I do not know if my daughter lives yet." I dismounted, and Werbode held my horse while I went to the side of the thane and looked at his charge.

Wonderfully beautiful that young maiden seemed in the red light of the sunset, even though her face was white and her fair hair all tangled over her shoulders, and her rich dress all in tatters from the hands of the wild men.
And at first I thought that she was dead.

Then I minded that unless she had died of fright, which was possible, I had seen no harm done her beyond rough handling, while those who held her had fled from me without delay or heed to how she fell from their hands; and I knelt and tried to find the pulse in her wrist, very gently.
Her white hand fell limp and cold, but the fluttering beat was there.
"Not dead, thane, but fainting," I said.

"Let your man get water; there is a pool yonder." The housecarl started toward it, but as he passed one of the helpless horses, he turned to that and brought me a horn from the saddlebags.

It had wine in it, and that was better.