The horsemen would see their own men barring the road. They might wonder why, but I did not doubt they would think us their allies. ‘Sigulf must have chased them out,’ I said to Finan.

‘And killed the rest?’ he asked. ‘I doubt it. There were—’ He stopped suddenly, staring. ‘They have women!’ I could see that for myself now. Behind the leading horsemen were four or five riders all cloaked in grey except one who wore black. I was not certain they were women, but Finan was. ‘It’s Lavender Tits,’ he said.

‘Is it?’

‘Has to be.’

So Æthelhelm’s men in Fæfresham must have decided to remove Eadgifu and her women before the Centish forces could reach the town’s centre. They were now cantering down the road, heading for their ships, and doubtless relying on Wighelm and his men to provide much of the crew, but Wighelm was somewhere on the Isle of Sceapig, naked.

‘Don’t look threatening!’ I told my men. ‘Rest the shields on the ground! I want them to think we’re friends!’ I turned back to Finan. ‘We’ll have to be quick,’ I said. ‘Name half a dozen of your men to seize the women’s bridles.’

‘And once we’ve rescued her?’ he asked. ‘What do we do with her?’

‘Take her to Bebbanburg.’

‘The sooner the better,’ he grunted.

The approaching horsemen were half hidden by a tall stand of reeds and still no one followed them from the town. I closed my helmet’s leather cheek-pieces to conceal my face. ‘Berg,’ I called. Berg was in the front rank, one of the men cloaked in red and carrying Æthelhelm’s leaping stag on his shield. ‘When they get close, hold up a hand! Make them think we have a message!’

‘Yes, lord.’

The horsemen emerged from the thick reeds and spurred towards us. ‘Front rank,’ I called, ‘you take care of the leading horsemen!’ I had thirty men in three ranks. ‘Second rank!’ I was in the second rank, thinking I was less likely to be recognised than if I stood in the front. ‘We get rid of the horsemen behind the women. Finan! You take the women, then go where you’re needed.’ Meaning he would reinforce whichever of us needed help. I could hear the hooves now and see dark clods of mud spewing from the racing horses. One of the leading men half stood in his stirrups and shouted, but whatever he said was lost in the noise of hooves and jangling bridles, then Berg took a pace forward and held up his hand and the horsemen had no choice but to curb their beasts. ‘Wighelm!’ the leading man shouted. ‘Go back!’

‘He’s at the ships!’ I called back.

‘Get out of the way!’ The man had been forced to a halt, and his followers milled uncertainly behind him. ‘Get out of the way!’ he bellowed again, angrily. ‘Get out of the way and go back to the harbour!’ He spurred his horse straight at my front rank, evidently expecting us to make way for him.