Now, I was used to swimming my horse in our Stour fords, which are often very deep in autumn and winter, and so I rode in and grasped his horse's bridle, and told him to take heart, and so fetched him to our side.
"Give me a fresh mount, in the king's name," he said, for his horse was spent.
"Little thanks is that," said I. "What is the hurry?"
"I am sent with all speed to Redwald the thane, at Stamford, with word for Eadmund the Atheling."
"I am Redwald," I said. "Who sent you?"
"Olaf the king. Show me your sword, master."
I held out the hilt of my sword, for that was a token which a messenger should give and receive that Olaf and I had agreed on.
"Cnut the Dane has landed at Sandwich," the man said. "Eight hundred ships he has, and men more than I can count. The Kentish men have risen, and Olaf is with them; but he has not, and cannot have enough men to stay the Dane. There must be a levy of all England."
Then I was almost beside myself with rage, and could have wept, for the levy that should have been waiting for this had not even had a summons. And from the bottom of my heart I blamed Edric Streone for all the woe that I saw must come on England.
There was but one thing for me to do, and that was to go back to Stamford and see the Atheling. He would see me at midnight when no one else dared wake him, maybe, for he would know that I had heavy matters to speak of if I thus summoned him. The messenger would have to wait till morning, and could but give his message. I could reason with the Atheling, while this messenger would fall into Streone's hands. And that I knew now was the worst that could befall.