Her
first glance fell on the penthouse, and she shuddered somewhat.
Then she sat up and looked round for us, seeing Bertric for the
first time, as he stood at the head of the rough couch.
"Forgive me, friends," she said quietly. "I think I was not quite
myself. I must have been in a long swoon. There was smoke also
rising round me when last I knew anything."
Now she slipped from the bedstead and set her feet on the deck,
facing us. I saw her look pass quickly over our dress, and minded
that we were in no holiday trim. She saw Bertric in the thrall's
dress, and Dalfin in his torn and scorched and sea-stained green
hunting tunic and leather hose, and myself only in the Norse dress,
and that war torn and grimed with the fight in the hall, which
seemed so many years ago now, and with the long sea struggle that
came thereafter. Yet she did not shrink from us.
"I cannot understand it all," she said. "How comes it that you are
here, and thus? You seem as men who have fought, and are hardly yet
restored after the weariness of fight."
"We have fought, lady, and have fared ill. We were captives and
have escaped; and as we fled by sea we fell in with this ship when
at our wits' end."
So I answered, for my comrades looked at me.
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