Then she turned her look away from us, and stared across the fire and out of the doorway.
"Not with you, nor with your son, but with your son's son shall fire and sword come into this land of ours," she said.
"Godwine's son!"
"Aye--Harold Godwinesson, who is unborn. Look through the smoke, lords, across the valley, and see if you can learn aught."
Then I stared out through the blue reek, and the earl looked.
"You do but play with me--I see nought!" he cried, half starting up in anger.
But I minded him not.
Many a fight have I seen--but that which I saw from Caldbec Hill through the smoke of the fire is more than I may say. No fight that I have seen was as that--it was most terrible. Surely, if ever such a fight shall in truth rage across the quiet Senlac stream and up the green hillside, the fate of more than a king shall hang thereon. Surely I saw such a strife as makes or ends a nation.
The old woman laughed.
"What has Redwald seen?" she asked mockingly.