e, I could
not doubt what her word would be. She would speak as Elfric wrote.
Then I longed for Olaf and his counsel. But he was far beyond my
reach, nor could I tell where he might be. He had gone across the
gray rim of the sea, and no track was there for me to follow.

The evening fell, and still I sat there, and Thrand of Colchester
came to seek me--I know not what he feared for me if I grew lonely
on Ashingdon hill now that all seemed lost.

"Master, come back to the ships," he said. "It is ill biding here
after sunset. The slain are unquiet by reason of Streone's deeds."

"They will not harm me, Thrand," I answered. "I would I lay here
with them even now . . . but that is past."

I rose up and went down the hill with him, and the sun set behind
it, and it was gray and black against the red evening sky. There
was a mist from the river, and one might think that one saw many
things moving therein.

And I know not that I saw anything more than mortal--though maybe I
did--until as we went to Cnut's dune, under which Egil's ship lay,
and we passed that place where the left wing of our line had been
driven back on the marsh. Then I saw an armed man coming towards
us, and Thrand, who walked at my shoulder, closed up to me, for the
warrior had a drawn sword in his hand.

And when we came face to face I knew that I looked once more on
Ulfkytel our earl, and a great fear fell on me, for he lay with his
men in the mound where he fell, and Egil and I had raised it over
him. Then I must speak.

"Greeting to the earl," I said, and my voice sounded strange.

But he made no answer, save that he looked me in the face and
smiled at me gravely and sweetly, and sheathed the sword he held,
folding his arms thereafter as one whose work is done. And while
one might count a score, I saw him, plainly as in life, and then he
was gone.

Wherefore I thought that our own earl was not wroth with me for
what I would do; and after that my mind was at rest, and ready to
take what peace might come to me at the hands of Cnut the king.

"We have seen the earl," Thrand said, when he was gone.

"Aye. He tells us that the war is at an end, and that, in truth,
Cnut is king in East Anglia."

"It is well," Thrand answered simply. "Dane were my fathers, and
Danish is my name and that of Guthorm my brother. If Cnut lets us
keep our old customs and governs with justice, it is all we need."

There was spoken the word of all Anglia, whether of t