Berthun bowed and went into the hail, past the king, and across to his own door, without a word. After him the thronging people closed up, and though I thought that a housecarl would have been sent to see what he was about, this would have made an open talk, and Alsi forbore.
“Let Havelok take your horse, Mord,” I whispered to him; “I will tell you why directly.”
He nodded, and I told Havelok to mount. Then I helped up the nurse, who wept and muttered to herself; and so we started, Alsi standing on the steps with words of feigned goodspeed as we did so.
But the housecarls and the people shouted with wishes that were real, no doubt thinking that we were bound for the far-off kingdom of the prince who had won Goldberga by service as a kitchen knave in her uncle’s hall for very love of her.
Directly we were outside the gate that leads down the hill, I saw Withelm, who was there waiting for me, and he knew at once what had happened.
He came to my side, and asked only, “Already?”
“Already,” I answered; “but it is well. Go to the widow’s straightway, and bring Havelok’s arms to him at the hostelry at the end of the marketplace, where we have to find more horses.”
He went at once, and silently we came down the street and to the courtyard of the inn. Some few folk stared at us; but the princess was hardly known here, and she had cast her long, white mantle hoodwise over her head and face, so that one could not tell who she was. So early in the day there were few people in the marketplace either.
Berthun was in the courtyard of the inn, and I was glad to see him, for I did not know what would happen to him. It was likely that Alsi would seek for someone on whom to visit his anger at the way things had gone. But the steward had been warned, and was not one to run any risk.
“I did but go back for a few things that I did not care to leave,” he said; and he showed me that he had brought his own horse from the stables, and on it were large saddlebags. No poor man was Berthun after years of service in the palace, where gifts from thane and lady are always ready for the man who has had the care of them. Across the saddle bow also were his mail shirt and arms, and his shield hung with his helm from the peak.