s were not singing after their wont in
the dewy daybreak of May time, and I thought they waited for the
sun to break out.

When I came to the stables there was bustle everywhere, of course;
but the grooms seemed troubled in some way out of the common, and
Erling himself came to meet me with a puzzled face which told me
that all was not well.

"There is thunder in the air, thane," he said. "If I mistake not,
we shall have somewhat out of the way, too. The horses are feeling
it--unless some thrall has poisoned the whole stable."

Truly the horses were looking strangely. Their coats stared, and
their ears were cold and damp, while they seemed glad of the
company of the men, whinnying low and rubbing themselves against
them as they came into the stalls. I heard one thrall say to
another that the whole stable had surely been witch ridden in the
night.

"Get the horses into the open," I said. "It is stifling in this
stable. Maybe that is what is wrong."

My own horse was standing ready, and he greeted me, after his wont,
with a little neigh; but he was wet, and his coat had lost the
gloss of which Erling was so proud. I did not like it at all, but
as every horse in the place seemed to be in the same way or worse,
I put it down to the thundery feel in the air. I led him out
myself, and there were two thanes of our party, who had come for
their horses.

"Why, paladin," said one, "what is amiss with the skew-bald? You
can't ride him today if he is as bad as he looks."

I told him that his own horse was much in the same case, and added
that I thought with Erling that it was the thundery weather which
upset the stable, though I had never known the like before.

"I suppose that the king will not start until it clears," I said.

"Ay, but he will," said the other thane, looking at the gray sky.
"Seldom does he put off a start, and today of all days there is a
strong cable pulling him westward."

Now Erling came out with the other horses, and the thane and his
comrade glanced at them, and hurried to see to their own steeds.
There was no sound of pawing hoofs and coaxing voices to be heard
as one by one the horses were led out. It might have been the
clearing of a sheep fold for all the spirit there was in the
beasts.

I mounted, and rode with Erling after me out of the courtyard into
the open. On the green were gathering the twenty thanes or so who
made up the party, and across it was drawn up the mounted escort.
Ther