Felicitas: A Tale of the German Migrations: A.D. 476

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER XVI.

  Soon after the slave insurrection had been quelled in the manner abovedescribed, two Germans walked through the Porta Vindelica on to thegreat military road, in the direction of the Mercurius Hill.

  "See, the evening twilight is fading and the stars are alreadyappearing," said the one, and, balancing his spear on his shoulder, heraised both hands to heaven. "I greet you, ye watchers of Asgard, yeall-seeing eyes. Send me happiness! I divine that _you_ know," added hein low tones, "what happiness my heart desires. It aches, this heart--Ithink because it is empty."

  He then again seized his spear and stepped forwards, his eyes directedinto the mist-veiled distance, as if searching and longing: his whitemantle floating in the wind. He was very handsome, the young son of theking; and this dreaming manner gave to his noble, serious features aheart-winning charm.

  "If the stars wish to show _me_ what is most pleasing," grumbled hiscompanion, throwing back his wolfs skin, "let them show me quickly awine-shop. It is long, long since I had what I wanted. My throatsmarts, because it is empty, I think. Vestralp and his men, they hit itoff well. Some Christians were in their troop, and, I suppose as areward for their faith, the brave Christian Baldur took them into hischurch; there, or close by, they found and drank a whole flood of wine,as if they had been in the halls of Thor. But I have only swallowed afew drops in a deserted house, where the meal had just been served asthe Bajuvaren forced their way into the town. Listen, their Duke isright: it is too strict, the way thou dost carry out thy vow."

  "Can one interpret a vow, a duty, too strictly, old man? Thou thyselfhast taught me better."

  "Truly, thy father made thee swear never to sleep a night in a Romantown, snaring-pits spread over with nets for noble game the king callsthem--but Juvavum, as Garibrand justly said, is now a town of theBajuvaren."

  "King Liutbert himself can alone permit me so to interpret the vow. Butbe comforted: thou shalt soon drink wine, as much as thou wilt."

  "Where?"

  "In the house where we will now seek hospitality."

  "But in which?"

  "For my sake in the nearest, in order to quench thy thirst. Look there,on the right of the road stands a hill with a house upon it; one cansee the white statues of the gods on the roof, gleaming through thebushes."

  "But down there, to the left of the road, lies another; it seemslarger, more stately, more promising."

  "It is all one to me."

  "Then we will choose the larger--that on the left."

  "But look, there shot a star from heaven! and it fell immediately onthe roof of the house to the right, on the hill. That is a hint fromthe gods. I will gladly follow the star. We will go to the house on theright."

  He thereupon sprang from the high road on to the little foot-path thatled to the stonemason's house.

  "We shall also come short at the division of the booty, because of thyfoolish strictness," grumbled the old man, following him.

  "No," cried Liuthari, "Duke Garibrand will summon me thereto early inthe morning; he promised me that, when he bade us farewell at theVindelician gate. Besides, the chief gain of this victory to us is nota few gold vessels or a tract of land, but that henceforth we have forour trusty frontier neighbours on the east, instead of the Romans, thefaithful Bajuvaren. It has become too narrow and shut in for them inBajuhemum and along the Danube, since the East-Goths increased sopowerfully, so they have spread out towards the north and west.Agilolf, another of their dukes, related to Garibrand, set out, whenthe latter started for Juvavum, through the Bojer forest against ReginaCastra, the strong Roman fortress on the Danube, where it reaches themost northern point of its course. I wonder if he has yet taken it?"

  "The news of victory cannot be delayed much longer; and with thismessage comes also another, which closely concerns thee, Liuthari." Theyoung man blushed, and silently drooped his head. "Duke Agilolf'sdaughter Adalagardis is the most beautiful young woman I have everseen," continued the old man eagerly. "Her father and King Liutberthave long thought to unite you; but it seems that the proud Bajuvarenwill not ally himself by marriage with a king's house till he can do soas an equal. Therefore he sent me home from my wooing journey with thewords: 'From the conquered Roman fortress I will send an answer.' And Ithink it is time for thee, my boy! Thou standest in the fulness of thyyouth, and thou hast blood, not water, in thy veins."

  "I often think fire burns therein," said the young man quietly, as ifashamed.

  "Dost thou think that I did not see, in the conquered Juvavum, withwhat eyes thou didst gaze at every Roman maiden who looked at thee?Many of them, I think, would not have struggled much in thy arms."

  "What, Haduwalt! Force! Force towards a woman!"

  "Eh! by Berahta and Holda! it would not need _much_ force. But theseblack-haired, yellow-skinned, lean cats are nothing to my king's son;they would ruin the whole race. But, Adalagardis! prosperity to theeand to us if she becomes thy wife. I should imagine the shield-maidensof Wotan to be like her! Hardly a finger's breadth shorter than thou,fair hair floating around her to the ankles, like a king's goldenmantle, arms round, full and white as Alpine snow, joyful, sparklingeyes, clear as the sky in spring, and a proudly-arched, heaving bosom.By Fulla, the exuberantly strong and beautiful! that is the rightking's wife for the Alemanni! Why didst thou not go long ere this andwoo her?"

  "Thou forgettest; I have never seen her. Her father said: 'I willinvite thee when I hold my court at Regina Castra.' Yet she may be thehappiness, uncertain and yet ardently longed for, the Saelde that Iseek. Stop! Here we are at our goal. This is the entrance.--But what isthis? This house seems inhospitable. The entrance is barricaded withslabs of stone."

  "Ha, now," laughed the old man. "I cannot blame them, the house-folk,for shutting out such guests as Haduwalt and his thirst. But they arenot to be kept back so easily. Not Haduwalt, Hadumar's son--and stillless his thirst. Down with the stones!"

  And he had already seized with a strong hand one of the piled-up marbleslabs, to throw them inwards.

  "Stay!" cried Liuthari, "look!--on the topmost slab of the barricadethere is something written; perhaps the name of the house. I think Ican yet see to read it."

  "I could not read it," laughed the other, "even if the sun stood highat noon. What do the Runes say?"

  And Liuthari read--slowly, laboriously, deciphering letter by letter:

  "Hic--habitat--felicitas--nihil--mali intret."

  Struck with surprise, motionless, the young man was silent for a while.His heart beat--the blood rose throbbing in his temples.

  "How strange!" said he then to himself. "Here dwells happiness--thehappiness that I am seeking? And the shooting star--did it on thataccount guide here my steps?"

  "Now, by the wondering Wotan," said Haduwalt, "have the Runes enchantedthee?"

  "Why, yes; this may indeed have been engraved to direct me to ablessing, protecting enchantment."

  The old man hastily seized the king's son by the shoulder and wished todraw him away.

  "Then let us retire," whispered he anxiously. "I would rather force myway through two lines of Romans than through a magic spell. See,already thou seemest spell-bound before the entrance. What is themeaning of the Runes?"

  "How can I explain it to thee? Now, something like this: 'Thewishing-god and Saelde herself live here. May malicious beings neverapproach!' This Lady Saelde who lives here, I will see," said Liuthariwith decision; and, with the help of shield and knee, he pushed themiddle slabs inwards, so that the whole erection of stone fell with aloud crash into the garden.

  The young man stepped quickly across the threshold.

  "This is no spell that scares away; it invites and entices in. Heredwells happiness. The god of wishes himself has led me here. And _wedare_ to approach--for we certainly are not malicious creatures."

  "Who knows whether the master of the house may not think us so?" saidthe old man thoughtfully, shouldering his spear, and following hisyoung friend, who impe
tuously, as if driven by a god, stepped towardsthe inner door of the house, behind which--it was only closed by a darkyellow curtain which fluttered in the wind--a faint glimmer of redlight seemed to beckon one in. Yet, in spite of all his haste, Liutharinoticed a rose-bush, which, loosened from its support, lay helpless onthe sanded path. He carefully put it back in its place, remarking, "itwould be a pity if it were trodden down."