Then we went swiftly to the cells. Once we looked back to the strait, from the little rise behind which the cells were sheltered, and saw the boat still working against the tide along the far shore. Heidrek had certainly not heard that the wreck was on the island itself. Most likely it was thought that we had made for the shelter of the strait, and had gone ashore in trying to reach it. Unless the ship which we had seen knew the coast well, her crew could hardly have told that an island was here.
There were no hermits to be seen, for they were either in their cells, or at their tasks about the place. So I went to the first cell and looked in, and finding it empty, went to the next. Fergus sat there, writing in some beautiful book which he was busied with. One never found a brother idle.
"Father," I said, "I must disturb you. There is danger at hand, I fear."
"Ah," he answered, setting down his pen, and rising hastily. "The Danes at last. Well, we have long expected them to come to us, as to our brethren elsewhere. But what shall the poor queen do?"
"Is there no place where you can hide her?" I said.
"None," he answered gloomily. "Tell me more."
I told him, and he shook his head.
"Men in the narrow waters, and men in the open," he muttered. "Hemmed in on every side."
"Danes in the open sea?" I said, with a new fear on me. The end might be nearer than we deemed it.
"Aye, two ships sailing this way."