the words of the witch of
Senlac were coming true--his shadow was over our king, for ill in
all things.

The battle was going against Cnut--once Eadmund himself had cut his
way through the press of Danes before their king, and had almost
come to hand strokes with him, but had been borne back. And then
Streone's eyes lit on one Osmer, a warrior of the Danish host,
standing near him, and he saw that he was like our king. Therefore
he slew him, and set his head on a spear, and rode forward to where
the English line pressed most hardly on the Danish ranks. There he
raised the head aloft, shouting in his great voice:

"Fly, English, fly! Eadmund is dead. Know his head!"

Then for a moment panic seized our folk, and they held their hands,
and in that pause Ulf the jarl charged among them, and the line was
broken and flight began.

But Eadmund unhelmed when he heard the cry that he was slain, and
rode through the ranks, and our men knew him, and cheered, and fell
on the Danes afresh, and the broken line closed up, and they fought
till night fell, and in the night the Danes drew off. And in the
night by twos and threes, and then in companies, Eadmund's levies
melted away from him, for his men were worn out and sick of
slaughter, and knew not enough to bid them stay to follow their
foes and turn retreat into rout, and doubt into victory. The Danes
were going, they saw and heard; what need to stay longer?

So it came to pass that nothing was wrought by that awful fighting,
and both sides claimed victory, for our men deemed that they had
won, and the Danes claimed it because they were not followed, and
because Ulf the jarl had cut through our line.

It was through this last that I lost Godwine as a companion. For
Ulf lost himself in the forest that was in the rear of our forces,
because he followed the flying too far, and the dusk of the evening
was close at hand. He thought that the victory was surely won, for
it had ever been that the first sign of flight was followed by rout
of our men. At least the Danes learnt this at Sherston, that
Eadmund could hold his own against them.

So Ulf the jarl wandered all night in the wood, and came out of it
on the hillside where Godwine was speaking to one of his father's
shepherds. And Godwine brought him, unknowing who he was, back to
Berkeley.

Then maybe came into Wulfnoth's mind that rede of the witch of
Senlac, that bade Godwine mind his sheep, and so find his place, or
else