So we went until we came to Tetford, above Horncastle town; and there is a great camp on a hilltop, made by the British, no doubt, in the days when they fought with Rome. There we stayed, for Alsi was upon us. We saw the fires of his camp in the village and on the hillsides across the valley, but a mile or two from us that night; and it seemed that his host was greater than ours, as we thought it would be, but not so much so as to cause dread of the battle that was to come.
Now there were two men who came to us that night, and we thought that they had brought some message from Alsi at first. But all that they wanted was to join Havelok, and we were glad of them. They were those two seconds of Griffin’s, Cadwal and the other, whose name was Idrys, and with them was David the priest, who had fled to us.
“We know that Havelok is one who is worth fighting for,” they said, “for we have proved it already. We are not Alsi’s men, and our fathers fought for his mother’s Welsh kin against the English long ago. Let us fight for the rights of Goldberga, at least.”
Havelok welcomed them in all friendliness, though he asked them if they had no grudge against him for the slaying of Griffin.
“As to that,” they said, “after the duel we think that he deserved all that has befallen him. We were ashamed to be his seconds.”
Now these two took in hand to lead the marshmen, and set to work with them at once, for they were ready to follow them as known thanes of the British. And that was something gained.
We slept on our arms that night, and all night long David woke and prayed for our success, and I think that his prayers were not lost.
[CHAPTER XXIII.
BY TETFORD STREAM.]
In the early morning Alsi set his men in order in the valley, and seemed to wait for us to come down to him, for it was of no use to try to take the strong camp which sheltered us. And so, after council held, we did not keep him waiting, but left the hill and marched on him. We had the camp to fall back on if things went the wrong way, and beyond that the road to the sea and the ships was open, with a chance of meeting Ragnar on the way, moreover.
Very long and deep seemed the line as we neared it, and it was formed on the banks of a stream that runs down the valley, so that we must cross the water to attack. But the stream was shallow now with the August heat, and it was not much sunk between its banks.