"Farewell therefore for a while, Redwald, my comrade," he said when
he went away. "You have helped me to tide over many heavy hours
that would have pressed sorely on me but for your cheerfulness.
When peace comes you shall have your Anglian home again, with more
added to its manors for the sake of past days and good service."

That was much for the atheling to say, and heartily did I thank
him. Yet I had grown to love Olaf my kinsman better than any other
man, and I was glad to be with him, away from the court jealousies
and strivings for place. There was little of that in Olaf's fleet,
where all were old comrades, and had each long ago found the place
that he could best fill.

So the levies marched on Gainsborough, and Olaf bided in the Thames
and gathered ships and men till we had a fair fleet and a good
force. Then came the news that Cnut and all his host had taken ship
and fled from England without waiting to strike a blow at Ethelred,
and our folk thought that this was victory for us. But Olaf rode
down to the ships in haste, and took them down to Erith, while his
land levies followed on the Kentish shore. For he thought it likely
that Cnut did but leave Ethelred and his armies in Lindsey while he
would land here unopposed.

Then came a fisher's boat with word that Cnut's great fleet was
putting into Sandwich, but before we had planned to throw our force
between him and London came the strange news that again he had left
Kent and had sailed northwards.

We sailed then to Sandwich to learn what we might, sending two
swift ships to watch if Cnut put into the Essex creeks. But at