Meanwhile the king had received Sir Piers de Currie.
"This young lord of Bute pleases us well, Ranza," said King Alexander,
addressing the knight by the name of his castle; "and we doubt not that
he will prove even as stalwart an adherent as his father, though,
indeed, we had been better pleased had he been somewhat older. Take him
under your care, Ranza, so that he may acquire some of your own skill at
arms."
"Methinks, sire," said Sir Piers, "that there is little need of that,
for since the death of Alpin, the lad's brother, there is none whom I
could teach less to than young Kenric. A little more weight and
strength, it may be, might serve him well. God alone can give him those.
But of skill he requires no more than myself."
"Such praise from you is a recommendation that any man in Scotland might
be proud of, Sir Piers," said the King. "But there is one thing more.
Know you if the lad speaks the tongue of these Norse varlets of the isles?"
"Not speaking it myself, your Majesty, I am but a poor one to question
on that matter."
The King then called Kenric to his side, and bade the young page Harald
address him in his native tongue. At this the flaxen-haired lad leapt
towards Kenric with glistening eyes.
"My good friend," said he in Norse, "be not alarmed at what I shall say.
The King knows not a word of our tongue.
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