Chapter 13: Recovery

It seems that women were always deciding my position in bed; I was once again between two lovely women cuddled up to me. Hild had hold of my head and was showering kisses all over my face, with tears running down her cheeks and mixing with the saliva from her mouth and mixing with my tears. We must have looked a sorry sight.

I had to pull myself together and said to them both. "I will never forget Jane, but we must get on with our lives, my mourning is over. I still have one wife by my side and now a lovely sweet-smelling companion too." I gave them both a hug.

"Do you know that this is the first time I have been to bed with a man since my husband died. In just a few days, here I am sharing a bed with not only him but his lovely wife as well. Please when we get back to your cabin can we continue this arrangement? I know I could never replace your Jane, but I would like to share your bed." With that she planted an opened mouth kiss on to my lips and her tongue shot in seeking mine.

I disentangled our mouths and looked at her.

"Marjorie I thought you were a real stuck up, snobby cow when you got out of that car, but over the last few days I have appreciated your help and your advice. I think that we can have a harmonious relationship, I have never bedded a Lady before, are you any different," I said to her with a chuckle.

"The last time I looked, I had all the same equipment as any other woman and I know that they are all in working order," she said with a giggle.

I just put my arms around them both and pulled them to me.

"Firstly, let's get these other women home and we can enjoy ourselves. Tonight I just want to lie quietly. I hope you both understand," I told them.

We rose at sunrise, which was well before my normal rising hour, had a cold breakfast and got all the women up and told them that they will have to eat on the move. I had to get as faraway from the Celt's land as fast as I could. I just did not trust Cadda's people. They had disobeyed Dunstan's command. I didn't know what else they would do.

We were making faster time than we had going. I think the women all sensed my concern and of course they wanted to get back to their loved ones, well the ones that were still alive. We had a few stops though along the away to tend to the call of nature. These women had a lot more stamina than the people of Marjorie's and my age. Their stature was a lot smaller, but their thighs were so much sturdier.

We carried on throughout the day with this rapid pace; even though I was leading I felt that I was being forced to increase my pace by the women. If I had allowed them, I think that they would have run all the way.

The directions that we had been given by Wiferth were spot on. In the late afternoon, Hild drew my attention to a funny honking sound not quite dead ahead but more to the south-east.

Habits die hard! I raised my clenched right fist right angles to the body with the palm facing forward, the army sign to stop for men following. But the women walked right into me. I told them to stop and listen. It was obvious that they heard the sound. Eadburg was the one who recognized it.

"Geese and goats!" She said.

Why would geese and goats be doing here in the middle of the forest? The sounds were moving in a northerly direction as though following a path.

We continued on our path but very conscious that we were approaching the noise as it was getting louder all the time.

Suddenly through the trees I could see a group of people driving geese, goats, sheep and oxen and their path was converging with ours. I watched them through the binoculars and saw at once they were all fair-haired. I thought at first that it had maybe been a raiding party returning with their loot.

"These were Jaaaa." I stopped my self halfway through the word. "Hild's people."

I said to Marjorie who was standing beside me. "What are they doing here?"

I looked closely and saw that they were all men. Didn't Ine say there were fewer men than women in their land? Then why was there this group moving north with no women, who usually tend the domestic animals.

We carried on, as I am sure that some of the women in the group would know these men.

I could see that they had spotted us as they were raising their hands and waving. About 100 yards further on was a crossing of the paths and we waited on these men catching up to us.

I had guessed right. Some of the women did recognize the newcomers. The men were so surprised; they had heard that they had been taken hostage by the men in the west. No-one ever returned once they were taken.

There were ten men in the group.

"Why are you here, driving all this livestock, when it is a woman's job?" I asked the men.

One who seemed to be the spokesman from the group came forward. "We had been away on a hunt for fresh food and furs for the coming winter and we had been gone for many days. When we returned our camp had been raided and everyone killed, the old men, women and children. The stock had been set free and the village burnt."

"You have the livestock; you said they had been set free," I queried him.

"Yes, we stayed for one moon to bury the dead and collect as many livestock as possible. We talked among ourselves and knew that our cousins in the north had more women than hunters, so we have come to find wives and new homes," He replied.

"Please I am rude; please let me introduce myself and companions. I am known as Chally, this is Marjorie, this is Hild," who came forward when I mentioned her name. "These are my wives," I stressed in case he got any ideas, pointing to Eadburg, "This is the mother of Hild," I told him.

He pointed to himself. "I am Northhelm, the temporary leader of our group and I will introduce you to my companions later."

"I am taking these women back to their own people and you are welcome to join us. Some of these women lost their husbands when they were made captive. I want you and your men to treat them well while they are under my care, I will deal with them swiftly if they do not heed my words," I told him.

"Oh! I am sure that they will treat them with the deepest respect," He went on.

Soon we were on our way east again, it was soon clear that the women had reverted to their old roles. They were tending the livestock and the men spread themselves equally either side. At least with the livestock we moved a little slower.

I could see the men staring at us and mystified over our mode of dress. The women were definitely filling them in about what had happened, since they had been taken to the fort and their experiences since. I had caught snippets of the conversations as we moved on towards their homes.

Two days later we arrived at the burnt village and on arrival the women just dropped to their knees. Some just burst out into tears; the ten men just stood around and watched them just as we did. The relief showed on the women's faces. It was obvious that this was the home village of four of the women, as they got up from their knees and rushed to four of the houses.

Very soon all were busy tidying up the place and even getting the roofs repaired.

"I will go to my old village and tell Ine the women are here and ask him to send a runner to the village of Hroth. My old village is not far from here and I will return before the dark," Hild told me.

"No! You will not go alone, I will get someone to go with you," I told Hild.

I called over Northhelm. "Hild is going to get help and tell her old village about the women's return, I would like you to get one of your best men to escort her there and back, they will be returning before dark."