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and his mane combed until it shone in the sunlight.  Thorvald brought both his own horse and Elding from the stables and looked questioningly at the troubled face of his leader.  Ulfric was in no mood to answer questions and threw himself onto his saddle and galloped as fast as he could down to the Ings while Thorvald met him stride for stride.  When Ulfric had calmed down he pulled his horse to a stop and dismounted.  Thorvald joined him on foot and they let their horses drink for a while.
    “What ails you, Ulfric?  I haven’t seen you so angry since de Gant cheated you at dice.”
    Ulfric took a long breath and let it out slowly.  He shook his head and was about to deny his ill temper but then sat down heavily on a large stone, leaving Elding to graze on the lush meadow grass.
    “I believe I’ve been bewitched, Thorvald.  That’s the only explanation I can think of.  I vowed I would never trust any woman because I’ve seen what they can do to men, but Juliana has crept into my heart and captured it.   I’ve waited in vain for her to come to me willingly but she is determined not to notice, so this morning she saw the wrong side of me.  I hoped it would teach her a lesson, but what did she do?  She stood up to me – that’s what!  A young slip of a girl didn’t back down from me and I believe she would have gone on berating me for the fool that I am if I’d let her.”
    “ Have you told her about going with us to meet the King in Lincoln?”
    “No, I was so angry with myself for allowing this situation to happen that I didn’t get the chance.  Now I’ll have to go back and beg her forgiveness.”  He hung his head in despair while Thorvald started to laugh at the sight before him. 
    “I never thought I’d see you smitten by a young maiden, Ulfric!” he chortled.
    Ulfric turned his head to see his friend giggling like a youth and he joined in, deciding it was the only way to overcome his anger and frustration.  They laughed so much the horses returned to watch them, which only made it worse when Thorvald pointed at them.  They both fell to the ground helpless until Elding put his muzzle on Ulfric’s face and snorted his disapproval causing them both to sit up and look around to see if they were being watched.  They were both relieved that the men working in the barley fields were too far away to notice them.  They stood up wiping their eyes and slapped each other on the back before remounting their horses and cantering back to the Hall.
    On their return Ulfric asked one of the stable lads if Juliana had gone out and was relieved to hear that she had as this would give him more time to prepare his apology.  He went upstairs to change his clothes and called for a servant to bring him water so that he could wash before putting on a well-fitting tunic in brown flannel with gold thread braided into a border around the edge and brown breeches.  He washed his hair as best as he could and asked Thorvald to take a blade to his beard. The overall effect of his efforts he checked in a silvered mirror which he found in the chest Juliana used to hold her gowns.  He was returning the mirror after use when his hand touched a rough pouch.  He pulled it out and stared at the contents, then poured some of the powder into the palm of his hand.
    “What’s this?” he asked Thorvald, who shook his head.
    Ulfric brought the contents up to his nose and sniffed cautiously.  “It doesn’t smell of anything.  I wonder what it’s used for.”
    Just then, Juliana walked in and saw Ulfric holding the pouch, her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth in horror.  She had forgotten about the sleeping draught her mother had given her.  It had been hidden away for weeks and s he had never given it a thought until now.  How on earth was she going to explain this away?
    “I see by your guilty expression that you know what this is?”
    Juliana’s face was crimson with embarrassment her mind reeling as to