"Myfather seeks to regain all he has lost by winning favor with Harold," Eadaexplained.
Asad, sympathetic look settled on Old Edith's wrinkled face. "I know, buthe will fail. King Harold's sun has set. He reaches for a destiny that cannever be his. I am sorry, child, but Harold will pull your poor father Waltheofdown with him. Did you not see what blazed across the sky just recently?"
Slowlynodding, Eada fought to repress a shudder of fear. The thing in the sky was allanyone talked of. The fear it bred in people could be smelled in the air.Everyone was certain that it was an omen. They were just not sure what it meantor how it should be read. There were theories, and each one had its believersand its doubters. The only thing Eada was sure of was that she did not like it,and she prayed that it would prove to mean nothing at all.
"Onlythe blind did not see that fire moving across our skies," Eada said."And even they must have known exactly what was up there because so manypeople spoke about it. In truth, many spoke of little else."
OldEdith nodded. "And each man, woman, and child, slave or freedman, had athought on what it was and what it meant. I suspect that even the heathen atheart fell to his knees, eyes raised to God for guidance and help."
"Thatis the way of it. What do you think it meant?" she asked, a littlereluctantly, for she knew she would not be able to ignore or push aside withscorn anything Old Edith said.
"Poorchild. You want to know the truth yet, at the same time, fear it. Ah, me, thereis good reason to fear, but do not let that fear steal away your wisdom andyour strength."
"Edith,you are beginning to afright me far more than the fire in the sky did."
"Ne'erfear the truth. Ignorance holds the greatest threat. What you saw in the skywas Harold's brief reign being swallowed up by the flames of destiny. Riding tovictory upon the bright tail of that fire is a new king, a Norman, one who willend the Saxon rule in this land."
"Williamthe Bastard," Eada whispered.
"Itwould be wise if you were to cease thinking of him so," Old Edithsuggested with a half smile that hinted at a beauty now stolen by age andhardship. "He will soon be your king."
"Somy father will lose yet again."
"PoorWaltheof was ne'er destined to win. His line will survive and then rise abovethe weaknesses and failings of its forebears. Waltheof and those before him wereonly meant to plant that seed."
"Doyouseeall this, Edith?"
"Seeis, mayhap, the wrong word to use. I speak what I feel and it has the strongtaste of truth. I do not have dreams or visions, if that is what you think. Ihave ideas, thoughts, revelations. I call them sendings. Sometimes even I amsurprised by the words that flow from my mouth for I gave no thought to them.Sometimes I was intending to say something else entirely. The truth just comes.I cannot stop it, so I have come to accept it."
"Ifind what you say now hard to accept," Eada said as she absently tuggedher gray tunic around her legs. "You speak of war and of the conquering ofour people."
"ThatI do, and it saddens me. Howbeit, the Saxons were once the conquerors. Theytook all that they hold now away from someone else. Now comes their turn to beconquered, to have all they own taken away."
"Theywill fight."
"Andthey will die. God's will can ne'er be changed. We were blessed with a longreign in a fine land and we have built much that is good. God says 'tis nowanother's turn."
"Thusour people and all our ways must die?"
"No,child, merely change. You will be one of the ones who will fulfill that part ofthe prophecy."
"Me?"Eada cried as she clenched her small hands into tight fists, resisting thesudden urge to slap the old woman and demand that she cease to speak suchnonsense. "I am but a small, thin female of only eighteen years."
"Youshould be wed."
Theabrupt change of subject startled a laugh out of Eada, but she quickly grewserious again. "I was."
Edithsnorted with disgust as she poked at the fire with a blackened stick."That? That drunken boy who got himself killed ere he could even bed andseed his new bride? You are still a maid, so you are still unwed. I see thatyou still wear your hair loose as a maid does."
Asshe touched her thick, honey-blond hair, Eada smiled faintly. "As you justsaid—I am still a maid. It has caused some talk, however, for, still a maid orno, I am a widow." She shrugged. "I kept my hair bound until mymourning was done. That should be enough to still the tongues."
"Morethan enough. Your time is near though. Soon you will have a man, one worthy ofyou."
"Andwill he be handsome, brave, and strong?" Eada asked in a playful tone.
"Youthink I but say empty words, the same words many must say to you; but yes, hewill be all three."
"AndI will meet him after this war is done?"
