here who is going to rise against either you or Havelok. And it is only
to send a message to our great overlord to say what we are about, and he
will see that the land is in peace. Nor do I think that any king would
harry Havelok's land, for he is well loved by all his peers."

Wherefore it seemed that Sigurd must go also, and we had to set Biorn as
head man while Sigurd was away; but that would only be for a month or
two. So all things were ordered well, and in a month we set sail with
twenty ships, and in them a matter of fifteen hundred men.

At first we thought that we would make for Grimsby; but then it seemed
best to land elsewhere, and more to the south, for we would have
messages sent at once to Ragnar to call East Anglia to Havelok's banner,
and Alsi would have less chance of cutting us off from him. So we sailed
to Saltfleet haven, which lies some twenty-five miles southward from
Grimsby. Raven piloted us in safely, and there were none to hinder our
landing. The town was empty, indeed, when the ships came into the haven,
for all had fled in haste, except a few thralls, for fear of the Vikings.

Yet when we sent these thralls to say that Goldberga had come for her
own, the people came back and made us welcome, for her story was in
every mouth; and after that we fared well in Saltfleet, and men began to
gather to us.

We sent to Arngeir and to Ragnar at once, and next day the Grimsby folk
were with us, but long before any word could come to Norwich, Alsi had
set about gathering a host against us.

But we had not come to fight him for Lindsey, and our errand was to bid
him give up her own rights to Goldberga. One must be ready with the