Beowulf - Curse of the Dreygurs - Chapter 19

The Next Morning

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Chapter 19

The next morning, Beowulf roused his men out of their sleep. Visibly upset, he loudly cursed them for their lethargy. He ranted at them for sleeping like babies. As he walked by Ecgberht, he saw the old warrior give him a goofy grin, along with a wink. Beowulf gave a wink back as he stomped out of the hall. Ecgberht recognized the ploy, and he approved. The thegns struggled from the floor, many looking pale and ragged from the lack of sleep and too much mead. Now they had to follow the next trail of monsters.

Overnight, light snow fell across the lands, and the bitter cold air instantly woke the men as they retrieved their horses. Despite his sore arm, now properly wrapped by Leofe, Sigibert helped the two wounded brothers get on their mounts. After getting Osberht on his horse, he waited for the expected snide comment from the thegn. Instead, Osberht told Sigibert thanks for his help. He even commented that he did not realize the monk had received an injury in the battle. Momentarily dumbfounded by the conversation, Sigibert could only nod. Sigibert went to help Weohstan to his mount.

“It is a good sign.” Weohstan adjusted himself on the saddle carefully since his injured leg still hurt. “If you can win over my brother, you will soon be equal.”

Sigibert hurriedly thanked him for the information as he scrambled to his mount. Beowulf was already riding away, hollering at his men to keep up.

Traveling south on the road to Bernicia, the group soon found the path the other dreygurs took. Glappa volunteered to scout ahead for the group. Beowulf nodded his approval, and the two sons of Ida rode ahead of the Geats. After they had left, Beowulf asked Weohstan to monitor their scouts. The warrior could tell something was bothering him about the two Angle leaders.

Weohstan pulled ahead of the rest, watching the Angles in the distance and glancing at the ground. The light wind blew away the light snow, filling in the old tracks of the dreygurs, but their path was easy to follow. As the sun climbed the morning sky, most of the thegns were quiet, feeling the lack of sleep. They let their mounts trail the leaders, the icy wind causing them to hunch over, trying to stay warm under their woolen tunics. A few men wore their blankets wrapped over their shoulders for extra protection. Those shivering from the air looked at their leader. They wondered how Beowulf could stand the wind with just his leather armor and chainmail over a wool undershirt. Most failed to understand Beowulf willed himself to forget the bitter wind, focusing upon the next quandary he faced. He considered it an example for others to follow.

Beowulf turned over the events of the days since they arrived. He kept wondering about King Ida and his sons, along with the missing horse of Appa. While Beowulf noticed the missing animal only that morning, an excellent horse was not something that a noble would give away. And, if the horse bolted, why did Appa not ask for help to find the animal? Even a dead horse’s saddle held value. As he thought about the situation, the more it convinced him, the son of Ida played another game. However, Beowulf believed his options remained limited as long as his brother, Glappa, stayed true to their mission. Glappa proved himself a worthy leader in battle. The Geat warrior respected such a fighter, even more so, if the person was a relative, no matter how distant. Noble ties meant much in his world.

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