At first he seemed bewildered, but as his eyes fell on Wulf a look of
pleasure came into them, and he smiled faintly.
"I am alive, Osgod, and glad indeed to find that you are also. Beorn has
also escaped. Take a draught of wine; you have lost a lot of blood and had
none to spare."
They lifted him into a sitting position, and held the cup to his lips while
he drank a long draught.
"That is better," he murmured. "I can feel it going through my veins. I
shall be able to wield an axe yet again. This comes of fighting with a
weapon you don't know. The shaft broke as I was guarding my head, and I
don't remember anything after."
"It saved your life though, Osgod, for it broke the force of the blow which
would otherwise have cleft your skull. As it is, it has not gone very deep,
and the blood you have lost has run chiefly from a wound on your left
shoulder."
"How is it that you are here?" Osgod asked, looking round at the Normans.
"We are prisoners, though we have not surrendered," Wulf replied. "We were
saved by our good friend Lord de Burg, who has joined us in our search for
you. We are to be taken to Normandy as prisoners, and to remain in charge
of Lady de Burg."
"You shall go too, Osgod," De Burg said. "You will find it hard to be
nursed here, and my wife will see that your wounds are well cared for. Your
master will stay with you for the present, for I have matters to see about
before we start for the coast.
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