I did not like it at all, but as every horse in the place seemed to be in the same way or worse, I put it down to the thundery feel in the air.

I led him out myself, and there were two thanes of our party, who had come for their horses.
"Why, paladin," said one, "what is amiss with the skew-bald?
You can't ride him today if he is as bad as he looks." I told him that his own horse was much in the same case, and added that I thought with Erling that it was the thundery weather which upset the stable, though I had never known the like before.
"I suppose that the king will not start until it clears," I said.
"Ay, but he will," said the other thane, looking at the gray sky.
"Seldom does he put off a start, and today of all days there is a strong cable pulling him westward." Now Erling came out with the other horses, and the thane and his comrade glanced at them, and hurried to see to their own steeds.
There was no sound of pawing hoofs and coaxing voices to be heard as one by one the horses were led out.

It might have been the clearing of a sheep fold for all the spirit there was in the beasts.
I mounted, and rode with Erling after me out of the courtyard into the open.

On the green were gathering the twenty thanes or so who made up the party, and across it was drawn up the mounted escort.
There was the usual gathering of onlookers, and by the gate stood the king's own huntsmen, with hawks and hounds.
The first thing I noticed was that the birds were dull and uneasy, and that the dogs were still more so.

The hooded hawks sat with ruffled feathers, and one or two of the hounds lay on their backs, with paws drawn to them as if they feared a beating, while the rest whined, and had no eagerness in them.