"Here is truth from this boy at least." Now, if Ethelred did not know that our men had been so scattered by the Danes that they could not even ask for truce to recover their slain, it seemed plain even to me that the king was ill-served in some way.

But I could say nought; and after that he bade us farewell for the time.
So it came to pass that he gave me a place among the thanes' sons of his own court and there I was well trained in all that would make me a good warrior.

Soon I had many friends, and best of all I loved the athelings, Eadmund and Eadward, who soon took notice of me, the one because I was never weary of weapon play, and the other, Eadward, who was somewhat younger than I, because of the learning that our good priest of Bures had taken such pains to teach me against my will.

For above all things Eadmund loved the craft of the warrior, and Eadward all that belonged to peace..