The seventy soldiers kept
with their leaders and the guide, the levies spreading out on either side.
Two of the irregulars who spoke a little Welsh accompanied the young thanes
to question the guide if necessary. The march was a heavy one. At times
they passed through thick forests in the valleys and on the lower
hillsides, at times crossed over bare hills, on whose summits the ground
was frequently so boggy that the men had to march with the greatest
caution. The guide, a sullen lad with matted hair, whose only attire was a
sheep-skin, was several times questioned sharply as to whether he was
certain of the way. He answered in monosyllables, saying that he knew every
foot of the road, and indeed he never hesitated for a moment.
"I suppose he is right," Wulf said, "although I thought it lay more to the
west than we are going, but we have wound about so among these forests and
hills that I am quite confused. There is one comfort, Beorn, if the guide
proves treacherous and we lose ourselves altogether, we have but to set our
faces to the rising sun and we shall find ourselves back on the border, for
I am sure that we could not retrace our steps to Gurth's camp."
The sun was just setting when they found themselves on a bare plateau on
the crest of a range of hills higher than any they had before crossed.
"Ask him how far we are from Porthwyn," Wulf said to the interpreter.
"He says twelve miles, my lord.
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