The Dragon and The Raven: Or The Days of King Alfred

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The next morning sail was hoisted, and the Dragon made
her way along the coast. The hour was later than that at
which she had shown herself on the previous day. She sailed
on until within two miles of the town, and then suddenly
turned her head seaward, as if she had only then perceived
the Danish vessels. The instant she did so a great bustle was
observed among them. Many boats were seen pushing off
from shore crowded with men, oars were got out, and sails
loosed.

"From the number of men who are crowding on board," Egbert said,
"I believe that Sweyn cannot have started in pursuit of
the natives; in that case we shall have a hard fight of it."

"So much the better," Siegbert exclaimed. "I should consider
our task was half accomplished if we rescued Freda without
punishing Sweyn. Let them come," he said, shaking his
battle-axe at the galleys. "Though my leg is stiff my arms are
not, as Sweyn shall learn if I meet him."

The Dragon's oars were now put out and the galley-slaves
began to row, the Saxons concealing themselves behind the
bulwarks. In a few minutes the whole of the Danish galleys
were unmoored and started in the pursuit of the supposed
Italian vessel. The breeze was light, but somewhat helped
the Dragon. Four of the Northmen vessels were large ships
with sails, and these speedily fell behind, but the others with
their oars gained slowly on the Dragon.

Edmund saw with satisfaction that the two galleys of
Sweyn, which he at once recognized, were somewhat faster
than their consorts, and the slaves were made to row as hard
as they could in order to prolong the chase as much as possible,
by which means Sweyn's galleys would be the further
separated from the others.

After the pursuit had been continued for some miles
Sweyn's galleys were but a few hundred yards in the rear, and
were nearly a quarter of a mile ahead of those of their
comrades, which had gained but little upon the Dragon since the
chase began. Edmund ordered the men to cease rowing, as
if despairing of escape. The Genoese took their station on
the poop, and as Sweyn's galley came rushing up they shouted
to it that they would surrender if promised their lives. The
Northmen answered with a shout of triumph and derision,
and dashed alongside.

Sweyn's own galley was slightly in advance of the others.
Edmund ordered the oars to be pulled in as the
Northmen came up, so as to allow them to come alongside.
Not a word was spoken on board the Dragon till the Danes,
leaving their oars, swarmed up the side headed by Sweyn
himself. Then Edmund gave a shout, the Saxons leaped to
their feet, and raising their battle-cry fell upon the
astonished Danes.

Those who had climbed up were instantly cut down or
hurled back into their own galley, and the Saxons leaping
down, a tremendous fight ensued. Edmund with Siegbert
and half his crew boarded the Dane close to the poop, and so
cut the Northmen off from that part of the vessel, while Egbert
with the rest boarded farther forward. The Danes would
have been speedily overpowered had not the second galley
arrived upon the spot; and these, seeing the combat which
was raging, at once leaped upon Sweyn's galley. With this
accession of force, although numbers of the Danes had fallen
in the first attack, they still outnumbered the Saxons.

Sweyn, heading his men, made a desperate effort to drive
back Edmund's party. His men, however, fought less bravely
than usual. Their astonishment at finding the ship which
they had regarded as an easy prize manned by Saxons was
overwhelming, and the sight of Siegbert, whom many of them
knew, in the front rank of their enemies added to their
confusion.

Sweyn himself, as he recognized Edmund, at once made
at him, and, wielding a heavy axe in his left hand, strove to
cut him down; and Edmund, strong and skilful as he was,
had great difficulty in parrying the blows which the Northman
rained upon him. The combat, however, was decided by Siegbert,
who hurled his javelin at Sweyn, the weapon passing
completely through his body.

Sweyn fell on the deck with a crash.

The Northmen, dispirited at the fall of their leader,
hesitated, and as the Saxons sprang upon them turned and fled
into the other galley. The door of the poop opened and Freda
flew into her father's arms.

"Quick, Siegbert, to the Dragon!" Edmund cried,
and shouted orders to his men. "There is not a moment to be lost.
The other galleys are just upon us!"

The Saxons rushed back to the Dragon; the oars were
thrust out again, and the vessel got under weigh just as the
other Danish galleys arrived on the spot. While some of the
Saxons poured volleys of arrows and javelins into the
Northmen, the others at Edmund's order leaped down and
double-banked the oars. The increase of power was soon
manifest, and the Dragon began to draw away from the Danes.
Gradually their galleys fell back out of bow-shot, and after
continuing the chase for some little time longer they abandoned
it as hopeless and lay upon their oars to rest.

A shout of triumph rose from the Saxons, and then
Edmund, who had hitherto been fully occupied with the command
of the vessel, turned to Freda, who was still standing
by her father.

"I have been a long time in fulfilling my promise, Freda,"
he said; "but as your father will tell you I have done my best.
Thank God, who has given me success at last!"

"I never doubted that you would come, Edmund," she
said, "and the knowledge has enabled me to stand firm against
both the entreaties and threats of Sweyn. How can I thank
you for all you have done for me?"

"I have spoken to your father, Freda; and he has promised me
your hand if you, indeed, are willing to bestow it. I promised
to come for you if you would wait, nearly five years ago,
and I have never thought of any other woman."

"I have waited for you, Edmund," she said simply, "and
would never have wed another had you not come. You are
my hero, and methinks I have loved you ever since the day
when you boarded our ship off the mouth of the Humber."

"Take her, Edmund," Siegbert said; "you have nobly won
her, and there is no one to whom I could be so well content
to intrust her. I now join your hands in token of betrothal."

The crew of the Dragon, who had been watching the scene,
raised a shout of gladness as they saw Siegbert place
Freda's hand in that of Edmund. They had guessed that their
lord must have an affection for this Danish maiden in whose
pursuit they had come so far, and were delighted at the happy
issue of the expedition.

"I trust, Freda," Edmund said to her after a while, "that
you have thought of the talk we had about religion, and that
you will forsake the barbarous gods of your people and become
a Christian, as so many of your people have done in
England, and that you will be wedded to me not in the rude
way of the Danes, but in a Christian church."

"I have thought much of it," she said, "and have come to
think that your God of peace must be better than the gods of
war; but I would fain know more of Him before I desert the
religion of my fathers."

"That shall you," Edmund said. "With your father's permission
I will place you for a short time in a convent in Rome,
and one of the Saxon monks shall teach you the tenets of our
faith. It will be but for a short time, dear; and while you are
there we will try and capture some of Hasting's galleys, filled
with plunder, for my men have come far, and I would fain
that they returned with an ample booty."

Freda and Siegbert agreed to the plan, and the latter
said, "I too will tarry in Rome while you are away, Edmund. I
could fight against Sweyn, for it was in a private quarrel, but
I cannot war against my countrymen. I too will talk with
your Saxon monks, and hear about this new religion of yours,
for I think that as I have no others to love or care for I shall
return to England with you, and, if you will have me, take up
my abode in your English home so as to be near you and my
daughter."

The Dragon returned to Rome. There Edmund procured
lodgings for Siegbert and Freda, and the Saxon monks gladly
arranged to visit them and instruct them in the doctrines of
Christianity. The Dragon sailed again for the coast of Sicily
and was absent a month, during which time she captured a
number of Danish galleys, most of which were laden with
rich booty. Then she returned to Rome. A few days later a
solemn service was held, at which Freda and Siegbert were
baptized as Christians, and after this was done a marriage
service was held, and Edmund and Freda married with the
rites of the Christian Church. The pope himself was present
at the services and bestowed his blessing upon the newly
married couple, the novelty of the occasion drawing a vast
crowd of spectators.

A few days later the Dragon again put to sea, and after a
speedy voyage with favourable weather arrived in England
without further adventure. Edmund's arrival at home was
the occasion of great rejoicings. The news of the share which
the Dragon and her crew had taken in the defence of Paris
had reached England, but none knew what had become of
her from that time, and when months had passed without
tidings of her being received it was generally supposed that
she must have been lost.

Her return laden with rich booty excited the greatest
enthusiasm, and the king himself journeyed to Sherborne to
welcome Edmund on his arrival there.

"So this is the reason," he said smiling, when Edmund
presented Freda to him, "why you were ever so insensible to
the attractions to our Saxon maidens! Truly the reason is a
fair one and fully excuses you, and right glad am I to welcome
your bonnie bride to our shores."

Alfred remained three days at Sherborne and then left
Edmund to administer the affairs of his earldom, for which a
substitute had been provided in his absence. The large plunder
which the Dragon had brought home had enriched all
who had sailed in her, and greatly added to the prosperity
which prevailed in Edmund's district.

He found that in his absence Alfred had introduced many
changes. The administration of justice was no longer in the
hands of the ealdormen, judges having been appointed who
journeyed through the land and administered justice.
Edmund highly approved of the change, for although in most
cases the ealdormen had acted to the best of their powers
they had a great deal of other business to do; besides, their
decisions necessarily aggrieved one party or the other and
sometimes caused feuds and bad feelings, and were always
liable to be suspected of being tinged with partiality; whereas
the judges being strangers in the district would give their
decisions without bias or favour.

Freda had, as was the custom, taken a new name in baptism,
but at Edmund's request her name had only been
changed to the Christian one of Elfrida, and Edmund to the
end of his life continued to call her by her old name. She
speedily became as popular in the earldom as was her husband.

Siegbert, who had been christened Harold, took kindly
to his new life. Between him and Egbert a great friendship
had sprung up, and Edmund built for their joint use a house
close to his own.

In 884 Alfred heard that the Danes of East Anglia were
in correspondence with their countrymen at home and in
France, and that there was danger that the peace of England
would be disturbed. The thanes were therefore bidden to
prepare for another struggle, to gather sufficient arms in
readiness for all the able-bodied men in their district, and to
call out their contingents from time to time to practise in the
use of arms.

The ealdormen whose seats of government bordered
on the sea were ordered to construct ships of war, so that any
Danish armament might be met at sea. Edmund was appointed
to command this fleet, and was instructed to visit
the various ports to superintend the construction of the ships,
and when they were completed to exercise their crews in naval
maneuvers.

The winter of 884 was spent by Edmund in the performance
of these duties. The Dragon was again fitted out, and
in her he cruised from port to port. Freda, who was
passionately fond of the sea, accompanied him, as did Siegbert
and Egbert. It was not until May in 885 that the threatened
invasion took place. Then the news came to the king that the
Danes had landed in large numbers near Rochester and had
laid siege to the town. The king instantly summoned his fighting
array, and in a few days moved at the head of a large
army towards Kent. Rochester was defending itself valiantly.
The Danes erected a great tower opposite to the principal
gate, and overwhelming the defenders on the walls with their
missiles endeavoured to force their way in by battering down
the gate.

The inhabitants, however, piled great masses of stone
behind it, and even when the gate was battered in the Danes,
with all their efforts, were unable to force an entrance. The
Saxon army advanced with such celerity that the Danes had
received no news of their coming until they were close at
hand. Then one of their foraging parties arrived with the
intelligence that a great Saxon army was upon them. The
Danes were seized with a sudden panic, and fled precipitately
to their ships, leaving behind them the horses they had
brought from France, their stores, and all the prisoners and
spoil they had gathered in their incursions in the
neighbourhood of Rochester. Seeing how well the Saxons
were prepared for resistance the greater portion of the Danes
crossed to France, but sixteen of their vessels entered the
Stour and joined their allies of East Anglia.

Alfred ordered his fleet to assemble in the Medway, and
in a fortnight the vessels from all the southern ports arrived.
They were filled with fighting men, and sailed to attack the
Danes in the Stour, after which the force was to land and to
inflict a severe punishment upon East Anglia. On hearing
of the gathering of the Saxon fleet Athelstan sent across to
France and begged the Danes to come to his assistance, but
none of their vessels had arrived when the Saxon fleet reached
the mouth of the Stour.

The fighting force on board the Danish ships had been
largely reinforced by their countrymen of East Anglia, and in
a close body they rowed out to give battle to the Saxons. A
desperate fight ensued, but after a struggle, which continued
for many hours, the Danes were completely defeated, the
whole of their vessels were captured, and all on board put to
the sword.

On the following day the army landed and ravaged the
surrounding country and returned to the ships with much
booty. As they sailed out of the river they saw a vast fleet of
the enemy approaching. Athelstan had assembled his ships
from all the ports of East Anglia, and had been joined by a
large reinforcement of his countrymen from France. The
Saxons were greatly outnumbered, but a portion of the fleet
fought with great bravery. Some of the ships, however, being
manned with newly-collected crews unaccustomed to naval
war, lost heart, and made but a poor resistance.

Alfred was on board the Dragon, which sank several of
the Danish galleys, and with some of her consorts continued
the fight until nightfall, beating off every attempt of the Danes
to board them. Seeing that several of the ships had been
captured, that others had taken to flight, and that there was
no longer a hope of victory, Alfred gave the signal, and the
Dragon and her remaining consorts fought their way through
the Danish fleet and made their escape.

The valour which the Saxons had shown in these two
sea-fights, and the strength of the army with which Alfred
had so speedily marched to the relief of Rochester, greatly
impressed the enemy, and although Rollo came across from
Normandy to the assistance of Athelstan, the Danes concluded
that it was better to leave the Saxons to themselves.

Alfred in the following spring again assembled his army
and laid siege to London, which was still in the possession of
the Danes. Athelstan did not venture to march to its assistance,
and the town, which had long been in the Northmen's
hands, was captured. The greater portion of the city was
burned in the siege. Alfred ordered it to be rebuilt, invited
its former inhabitants to return, and offered privileges to all
who would take up their abode there. The walls were rebuilt,
and the city placed in a position of defence. Alfred
then handed it over to Ethelred, the ealdorman of Mercia.

Peace was now made with Athelstan, and for some years
remained unbroken. In 893 a Danish fleet of 250 ships sailed
across from Boulogne and landed in the Weald of Kent, which
was then covered with a great forest, and there wintered, while
the viking Hasting with eighty ships sailed up the Thames
and built a strong fort at Milton.

Alfred stationed his army in a strong position half-way
between the forest and the Danish camp at Milton, so that he
could attack either army when they moved out of their stronghold.
The Danes for many months remained in the forest,
issuing out occasionally to plunder in the open country of
Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire, but they met with a stout resistance
from the Saxons who had remained in the towns and country.

After Easter, having collected a considerable amount of
spoil, and finding the resistance ever increasing, the Danes
moved northwards from their forest, intending to march into
Essex. The king's forces at once set off to intercept them,
and overtook them at Farnham, where the Northmen were
completely defeated. All their booty was recaptured, with
their horses and stores. Those who escaped fled across the
Thames and took refuge on an island in the Colne. The
Saxons besieged them there; but when the Danes were about
to surrender from want of provisions the news arrived that
the Northmen of Northumbria and East Anglia, with 240
ships, had landed suddenly in Devonshire, and had laid siege
to Exeter.

The siege of the island was at once raised, and King
Alfred marched against the new arrivals, and advancing with
great speed fell upon them and defeated them. Then hastily
returning he came to London and, joined by a strong force
from Mercia, marched against Milton, where Hasting had
been joined by the great number of the Danes who had
formed the army in the Weald. Hasting himself was away,
but his army marched out to meet the Saxons.

A great battle was fought, but the Danes could not resist
the ardour of their assailants. Their army was routed and
their fortress stormed. All the booty within it fell into the
hands of the victors, together with the wives and families of
the Danes, among whom were the wife and two sons of Hasting.
The Danish fleet also was captured, and was burned or
taken to London. Another great fleet of the East Angles
and Northumbrians sailed up the Thames, and landing, the
Northmen marched across to the Severn, but were defeated
and destroyed by Ethelred of Mercia.

Exeter was again invested by a Danish fleet, and again
saved by Alfred. The Danes, as they retired along the south
coast, landed near Chichester, where they suffered a heavy
defeat from the South Saxons.

In the following year a fresh fleet sailed up the Thames
and thence up the Lea, where they constructed a fortress
twenty miles above London.

Alfred caused two fortresses to be erected on the Lea
below them, with vast balks of timber entirely obstructing
the river. The Danes, finding their retreat cut off, abandoned
their ships and marched across England to Cwatbridge on
the Severn. Their fleet fell into the hands of the Londoners,
who burned and broke up all the smaller ships and carried
the rest down to London. The Danes were so disconcerted
by the many and severe defeats which had befallen them that
they now abandoned the idea of again conquering England,
and taking ship, sailed for France.

Four years later, in 901, King Alfred died, having reigned
twenty-nine years and six months. During his reign England
had made immense advances in civilization, and in spite of
the devastation wrought by the Danish occupation of Wessex
during the early years of his reign, and the efforts required
afterwards to oppose them, the wealth and prosperity of the
country vastly increased during his reign. Abbeys and
monasteries had multiplied, public buildings been erected,
towns rebuilt and beautified, and learning had made great
advances. The laws of the country had been codified and
regulated, the administration of justice placed on a firm
basis. The kingly authority had greatly increased, and the
great ealdormen were no longer semi-independent nobles, but
officers of the crown. Serfdom, although not entirely
abolished, had been mitigated and regulated. Arts and
manufactures had made great progress.

Edmund and Freda survived King Alfred many years,
and their district continued to be one of the most prosperous
and well-ruled in the kingdom. Their descendants continued
to hold the office of ealdorman until the invasion by
William the Conqueror, and the holder of the office at that
time fell, with numbers of his followers, at the battle of
Hastings. For very many years after that event the prow of
the Dragon was kept in the great hall of Sherborne as a
memorial of the valiant deeds performed against the Danes
by Ealdorman Edmund.

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