"My king," I whispered, "what if Gunnhild and Hertha are indeed in the woods yonder? These Danes will have found them."
The king was silent for a moment, for the fear that my guess as to their hiding place might be right came to him also before he gave the matter thought.
"It is not likely. The thought of danger makes it seem possible again," he said. "But I like not these prowling Danes--they are looking for hiding places for themselves."
"She was safe before," I said, but a great fear came to me with his words.
There had been nought to drive the Danes to seek sheltered spots before, now they were sure to do so.
"This matter is not in our hands," said the king, when I said as much. "We can do nought. Pray, therefore, and sleep again. I think that you need fear little."
Then after a while he spoke once more.
"Redwald, saw you aught upon the mere while we sat in the canoe in its midst?"
"Aye, my king," I answered, knowing what he meant.
"I saw her also," he said.