We awoke to radiant dawn spilling over the hills and sculpting the crags with a rosy hue. Ironically, the beauty of our surroundings made me angry to think of raiders who defiled and disturbed the peace that the people of these dells and knolls were entitled to.
Within an hour of sunrise, a call came from the lookout above us,
“Riders, Lord! A dozen with a white banner on a spear.”
So, Edred had accepted my invitation. At the very least, it would serve to show me what kind of man I was dealing with. I had sworn an oath and done so on the cross, thus, there was no question of breaking my word even if seizing or slaying the Danish chieftain here and now would make my life so much easier.
I called Eadwine and, leaving the others in the encampment, we two rode around the westerly edge of t
