How is this ?" Then he kissed me on both cheeks and led me in, running on thus till a good meal was before me, with a horn of his mighty ale; and then he let me be in peace for a little while.
Afterwards, as we sat alone together, I told him all that had befallen, even as I would have told my father, for in my mind Ingild, my godfather, came next to him and our king, and I loved him well.
Sorely he grieved for loss of ship and goods and men, but he told me that we were not the only seamen who had been hurt by that sudden gale.

Nor did he blame me at all, knowing that Kenulf was in truth the commander of our ship.

Rather was he glad that it had chanced that I had left her and so was safe.
Then when I told him of my turning viking thereafter, he laughed grimly, with a glitter of his eye, saying that he would surely have done the same at my age--aye, and any young man in all England likewise, were he worth aught.
So when I had told him all about my journey, I showed him the bag that Halfden gave me, and well he knew the value of the treasure therein.
"Why, son Wulfric," he cried; "here is wealth enough to buy a new ship withal, as times go!" And I would have him keep it, not being willing to take so great a sum about with me, and that he did willingly, only asking me to let him use it, if chance should be, on my behalf, and making me keep the silver money for my own use going homeward.
"Yet I will keep you awhile, for Egfrid, the Thane's son of Hoxne, who is here at court, goes home for Yuletide, and so you can ride with him.

And I think it will be well that we should send word to your father of how things have been faring with you, for so will you have naught of misfortune to tell when you come home." I thought this wise counsel and kindly, for my people would best tell those wives and children of their loss, and so things would be easier for me.

And Ingild sent writing to my father by the hand of some chapman travelling to the great fair at Norwich; and with his letter went one from me also, with messages to Lodbrok--for Eadmund had made me learn to write.
So after that I abode with Ingild, going to the court of Ethelred the King with him, and seeing the great feasts which the merchant guilds made for the king while he was in London; with many other wondrous sights, so that the time went quickly, and the more so that this Egfrid was ever with me.