To his great pleasure Wulf found that Beorn had arrived
the day before with his levy. They had not met since they had returned from
the North with Harold.
"So you have been up there again, Wulf, and fought at Fulford and Stamford
Bridge. It was very unlucky I was not in London when the army marched
north; but I received no summons, and heard nothing of it until the king
was well on his march. None of the thanes along the south coast were
summoned."
"So I heard, Beorn. I fancy the king thought that in case of a landing by
the Normans the men near the coast would all be wanted to help take the
women and cattle to places of security."
"No doubt that was the reason," Beorn said. "At any rate, I am sorry I
missed the fight at Stamford Bridge. The other seems to have been a bad
affair."
"Very bad; we suffered terribly. So much so, indeed, that the earls will
have a good excuse for not getting their levies together in time for the
battle with the Normans."
"They are false loons," Beorn said; "and brothers-in-law as they are of
his, it would have been well had the king after Stamford Bridge had their
heads smitten off for their traitorous surrender to the Norsemen."
"I have no doubt they will hold aloof now, Beorn, until they see how
matters go in the South, and if we are worsted they will hasten to make
their peace with William, and to swear to be his liegemen, just as they
swore to be liegemen to Harold Hardrada.
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