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Author Insight
Regrets
Abbess Elfleda wants to know how her brother the king died. Bishop Trumwine tells her about the Picts who painted themselves blue and led Egfrid into an indefensible position. By the time Egfrid called a retreat, all was lost. The Picts destroyed their attackers. Abbess Elfleda regrets asking how the king came to Lindisfarne. Knowing details of the battle did not bring the king back to life, nor could they explain his choice to lie at Lindisfarne. Elfleda realizes that learning the details could not relieve her grief. Egfrid had reached too far, and failed. Would there be a new king from his line? Time would tell.
Book Excerpt
Saxon Heroines
“We were too near the loch. If we tried to turn back, we’d fall into a swamp. And, of course, King Egfrid would never retreat before an enemy. He rallied his army and charged the Picts. Our men rode into an uphill charge to break the Pict lines. God seemed to be with us. The Picts fell back. We pursued.
“It was a trick. When there was no escape, the Picts turned, held their lines, and repulsed our charge. All was chaos. The blue devils were everywhere. Egfrid called a retreat, but our men had no chance. It was a rout. The Picts surrounded the king, killed him, and cut our army to pieces. It was pure carnage.”
Tears pour down Trumwine’s cheeks.
“A few men escaped. We waited until the Picts left the battlefield and buried our dead. We gathered King Egfrid into a shroud and brought him here,
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