"
"When did you leave Beaurain?"
"It will be three days come midnight," Wulf said.
"And how did you live by the way?"
"We took a piece of bread with us, and once obtained food at a
shepherd's hut, and this morning we were well entertained at the
convent of Forges."
"You have proved yourselves good and trusty messengers," the duke
said. "Would I were always as well served. As you are the earl's
pages you are of course of gentle blood?"
"We are both his wards, my lord, and shall be thanes when we come
of age."
"And how is it that you, young sir, who seem to be younger than
your companion, are the spokesman?"
"It happened thus," Wulf said modestly. "Some fishermen came up
just after we had gained the shore with the loss of many of our
company. I marked that one of them started on seeing Earl Harold,
and whispered to a companion, and feeling sure that he had recognized
my lord, I told the earl of it as we walked towards St. Valery. He
then charged me if he was taken prisoner by the count to endeavour
to bear the news to you, and to give the same orders to my comrade
Beorn, saying it was likely that we might not be so strictly watched
as the men of the company, and might therefore succeed in slipping
away, as indeed turned out to be the case. I was desirous that Beorn
should tell you the tale, being older and more accustomed to the
speech of the court than I was, but he held that the message, being
first given to me, it was I who should deliver it.
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