What I looked for and feared was coming.
Then Alfred sent messengers to Odda, who had come to Taunton two days before this.

And he gathered every man from the fen, and we went to Bridgwater, leaving our little force there, and so rode on the way to Combwich, thinking to see the sails of the ships in Bridgwater Bay.

But a shift of wind had come, and they were yet over on the Welsh coast, waiting for the tide to enable them to come down on us.
By that time a fire burned on the highest spur of the Quantocks to tell us that Odda was there, and at once another was lit on the Combwich fort to bring him to us, for it seemed certain that here we must fight the first battle of Alfred's great struggle.
"Here you must meet this newcomer and drive him away, if it can be done, or if not, hinder him from coming further; or if that is impossible, do your best.

I would have you remember that defeat here is not loss of all hope, for beyond Selwood lies our real gathering.

But victory, even if dearly bought, will almost win the day for us." So Alfred said, and we, who began to see what his great plan was, were cheered.
In the evening Odda came with eight hundred men of Devon.