Chapter IX

by Charlotte M. Yonge

　　Montemar was too near the frontier to be a safe abode for the littleDuke, and his uncle, Count Hubert of Senlis, agreed with Bernard theDane that he would be more secure beyond the limits of his own duchy,which was likely soon to be the scene of war; and, sorely against hiswill, he was sent in secret, under a strong escort, first to theCastle of Coucy, and afterwards to Senlis.

　　His consolation was, that he was not again separated from hisfriends; Alberic, Sir Eric, and even Fru Astrida, accompanied him, aswell as his constant follower, Osmond. Indeed, the Baron wouldhardly bear that he should be out of his sight; and he was still socarefully watched, that it was almost like a captivity. Never, evenin the summer days, was he allowed to go beyond the Castle walls; andhis guardians would fain have had it supposed that the Castle did notcontain any such guest.

　　Osmond did not give him so much of his company as usual, but wasalways at work in the armourer's forge--a low, vaulted chamber,opening into the Castle court. Richard and Alberic were very curiousto know what he did there; but he fastened the door with an iron bar,and they were forced to content themselves with listening to thestrokes of the hammer, keeping time to the voice that sang out, loudand cheerily, the song of "Sigurd's sword, and the maiden sleepingwithin the ring of flame." Fru Astrida said Osmond was quite right--no good weapon-smith ever toiled with open doors; and when the boysasked him questions as to his work, he only smiled, and said thatthey would see what it was when the call to arms should come.

　　They thought it near at hand, for tidings came that Louis hadassembled his army, and marched into Normandy to recover the personof the young Duke, and to seize the country. No summons, however,arrived, but a message came instead, that Rouen had been surrenderedinto the bands of the King. Richard shed indignant tears. "Myfather's Castle! My own city in the hands of the foe! Bernard is atraitor then! None shall hinder me from so calling him. Why did wetrust him?"

　　"Never fear, Lord Duke," said Osmond. "When you come to the years ofKnighthood, your own sword shall right you, in spite of all the falseDanes, and falser Franks, in the land."

　　"What! you too, son Osmond? I deemed you carried a cooler brain thanto miscall one who was true to Rollo's race before you or yon varletwere born!" said the old Baron.

　　"He has yielded my dukedom! It is mis-calling to say he is aught buta traitor!" cried Richard. "Vile, treacherous, favour-seeking--"

　　"Peace, peace, my Lord," said the Baron. "Bernard has more in thatwary head of his than your young wits, or my old ones, can unwind.What he is doing I may not guess, but I gage my life his heart isright."

　　Richard was silent, remembering he had been once unjust, but hegrieved heartily when he thought of the French in Rollo's tower, andit was further reported that the King was about to share Normandyamong his French vassals. A fresh outcry broke out in the littlegarrison of Senlis, but Sir Eric still persisted in his trust in hisfriend Bernard, even when he heard that Centeville was marked out asthe prey of the fat French Count who had served for a hostage atRouen.

　　"What say you now, my Lord?" said he, after a conference with amessenger at the gate. "The Black Raven has spread its wings. Fiftykeels are in the Seine, and Harald Blue-tooth's Long Serpent at thehead of them."

　　"The King of Denmark! Come to my aid!"

　　"Ay, that he is! Come at Bernard's secret call, to right you, andput you on your father's seat. Now call honest Harcourt a traitor,because he gave not up your fair dukedom to the flame and sword!"

　　"No traitor to me," said Richard, pausing. "No, verily, but whatmore would you say?"

　　"I think, when I come to my dukedom, I will not be so politic," saidRichard. "I will be an open friend or an open foe."

　　"The boy grows too sharp for us," said Sir Eric, smiling, "but it wasspoken like his father."

　　"He grows more like his blessed father each day," said Fru Astrida.

　　"But the Danes, father, the Danes!" said Osmond. "Blows will bepassing now. I may join the host and win my spurs?"

　　"With all my heart," returned the Baron, "so my Lord here gives youleave: would that I could leave him and go with you. It would do myvery spirit good but to set foot in a Northern keel once more."

　　"I would fain see what these men of the North are," said Osmond.

　　"Oh! they are only Danes, not Norsemen, and there are no Vikings,such as once were when Ragnar laid waste--"

　　"Son, son, what talk is this for the child's ears?" broke in FruAstrida, "are these words for a Christian Baron?"

　　"Your pardon, mother," said the grey warrior, in all humility, "butmy blood thrills to hear of a Northern fleet at hand, and to think ofOsmond drawing sword under a Sea-King."

　　The next morning, Osmond's steed was led to the door, and such men-at-arms as could be spared from the garrison of Senlis were drawn upin readiness to accompany him. The boys stood on the steps, wishingthey were old enough to be warriors, and wondering what had become ofhim, until at length the sound of an opening door startled them, andthere, in the low archway of the smithy, the red furnace glowingbehind him, stood Osmond, clad in bright steel, the links of hishauberk reflecting the light, and on his helmet a pair of goldenwings, while the same device adorned his long pointed kite-shapedshield.

　　"Your wings! our wings!" cried Richard, "the bearing of Centeville!"

　　"May they fly after the foe, not before him," said Sir Eric. "Speedthee well, my son--let not our Danish cousins say we learn Frankgraces instead of Northern blows."

　　With such farewells, Osmond quitted Senlis, while the two boyshastened to the battlements to watch him as long as he remained inview.

　　The highest tower became their principal resort, and their eyes wereconstantly on the heath where he had disappeared; but days passed,and they grew weary of the watch, and betook themselves to games inthe Castle court.

　　One day, Alberic, in the character of a Dragon, was lying on hisback, panting hard so as to be supposed to cast out volumes of flameand smoke at Richard, the Knight, who with a stick for a lance, and awooden sword, was waging fierce war; when suddenly the Dragon paused,sat up, and pointed towards the warder on the tower. His horn was athis lips, and in another moment, the blast rang out through theCastle.

　　With a loud shout, both boys rushed headlong up the turret stairs,and came to the top so breathless, that they could not even ask thewarder what he saw. He pointed, and the keen-eyed Alberic exclaimed,"I see! Look, my Lord, a speck there on the heath!"

　　"I do not see! where, oh where?"

　　"He is behind the hillock now, but--oh, there again! How fast hecomes!"

　　"It is like the flight of a bird," said Richard, "fast, fast--"

　　"If only it be not flight in earnest," said Alberic, a littleanxiously, looking into the warder's face, for he was a borderer, andtales of terror of the inroad of the Vicomte du Contentin were rifeon the marches of the Epte.

　　"No, young Sir," said the warder, "no fear of that. I know how menride when they flee from the battle."

　　"No, indeed, there is no discomfiture in the pace of that steed,"said Sir Eric, who had by this time joined them.

　　"I see him clearer! I see the horse," cried Richard, dancing witheagerness, so that Sir Eric caught hold of him, exclaiming, "You willbe over the battlements! hold still! better hear of a battle lostthan that!"

　　"He bears somewhat in his hand," said Alberic.

　　"A banner or pennon," said the warder; "methinks he rides like theyoung Baron."

　　"He does! My brave boy! He has done good service," exclaimed SirEric, as the figure became more developed. "The Danes have seen howwe train our young men."

　　"His wings bring good tidings," said Richard. "Let me go, Sir Eric,I must tell Fru Astrida."

　　The drawbridge was lowered, the portcullis raised, and as all thedwellers in the Castle stood gathered in the court, in rode thewarrior with the winged helm, bearing in his hand a drooping banner;lowering it as he entered, it unfolded, and displayed, trailing onthe ground at the feet of the little Duke of Normandy, the goldenlilies of France.

　　A shout of amazement arose, and all gathered round him, askinghurried questions. "A great victory--the King a prisoner--Montreuilslain!"

　　Richard would not be denied holding his hand, and leading him to thehall, and there, sitting around him, they heard his tidings. Hisfather's first question was, what he thought of their kinsmen, theDanes?

　　"Rude comrades, father, I must own," said Osmond, smiling, andshaking his head. "I could not pledge them in a skull-goblet--set ingold though it were."

　　"None the worse warriors," said Sir Eric. "Ay, ay, and you weredainty, and brooked not the hearty old fashion of tearing the wholesheep to pieces. You must needs cut your portion with the fineFrench knife at your girdle."

　　Osmond could not see that a man was braver for being a savage, but heheld his peace; and Richard impatiently begged to hear how the battlehad gone, and where it had been fought.

　　"On the bank of the Dive," said Osmond. "Ah, father, you might wellcall old Harcourt wary--his name might better have been Fox-heartthan Bear-heart! He had sent to the Franks a message of distress,that the Danes were on him in full force, and to pray them to come tohis aid."

　　"I trust there was no treachery. No foul dealing shall be wrought inmy name," exclaimed Richard, with such dignity of tone and manner, asmade all feel he was indeed their Duke, and forget his tender years.

　　"No, or should I tell the tale with joy like this?" said Osmond."Bernard's view was to bring the Kings together, and let Louis seeyou had friends to maintain your right. He sought but to avoidbloodshed."

　　"And how chanced it?"

　　"The Danes were encamped on the Dive, and so soon as the French camein sight, Blue-tooth sent a messenger to Louis, to summon him to quitNeustria, and leave it to you, its lawful owner. Thereupon, Louis,hoping to win him over with wily words, invited him to hold apersonal conference."

　　"Where were you, Osmond?"

　　"Where I had scarce patience to be. Bernard had gathered all of ushonest Normans together, and arranged us beneath that standard of theKing, as if to repel his Danish inroad. Oh, he was, in all seeming,hand-and-glove with Louis, guiding him by his counsel, and, verily,seeming his friend and best adviser! But in one thing he could notprevail. That ungrateful recreant, Herluin of Montreuil, came withthe King, hoping, it seems, to get his share of our spoils; and whenBernard advised the King to send him home, since no true Norman couldbear the sight of him, the hot-headed Franks vowed no Norman shouldhinder them from bringing whom they chose. So a tent was set up bythe riverside, wherein the two Kings, with Bernard, Alan of Brittany,and Count Hugh, held their meeting. We all stood without, and thetwo hosts began to mingle together, we Normans making acquaintancewith the Danes. There was a red-haired, wild-looking fellow, whotold me he had been with Anlaff in England, and spoke much of thedoings of Hako in Norway; when, suddenly, he pointed to a Knight whowas near, speaking to a Cotentinois, and asked me his name. My bloodboiled as I answered, for it was Montreuil himself! 'The cause ofyour Duke's death!' said the Dane. 'Ha, ye Normans are fallen sonsof Odin, to see him yet live!'"

　　"You said, I trust, my son, that we follow not the laws of Odin?"said Fru Astrida.

　　"I had no space for a word, grandmother; the Danes took the vengeanceon themselves. In one moment they rushed on Herluin with their axes,and the unhappy man was dead. All was tumult; every one struckwithout knowing at whom, or for what. Some shouted, 'Thor Hulfe!'some 'Dieu aide!' others 'Montjoie St. Denis!' Northern bloodagainst French, that was all our guide. I found myself at the footof this standard, and had a hard combat for it; but I bore it away atlast."

　　"And the Kings?"

　　"They hurried out of the tent, it seems, to rejoin their men. Louismounted, but you know of old, my Lord, he is but an indifferenthorseman, and the beast carried him into the midst of the Danes,where King Harald caught his bridle, and delivered him to fourKnights to keep. Whether he dealt secretly with them, or whetherthey, as they declared, lost sight of him whilst plundering his tent,I cannot say; but when Harald demanded him of them, he was gone."

　　"Gone! is this what you call having the King prisoner?"

　　"You shall hear. He rode four leagues, and met one of the baser sortof Rouennais, whom he bribed to hide him in the Isle of Willows.However, Bernard made close inquiries, found the fellow had been seenin speech with a French horseman, pounced on his wife and children,and threatened they should die if he did not disclose the secret. Sothe King was forced to come out of his hiding-place, and is now fastguarded in Rollo's tower--a Dane, with a battle-axe on his shoulder,keeping guard at every turn of the stairs."

　　"Ha! ha!" cried Richard. "I wonder how he likes it. I wonder if heremembers holding me up to the window, and vowing that he meant meonly good!"

　　"When you believed him, my Lord," said Osmond, slyly.

　　"I was a little boy then," said Richard, proudly. "Why, the verywalls must remind him of his oath, and how Count Bernard said, as hedealt with me, so might Heaven deal with him."

　　"Remember it, my child--beware of broken vows," said Father Lucas;"but remember it not in triumph over a fallen foe. It were betterthat all came at once to the chapel, to bestow their thanksgivingswhere alone they are due."