But we had no thought of falling on them until we had
had some parley with the king or the Earl of Chester. And now it was
plain that with the grim rearguard behind us we outnumbered the men of
Alsi who were left.
Now came from the village in rear of the foe a little company, in the
midst of which was one horseman, and that was the king himself. His arm
was slung to his breast, and he sat his horse weakly, so that it was
true enough that he had been hurt. With him were the earl and Eglaf, and
the housecarls, and I sent one to fetch Havelok quickly, that there
might be no delay in the words that were to be said.
Alsi rode to the water's edge and looked out over our host, and his
white face became whiter, and his thin lips twitched as he saw that our
line was no weaker than it had seemed when first he saw it. He spoke to
the earl, and he too counted the odds before him, and he smiled a little
to himself. He had not much to say to Alsi.
Then broke out a thunderous cheer from all our men, for with Havelok and
Sigurd at her horse's rein, and with Withelm's courtmen of her own guard
behind her, came Goldberga the queen to speak with the man who had
broken his trust. She had on her mail, as on the day when we ended
Hodulf; and she rode to the centre of our line, and there stayed, with a
flush on her cheek that the wild shouts of our men had called there.
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