recovered his good temper, and at last he said to Olaf with a great
laugh:

"Verily you may go away and boast that you are the first man who
has brought his armed followers inside Pevensea walls without
leave, since the days when OElla and Cissa forced the Welsh to let
them in. Now I wot that Ethelred has a friend who must be reckoned
with."

"Nay, but you would see the men," said Olaf.

"Aye, and I have seen them," answered the earl grimly.

When we sat down in the hall that night I was next to the maiden
Sexberga, Relf's daughter, at the high table. She was very
different from the great ladies of the court, who were all that I
knew. I tried to assure her that her home would be safe, and I
promised her many things in order to see her smile, and to please
her.

Yet when I went down to the ships presently, for none of us slept
within Wulfnoth's walls, I was glad that there was no light of
burning houses over Penhurst woods, as yet.



Chapter 5: How Redwald Fared At Penhurst.


It was very dark when we marched from Pevensea. We followed the