It was the middle of Thrimilchmonath when Wistan Wulfinga the proud Aetheling of the West Geatish folk arrived at the hold of Thegn Brihtwold. With him was his serving man, Tohrwulf – a man with little to mark him from the crowd but his good looks. The wide-handed Wistan gifts the Thegn an armring and is bade most welcome to his hall. It seems that Wistan had but late heard tidings of the battle at the Spile and sought to offer his service to lord Wiglaf in driving forth the Sweons.
Thegn Brihtwold in return tells him of his troubles. It is now Thrimilchmonath – the month of prosperity when the grass grows high in the meadows and cattle are milked thrice a day – yet his scots and tithes from the winter months have not arrived at his hall from the hill folk of his south western districts. His reeve in those parts has sent word of outlaws. He trusts his reeve but he finds it hard to believe that they can be so many and so fearsome as to cause this kind of difficulty. Alas, his sons and all his best men are in the east with Wiglaf. What he needs is an energetic young man with wit and vigour to go there, speak to the reeve in some detail and perhaps discover some first-hand truths for himself.
Wistan, of course, offers himself for the task but points out that he will need some assistance – particularly if he is to venture into the wilds in person. The Thegn directs him to a young Tiw-Priest called Eawulf and a band of strangers who he has befriended. He finds that most of the band are recovering from wounds or otherwise engaged, but Eawulf himself and the young man of little height, hight Lyttleman, are ready to travel and agree to accompany him on his quest.
That evening they all feast at the hall and they are introduced to Osric, a somewhat stout and elderly hearthguard, who seems fond of his ale and other creature comforts. Thegn Brihtwold assigns Osric to be their guide. Osric for his part masks his enthusiasm for the task most effectively.
The following morning the party take boat up the small waterway that leads to Ercongotastead. Ercongota is a tough old woman – a renowned Walcyrige in her day – and Brihtwold’s reeve. She tells them that nothing has been heard of the steaders from the valley to the south since before winter and that she suspects an outlaw called Raedmund to be stirring things up there – though she finds it hard to understand how he can have gained such strength as to threaten an entire district. She says that Raedmund is the son of a witch – a Haegtesse – now deceased. Like Brihtwold she is short of warriors, for the fighting men of her household have answered the call to fight with Wiglaf against the Sweons.
Wistan determines to find out more. Led by Osric they follow a stream southwards and upcountry. All is quiet for the first part of the day. They elect to follow some wild boar slots eastward and soon come across a band of pukelings butchering the luckless boar. So intent are they upon their task that the Geats surprise them and do great slaughter but a couple of the wights manage to flee their wrath.
The day drawing on the party seek a campsite and come upon a cave. Wistan reconnoitres and finds an occupied but empty cave – clearly used by humans. They elect to stay and ambush the occupants, if they return, and try to find out more of what is going on.
When its dwellers do return – a man and a boy carrying a deer – Eawulf is on guard. Instead of alerting the others, he hides silently in the shadows of the cave entrance. When the boy turns round and begins to back into the cave, holding up his end of the spear from which the deer is suspended, Eawulf stabs the boy fatally in the back. The other man drops the spear and flees. The rest of the party is aghast. Osric is appalled by the “murder” of a defenceless boy by a professed Tiw-Priest and makes his feelings clear. Others inveigh against the pointlessness of Eawulf’s action which has cost them an opportunity to discover what is occurring in the area. The party decide to abandon the cave for fear of more men coming and trapping them there. They leave, with Eawulf carrying the body – as some kind of self-imposed penance and camp by the river a couple of hours north, down-stream.
In the morning they return to Ercongotastead so that they can declare the killing and perhaps establish the boy’s kin. However, they do not return entirely empty-handed, for as they break camp it seems that they were greeted by a nicor in one of its fairer guises who brought them at least some tidings. According to this wight, it was indeed Raedmund who was behind the unrest. She told them that Raedmund had summoned a Thurse and has been using its strength to break into steadings. There was talk of blood-pacts behind the summoning which boded ill for the folk of any steading that Raedmund and his fell ally took.
At Ercongotastead there was no-one who could say for sure who the boy was. However, there was some speculation that the boy might be Edric, son of Aculf, an outlaw from the valley that the party had been exploring. Aculf had been outlawed because of his debts and an inability to pay his scots and dues. Ercongota was afeared for the folk of the southern valley and pressed Wistan to discover more if he could and find out the truth of the nicor’s words – for they are not renowned for the soundness of their word.
Two days later Wistan leads the party back up the stream, camping that night not far from their adventures of a few days ago. During the night they become sure they are being watched. In the morning they change their plan and head for the shelter of a steading that Osric knows on the west side of the valley. They find the steading but it has been broken into and is deserted. That night they are attacked by a strong mixed band of Pukelings and Pukelmen. There is fierce fighting as the Geatish warriors defend the farm stead through the dark of the night. Osric belies his age and girth, wielding his deadly axe in the doorway to show the youngsters how it is done. Eawulf proves his worth by extending Thunor’s Shield over him and warding the pukels from the doorway. After a fierce struggle the wights withdraw as the sun comes up.
Wistan decides it is time to return once more to Ercongotastead. This time, taking a more westerly route down another valley. As they cross the ridge they see a warband coming across the stream to the east. Wistan with his keen eyes can see that there is one huge figure with them and that there seem to be both men and pukelings in the band. They reach Ercongotastead without further incident and impart their tale, confirming the words of the nicor. It seems that Raedwald is allied with wights of the wilds in bringing death and misery to the folk of the valley.