not," I said. "Moreover, if Emma of
Normandy suffers aught at his hands he will have the duke to deal
with very shortly."

"Now are we in the Lord's hands," said Elfric, for a hoarse hail
came from the leading ship, which was to w