At last the weary waiting ended, and they took me into the great
hall of the castle, and there on the high seat sat the earl, a
thin, broad-shouldered man, with a long gray beard and gray eyes,
that glittered bright and restless under shaggy eyebrows. Beorn,
too, was brought in at the same time, and we were set opposite to
one another, to right and left of the earl, below the high place,
closely watched by the armed guards, bound also, though not
tightly, and only as to our hands.

And there on a trestle table before us lay the body of Jarl
Lodbrok, my friend, in whose side was my broken arrow. All the
lower end of the hall was filled with the people, and I saw my two
serfs there, and many Reedham folk.

Then the court was set, and with the earl were many men whom I knew
by sight, honest thanes and franklins enough, and of that I was
glad.

First of all one read, in the ears of all, that of which we two who
were there bound were accused, giving the names of those half-dozen
men who had found us fighting and had brought us for judgment.

Then said Earl Ulfkytel:

"Here is a matter that is not easy in itself, and I will not hide
this, that the father of this Wulfric and I are unfriendly, and
that Beorn has been a friend of mine, though no close one.
Therefore is more need that I must be very careful that justice is
not swayed by my knowledge and thoughts of the accused. So I put
that away from me; I know naught of these two men but what I hear