The Dragon and the Raven; Or, The Days of King Alfred

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER XVI: FREDA

  For some days Edmund and his party scoured the country round,journeying now in one direction, now in another, but without hearingought of Sweyn's party. Certainly they had not gone along the trackwhich the main body of the Danes had followed; but the question waswhether they had turned rather to the south in order to cross themountain ranges between them and the Rhine, or had turned north andjourneyed through the great forest of Ardennes, and so to some of theother rivers which run down into the North Sea.

  The latter was in some respects the most likely course to have beenchosen. By taking it Sweyn would avoid altogether the track which themajority of his countrymen were taking, and this would naturally be hisobject. Siegbert had many powerful friends, and the carrying off of thejarl's daughter from the side of her wounded father would be regardedas a grave offence; and Sweyn might well wish to keep clear of hiscountrymen until he had forced Freda to become his wife. Even then itwould not be safe for him for a long time to return to his country.Striking through the Ardennes he would come down upon the Scheldt, theMoselle, the Maas, or other rivers flowing into the North Sea direct,or into the Rhine.

  Edmund knew nothing of these streams; but the Danes with him said therewere several rivers so situated, for they had sailed up them. Wherethey took their rise they knew not, but it would probably be in orbeyond the forest of Ardennes.

  "Then in that way we will search," Edmund said. "If they come upon ariver they will doubtless set to work to build galleys to carry them tothe sea, for with only three hundred men Sweyn will not venture tomarch by land through a country which has but lately suffered heavilyat the hands of the Danes. It will take him a month or six weeks to cutdown trees and build his ships; therefore we may hope to find himbefore he is ready to embark. First we will push through the forest tothe other side; there we will question the inhabitants concerning theposition of the nearest rivers; then we will divide into parties and goon the search, appointing a place of rendezvous where we may rejoineach other. It can hardly be that we shall fail to find them if theyhave taken that way."

  Before entering the forest they obtained a considerable store ofprovisions; for they had no idea of its extent, and had no time tospend in hunting game. The forest of Ardennes was at that time ofimmense size, extending from Verdun and Metz on the south, to Liege andAix on the north.

  Men of the present day would have found it impossible to find their waythrough, but would speedily have been lost in its trackless recesses;but the Saxons and Danes were accustomed to travel in forests, and knewthe signs as well as did the Red-skins and hunters of the Americanforests. Therefore they felt no hesitation in entering the forestwithout a guide.

  The danger which might beset them was of a different kind. Immensenumbers of the inhabitants of France, Champagne, and Burgundy had takenrefuge in the forests, driving their flocks and herds before them. Herethey lived a wild life, hoping that the emperor would ere long clearthe country of the invaders. No mercy could be expected if Edmund andhis party fell in with a number of these fugitives. They would have notime to tell their story, but would be attacked at once as a party ofplundering Danes.

  Knowing that the horses would be an encumbrance to them in the forest,they were sold to the last party of Northmen they encountered beforeentering it, and they pursued their way on foot. The greatest cautionwas observed; every sound was marked, and at the call of a human voice,the low of cattle, or the bleating of sheep, they turned their courseso as to avoid encounter with the inhabitants of the forest. They litno fires at night, and scarce a word was spoken on the march. Severaltimes they had to take refuge in thickets when they heard the sound ofapproaching voices, and it needed all their knowledge of woodcraft tomaintain their direction steadily towards the north. At last, after sixdays' journey, they issued out into the open country beyond the forestand soon arrived at a cottage.

  The peasant was struck with terror and astonishment at the appearanceof seven Danes; and he could with difficulty be made to understand thattheir object was neither plunder nor murder, but that they wished onlyinformation from him of the situation and direction of the variousrivers of the country. After learning from him all that he knew Edmundarrived at the conclusion that Sweyn would probably attempt to descendeither by a branch of the Moselle, and so to the Rhine on the right, orby one of the Maas on the left of the place at which they had emergedfrom the forest.

  Edmund decided to strike the Maas, and to follow its course up into theforest, taking with him one of the Danes and two of his Saxons, and tosend the others to search the banks of the tributary of the Moselle.Before starting he sent the peasant to the nearest village to purchasegarments of the country for the whole party. He had already told theman that they were not Danes but Saxons, the bitter enemies of theNorthmen, and that he had been aiding in the defence of Paris againstthem.

  The peasant did not doubt what Edmund told him, for the conduct of hisvisitors was so opposed to all that he had heard of the doings of theDanes that he well believed they could not belong to that nation. Hewas away some hours, and returned with the required dresses. Having putthese on, and laying aside their helmets and shields, the two partiesstarted, the Danes alone carrying with them their former garments. Thenext day Edmund arrived at the river, and at once followed its courseupwards, for Sweyn and his party would be building their ships in theforest.

  They had not proceeded many miles before they heard the sound of axes.Edmund gave an exclamation of delight. It was almost certain that hehad hit upon Sweyn's track, for it was unlikely that any of theinhabitants of the country would have gone so far into the forest fortimber. They now moved with the greatest caution, and as theyapproached the place whence the sound proceeded Edmund halted the twoSaxons and bade them conceal themselves. The Dane resumed his owngarments and put on his helmet and shield; and then, taking advantageof every clump of undergrowth, and moving with the greatest caution, heand Edmund made their way forward. Presently they came within sight ofan animated scene.

  A large number of trees had been felled by the banks of the river andthree hundred Northmen were busily at work. The frames of two greatgalleys had already been set up, and they were now engaged in choppingout planks for their sides. Two huts were erected in the middle of theclearing. One was large, and Sweyn's banner floated from a spear beforeit. The other which stood close by was much smaller, and Edmund doubtednot that this was appropriated to Freda.

  Nothing more could be done now--their object was so far attained; andretiring they joined the two Saxons and made their way along the riverbank till they reached the edge of the forest. One of the Saxons wasnow sent off to the peasant's hut, where he was to remain until thereturn of the other party, and was then to bring them on to the spotwhich Edmund had chosen for his encampment. This was in the heart of alarge clump of underwood extending down to the river.

  The brushwood was so thick that it was entered with difficulty, and nopasser-by would dream that a party was hidden within it. Near thestream Edmund and his companions with their swords soon cleared away acircle, and with the boughs constructed an arbour. A thin screen ofbushes separated them from the river, but they could see the water, andnone could pass up or down unperceived.

  The Saxon was charged to bring with him on his return a considerablesupply of provisions, for it would have been dangerous to wander in thewoods in pursuit of game. The Northmen had, Edmund noticed, some cattlewith them; but they would be sure to be hunting in the woods, as theywould wish to save the cattle for provision on their voyage. It wasnightfall before the hut was completed; and as they had journeyed farfor many days Edmund determined to postpone an attempt to discover whatwas passing in Sweyn's camp until the following evening.

  The day passed quietly, and towards evening Edmund and the Dane startedfor Sweyn's camp. When they approached it they saw many fires burning,and the shouting and singing of the Norsemen rang through the forest.They waited until the fires burnt down somewhat and they could see manyof the Danes str
etching themselves down by them. Then Edmund'scompanion proceeded to the camp.

  Anxious as Edmund was himself to learn what was doing, he restrainedhis impatience, for it was safer that the Northman should go alone. Inthe dull light of the dying fires his features would be unnoticed, andhis tongue would not betray him if spoken to. Siegbert had commendedhim as a crafty and ready fellow, and Edmund felt that he would be ableto gather more information than he could do himself. From his place ofconcealment he kept his eyes fixed on the Northman's figure. Presentlyhe saw him enter the clearing, and sauntering slowly across it throwhimself down near a fire by which a party of Danes were still sittingtalking.

  One by one these lay down, and when the last had done so the Northmanrose quietly and stole out again into the forest. When he rejoinedEdmund the latter set forward with him, and not a word was spoken untilthey were some distance from the camp; then Edmund stopped.

  "What have you learned?" he asked.

  "All that there is to learn, I think," the Northman replied. "The ladyFreda is, as you supposed, a captive in the little hut. Two men onlykeep watch over it by day, but at night six lie around it, two beingalways on foot. They speak in admiration of her courage and spirit. Shehas sworn to Sweyn that she will slay herself if he attempts to useviolence to force her to marriage with him, and they doubt not that shewill keep her word. However, they believe that she will grow tired outat last when she finds that there is no hope whatever of a rescue. Theships are being built for a long sea voyage, for Sweyn is going to leadthem to join the Viking Hasting in the Mediterranean, and has promisedhis men the plunder of countries ten times richer than France orEngland. With so long an expedition in view, they may well think thatthe Lady Freda's resolution will soon give way, and that she may cometo see that the position of the wife of a bold viking is a thousandtimes preferable to that of a captive. Many of the men loudly expresstheir wonder why she would refuse the love of so valiant a warrior asSweyn."

  The news was at once good and bad. Edmund did not fear Freda'sresolution giving way for a long time, but the news that Sweyn intendedto carry her upon so distant an expedition troubled him. It was ofcourse possible that he might intercept them with the Dragon at themouth of the Maas, but it was uncertain whether the ship would arriveat the mouth of the Rhine in time to be brought round before theNorthmen descended. The length of her voyage would depend entirely onthe wind. Were this favourable when she reached the mouth of the Seine,a week would carry her to her destination. Should it be unfavourablethere was no saying how long the voyage would last.

  The risk was so great that Edmund determined to make an effort to rousethe country against the Danes, and to fall upon them in theirencampment; but the task would he knew be a hard one, for the dread ofthe Danes was so great that only in large towns was any resistance tothem ever offered. However he determined to try, for if the Northmensucceeded in getting to the sea the pursuit would indeed be a long one,and many weeks and even months might elapse before he could again comeup to them.

  On the following day the rest of the party arrived, and leaving theforest Edmund proceeded with them through the country, visiting everyvillage, and endeavouring to rouse the people to attack the Danes, butthe news that the dreaded marauders were so near excited terror only.The assurances of Edmund that there was much rich plunder in their campwhich would become the property of those who destroyed them, excitedbut a feeble interest. The only point in the narrative which excitedtheir contentment was the news that the Danes were building ships andwere going to make their way down to the sea.

  "In Heaven's name let them go!" was the cry; "who would interfere withthe flight of a savage beast? If they are going down the river theywill scarcely land to scatter and plunder the country, and he would bemad indeed who would seek them when they are disposed to let us alone."

  Finding his efforts vain in the country near the forest Edmund wentdown the river to the town of Liege, which stood on its banks. When itbecame known that a band of Northmen was on the upper river, and waslikely to pass down, the alarm spread quickly through the town, and acouncil of the principal inhabitants was summoned. Before these Edmundtold his story, and suggested that the fighting men of the town shouldmarch up the river and fall upon the Danes in their camp.

  "It is but two days' march--the Northmen will be unsuspicious ofdanger, and taken by surprise may be easily defeated." The proposition,however, was received with absolute derision.

  "You must be mad to propose such a thing, young Saxon, if Saxon indeedyou are, but for aught we know you may be a Northman sent by them todraw us into an ambush. No; we will prepare for their coming. We willman our walls and stand on the defensive, and if there be, as you say,but three hundred of them, we can defend ourselves successfully; and wemay hope that, seeing our strength, and that we are prepared for theircoming, the Northmen will pass by without molesting us; but as formoving outside our walls, it would be worse than folly even to think ofsuch a thing."

  After this rebuff Edmund concluded that he could hope for no assistancefrom the inhabitants of the country, but must depend upon himself andthe Dragon alone. He at once despatched two of his men, a Dane and aSaxon, with orders to journey as rapidly as possible to the rendezvous,where the Dragon was to be found at the mouth of the Rhine, and to begEgbert to move round with all speed to the Maas.

  Having done this, he purchased a small and very fast rowing-skiff atLiege, and taking his place in this with his four remaining followers,he rowed up the river. It took them three days before they reached theedge of the forest. On reaching their former hiding-place, they landed.The bushes were carefully drawn aside, and the boat hauled up untilcompletely screened from sight of the river, and Edmund and the Dane atonce started for the encampment of the Northmen.

  They had been ten days absent, and in that time great progress had beenmade with the galleys. They looked indeed completely finished as theystood high and lofty on the river bank. The planks were all in theirplaces; the long rows of benches for the rowers were fastened in; thepoop and forecastle were finished and decked. A number of long straightpoles lay alongside ready to be fashioned into oars; and Edmund thoughtthat in another two or three days the galleys would be ready forlaunching. They were long and low in the waist, and were evidentlybuilt for great speed. Edmund did not think that they were intended tosail, except perhaps occasionally when the wind was favourable, as anaid to the rowers. Each would carry a hundred and fifty men, and therewere thirty seats, so that sixty would row at once.

  "They are fine galleys," the Dane whispered. "Sweyn has a good eye fora boat."

  "Yes," Edmund said, "they look as if they will be very fast. With oarsalone they would leave the Dragon behind, but with sails and oars weshould overhaul them in a wind. I wish it had been otherwise, for if,when they reach the mouth of the river, there is no wind, they may givethe Dragon the slip. Ah!" he exclaimed, "there is Freda."

  As he spoke a tall maiden came out from the small hut. The distance wastoo great for Edmund to distinguish her features, but he doubted notfrom the style of her garments that it was Siegbert's daughter. Therewere other women moving about the camp, for the Danes were generallyaccompanied by their wives on their expeditions; but there wassomething in the carriage and mien of the figure at the door of the hutwhich distinguished it from the rest. She did not move far away, butstood watching the men at work on the ships and the scene around.Presently a tall figure strode down from the vessels towards her.

  "There is Sweyn!" Edmund exclaimed, seeing that the warrior possessedbut one arm.

  "Ah! you know him by sight then?" The Dane said.

  "I should do so," Edmund answered grimly, "seeing that it was I whosmote off that right arm of his. I regret now that I did not strike athis head instead."

  The Dane looked with admiration and surprise at his leader. He hadheard of the fight between the Saxon champion and Sweyn, which had costthe latter his right arm, but until now he had been ignorant ofEdmund's identity with Sweyn's conqueror.r />
  Freda did not seek to avoid her captor, but remained standing quietlyuntil he approached. For some time they conversed; then she turned andleft him and re-entered her hut. Sweyn stood looking after her, andthen with an angry stamp of the foot returned to the galleys.

  "I would give much to be able to warn her that I am present and willfollow her until I rescue her from Sweyn," Edmund said. "Once at seaand on her way south she may well despair of escape, and may consent,from sheer hopelessness, to become his wife. Were it not that her hutis so strongly guarded at night I would try to approach it, but as thiscannot be done I must take my chance in the day. To-morrow I will dressmyself in your garments and will hide in the wood as near as I can tothe hut; then if she come out to take the air I will walk boldly outand speak with her. I see no other way of doing it."

  On the following morning, attired in the Dane's clothes and helmet,Edmund took his place near the edge of the wood. It was not until latein the afternoon that Freda made her appearance. The moment waspropitious; almost all the men were at work on the ships and theiroars. The women were cooking the evening meal, and there was no onenear Freda, with the exception of the two armed Danes who sat on thetrunk of a fallen tree on guard, a short distance away. Edmund issuedboldly from the wood, and, waiting till Freda's steps, as she passedbackwards and forwards, took her to the farthest point from the guards,he approached her.

  "Freda," he said, "do not start or betray surprise, for you arewatched."

  At the sound of his voice the girl had paused in her steps, andexclaimed in a low voice, "Edmund!" and then, obeying his words, stoodmotionless.

  "I am near you, dear, and will watch over you. I have not strength tocarry you away; but my ship will be at the mouth of the river as youpass out. Hang a white cloth from the window of your cabin in the poopas a signal. If we fail to rescue you there we will follow youwheresoever you may go, even to Italy, where I hear you are bound. Sokeep up a brave heart. I have seen your father, and he has sent me tosave you. See, the guards are approaching, I must go."

  Edmund then made for the forest. "Stop there!" the guards cried. "Whoare you, and whence do you come?"

  Edmund made no answer, but, quickening his steps, passed among thetrees, and was soon beyond pursuit. This, indeed, the Danes did notattempt. They had been surprised at seeing, as they supposed, one oftheir party addressing Freda, for Sweyn's orders that none should speakwith her were precise. He had given this command because he feared,that by the promise of rich rewards she might tempt some of hisfollowers to aid her escape. They had, therefore, risen to interruptthe conversation, but it was not until they approached that it struckthem that the Northman's face was unfamiliar to them, and that he wasnot one of their party, but Edmund had entered the wood before theyrecovered from their surprise. Their shouts to him to stop broughtSweyn to the spot.

  "What is it?" he asked.

  "A strange Northman has come out of the wood, and spoken to the ladyFreda."

  Sweyn turned to his captive. She stood pale and trembling, for theshock of the surprise had been a severe one.

  "Who is this whom you have spoken to?" he asked. Freda did not answer.

  "I insist upon knowing," Sweyn exclaimed angrily.

  Freda recovered herself with an effort, and, raising her head, said,"Your insistence has small effect with me, as you know, Jarl Sweyn; butas there is no reason for concealment I will tell you. He is amessenger whom my dear father has sent to me to tell me that some dayhe hopes to rescue me from your hands."

  Sweyn laughed loudly.

  "He might have saved himself the trouble," he said. "Your good fatherlies wounded near Paris, and by the time he is able to set out to yourrescue we shall be with Hasting on the sunny waters of Italy, and longere that you will, I hope, have abandoned your obstinate disposition,and consented to be my wife."

  Freda did not answer at once. Now that there was a hope of rescue,however distant, she thought it might be as well to give Sweyn somefaint hope that in time she might yield to his wishes. Then she said:

  "I have told you often, jarl, that I will never be your wife, and I donot think that I shall ever change my mind. It may be that the sunnyskies you speak of may work a wonderful change in me, but that remainsto be seen." Sweyn retired well satisfied. Her words were less defiantthan any she had hitherto addressed to him. As to the message of herfather, who could know nothing of his intention to sail to theMediterranean, he thought no further of it.

  Three days later the galleys were launched, and after a day spent inputting everything in its place they started on their way down theriver. They rowed many miles, and at night moored by the bank. Afterdarkness had fallen a small boat rowed at full speed past them. It paidno attention to the summons to stop, enforced though it was by severalarrows, but continued its way down the river, and was soon lost in thedarkness. Sweyn was much displeased. As they rowed down they hadcarefully destroyed every boat they found on the river, in order thatthe news of their coming might not precede them.

  "The boat must have been hauled up and hidden," he said; "we might aswell have stopped and landed at some of the villages and replenishedour larder. Now we shall find the small places all deserted, and thecattle driven away from the river. It is an unfortunate mischance."

  As the Northmen anticipated they found the villages they passed thenext day entirely deserted by their inhabitants, and not a head ofcattle was to be seen grazing near the banks. In the afternoon theycame to Liege. The gates were shut, and the walls bristled with spears.The galleys passed without a stay. Sweyn had other objects in view. Anybooty that might be obtained without severe fighting he would have beenglad enough to gather in; but with a long sea-voyage before him hecared not to burden his galleys, and his principal desire was to obtaina sufficient supply of provisions for the voyage. For several days thegalleys proceeded down the river. The villages were all deserted, andthe towns prepared for defence.

  When he arrived within a day's journey of the sea he was forced tohalt. Half the crews were left in charge of the ships, and with theothers he led a foray far inland, and after some sharp fighting withthe natives succeeded in driving down a number of cattle to the shipsand in bringing in a store of flour.

  Edmund had kept ahead of the galleys, stopping at every town andvillage and warning the people of the approach of the marauders. Hereached the mouth of the river two days before them, but to his deepdisappointment saw that the Dragon had not arrived at the rendezvous.On the following afternoon, however, a distant sail was seen, and as itapproached Edmund and his followers gave a shout of joy as theyrecognized the Dragon, which was using her oars as well as sails andwas approaching at full speed. Edmund leaped into the boat and rowed tomeet them, and a shout of welcome arose from the Dragon as the crewrecognized their commander.

  "Are we in time?" Egbert shouted.

  "Just in time," Edmund replied. "They will be here to-morrow." Edmundwas soon on board, and was astonished at seeing Siegbert standing bythe side of his kinsman.

  "What is the news of Freda?" the jarl asked eagerly.

  "She is well and keeps up a brave heart," Edmund replied. "She hassworn to kill herself if Sweyn attempts to make her his wife byviolence. I have spoken to her and told her that rescue will come. Buthow is it that you are here?"

  "After you had left us your good kinsman Egbert suggested to me that Ishould take passage in the Dragon. In the first place I should thesooner see my daughter; and in the next, it would be perilous work,after the Danish army had left, for a small party of us to traverseFrance."

  "I would I had thought of it," Edmund said; "but my mind was sodisturbed with the thought of Freda's peril that it had no room forother matters. And how fares it with you?"

  "Bravely," the Northman replied. "As soon as I sniffed the salt air ofthe sea my strength seemed to return to me. My wound is well-nighhealed; but the joint has stiffened, and my leg will be stiff for therest of my life. But that matters little. And now tell me all youradventures. We have heard f
rom the messenger you sent how shrewdly youhunted out Sweyn's hiding-place."