Yet Ina warned all the sheriffs of the Wessex borderland, and could
do no more. The levies would come up at once when the first summons
came.
All of which the ealdorman spoke to me of, but neither Erpwald nor
Elfrida knew that war was in the air. We did not tell them. Thus we
hoped to keep all knowledge that aught was unrestful from them in
their happiness, until at least they two were beyond the sound of
war, if it needs must come.
But it came to pass on the day before the wedding that all men knew
thereof in stern truth, and that was a hard time for many.
Erpwald and I sat on the bench before the ealdorman's house in the
late sunshine of the long July evening, talking of the morrow, and
of Eastdean, and aught else that came uppermost, so that it was
pleasant to think of, and before us we could see the long road that
goes up the slope of Polden hills and so westward toward the Devon
border. Along it came a wain or two laden high with the first rye
that was harvested that year, and a herd or two of lazy kine
finding their way to the byres for the evening milking. And then
beyond the wains rose a dust, and I saw the waggoners draw aside,
and the dust passed them, and the kine scattered wildly as it
neared them; and so down the peaceful road spurred a little company
of men who shouted as they came, never drawing rein or sparing spur
for all that the farm horses reared and plunged and the kine fled
terror stricken.
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