"In thee, it seems, I have no friend," said Eric, "and hadst thou beenany other man than Gudruda's brother, forsooth thou shouldst answer forthy mocking words. This I tell thee, Bjoern, that, wert thou twice herbrother, if thou plottest with Ospakar when I am gone, thou shalt paydearly for it when I come back again. I know thy heart well: it iscunning and greedy of gain, and filled with envy as a cask with ale;yet, if thou lovest to feel it beating in thy breast, strive not to workme mischief and to put Gudruda from me."
Now Bjoern sprang up also and drew his sword, for he was white with rage;but Asmund his father cried, "Peace!" in a great voice.
"Peace!" he said. "Be seated, Eric, and take no heed of this foolishtalk. And for thee, Bjoern, art thou the Priest of Middalhof, andGudruda's father, or am I? It has pleased me to betroth Brighteyes toGudruda, and it pleased me not to betroth her to Ospakar, and that isenough for thee. For the rest, Ospakar would have slain Eric, not heOspakar, therefore Eric's hands are clean. Though thou art my son, I saythis, that, if thou workest ill to Eric when he is over sea, thou shaltrightly learn the weight of Whitefire: it is a niddering deed to plotagainst an absent man."
Eric sat down, but Bjoern strode scowling from the hall, and, takinghorse, rode south; nor did he and Eric meet again till three years hadcome and gone, and then they met but once.
"Maggots shall be bred of that fly, nor shall they lack flesh to feedon," said Skallagrim in Eric's ears as he watched Bjoern pass. But Ericbade him be silent, and turned to Gudruda.
"Look not so sad, sweet," he said, "for hasty words rise like the foamon mead and pass as soon. It vexes Bjoern that thy father has given methe good ship: but his anger will soon pass, or, at the very worst, Ifear him not while thou art true to me."
"Then thou hast little to fear, Eric," she answered. "Look now on thyhair: it grows long as a woman's, and that is ill, for at sea the saltwill hang to it. Say, shall I cut it for thee?"
"Yes, Gudruda."
So she cut his yellow locks, and one of them lay upon her heart for manya day.
"Now thou shalt swear to me," she whispered in his ear, "that no otherman or woman shall cut thy hair till thou comest back to me and I clipit again."
"That I swear, and readily," he answered. "I will go long-haired like agirl for thy sake, Gudruda."
He spoke low, but Koll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall, heard this oathand kept it in his mind.
Very early on the morrow all men rose, and, taking horse, rode once moreto the seaside, till they came to that shed where the Gudruda lay.
Then, when the tide was high, Eric's company took hold of the blackship's thwarts, and at his word dragged her with might and main. Sheran down the greased blocks and sped on quivering to the sea, and as herdragon-prow dipped in the water people cheered aloud.
Now Eric must bid farewell to all, and this he did with a brave hearttill at the last he came to Saevuna, his mother, and Gudruda, his dearlove.
"Farewell, son," said the old dame; "I have little hope that these eyesshall look again upon that bonny face of thine, yet I am well paid formy birth-pains, for few have borne such a man as thou. Think of me attimes, for without me thou hadst never been. Be not led astray of women,nor lead them astray, or ill shall overtake thee. Be not quarrelsomebecause of thy great might, for there is a stronger than the strongest.Spare a fallen foe, and take not a poor man's goods or a brave man'ssword; but, when thou smitest, smite home. So shalt thou win honour,and, at the last, peace, that is more than honour."
Eric thanked her for her counsel, and kissed her, then turned toGudruda, who stood, white and still, plucking at her golden girdle.
"What can I say to thee?" he asked.
"Say nothing, but go," she answered: "go before I weep."
"Weep not, Gudruda, or thou wilt unman me. Say, thou wilt think on me?"
"Ay, Eric, by day and by night."
"And thou wilt be true to me?"
"Ay, till death and after, for so long as thou cleavest to me I willcleave to thee. I will first die rather than betray thee. But of thee Iam not so sure. Perchance thou mayest find Swanhild in thy journeyingsand crave more kisses of her?"
"Anger me not, Gudruda! thou knowest well that I hate Swanhild more thanany other woman. When I kiss her again, then thou mayst wed Ospakar."
"Speak not so rashly, Eric," she said, and as she spoke Skallagrim drewnear.
"If thou lingerest here, lord, the tide will serve us little roundWestmans," he said, eyeing Gudruda as it were with jealousy.
"I come," said Eric. "Gudruda, fare thee well!"
She kissed him and clung to him, but did not answer, for she could notspeak.
XIII
HOW HALL THE MATE CUT THE GRAPNEL CHAIN
Gudruda bent her head like a drooping flower, and presently sank toearth, for her knees would bear her weight no more; but Eric marched tothe lip of the sea, his head held high and laughing merrily to hide hispain of heart. Here stood Asmund, who gripped him by both hands, andkissed him on the brow, bidding him good luck.
"I know not whether we shall meet again," he said; "but, if my hoursbe sped before thou returnest, this I charge thee: that thou mindestGudruda well, for she is the sweetest of all women that I have known,and I hold her the most dear."
"Fear not for that, lord," said Eric; "and I pray thee this, that, ifI come back no more, as well may happen, do not force Gudruda intomarriage, if she wills it not, and I think she will have little leaningthat way. And I say this also: do not count overmuch on Bjoern thy son,for he has no loyal heart; and beware of Groa, who was thy housekeeper,for she loves not that Unna should take her place and more. And now Ithank thee for many good things, and farewell."
"Farewell, my son," said Asmund, "for in this hour thou seemest as a sonto me."
Eric turned to enter the sea and wade to the vessel, but Skallagrimcaught him in his arms as though he were but a child, and, wading intothe surf till the water covered his waistbelt, bore him to the vesseland lifted him up so that Eric reached the bulwarks with his hands.
Then they loosed the cable and got out the oars and soon were dancingover the sea. Presently the breeze caught them, and they set the greatsail and sped away like a gull towards the Westman Isles. But Gudrudasat on the shore watching till, at length, the light faded from Eric'sgolden helm as he stood upon the poop, and the world grew dark to her.
Now Ospakar Blacktooth had news of this sailing and took counsel ofGizur his son, and the end of it was that they made ready two greatships, dragons of war, and, placing sixty fighting men in each of them,sailed round the Iceland coast to the Westmans and waited there towaylay Eric. They had spies on the land, and from them they learned ofBrighteyes' coming, and sailed out to meet him in the channel betweenthe greater and the lesser islands, where they knew that he must pass.
Now it drew towards evening when Eric rowed down this channel, for thewind had fallen and he desired to be clear at sea. Presently, as theGudruda came near to the mouth of the channel, that had high cliffs oneither hand, Eric saw two long dragons of war--for their bulwarks wereshield-hung--glide from the cover of the island and take their stationside by side between him and the open sea.
"Now here are vikings," said Eric to Skallagrim.
"Now here is Ospakar Blacktooth," answered Skallagrim, "for well I knowthat raven banner of his. This is a good voyage, for we must seek but alittle while before we come to fighting."
Eric bade the men lay on their oars, and spoke:
"Before us is Ospakar Blacktooth in two great dragons, and he is here tocut us off. Now two choices are left to us: one is to bout ship and runbefore him, and the other to row on and give him battle. What say ye,comrades?"
Hall of Lithdale, the mate, answered, saying:
"Let us go back, lest we die. The odds are too great, Eric."
But a man among the crew cried out, "When thou didst go on holmgang atThingvalla, Eric, Ospakar's two chosen champions stood before thee,yet at Whitefire's flash they skurried through the w
ater like startledducks. It was an omen, for so shall his great ships fly when we swoop onthem." Then the others shouted:
"Ay, ay! Never let it be said that we fled from Ospakar--fie on thywoman's talk, Hall!"
"Then we are all of one mind, save Hall only," said Eric. "Let us putOspakar to the proof." And while men shouted "Yea!" he turned to speakwith Skallagrim. The Baresark was gone, for, wasting no breath in words,already he was fixing the long shields on the bulwark rail.
The men busked on their harness and made them fit for fight, and, whenall was ready, Eric mounted the poop, and with him Skallagrim, and badethe rowers give way. The Gudruda leapt forward and rushed on towardsOspakar's ships. Now they saw that these were bound together with acable and yet they must go betwixt them.
Eric ran forward to the prow, and with him Skallagrim, and called aloudto a great man who stood upon the ship to starboard, wearing a blackhelm with raven's wings:
"Who art thou that bars the sea against me?"
"I am named Ospakar Blacktooth," answered the great man.
"And what must we lose at thy hands, Ospakar?"
"But one thing--your lives!" answered Blacktooth.
"Thrice have we stood face to face, Ospakar," said Eric, "and it seemsthat hitherto thou hast won no great glory. Now it shall be proved ifthy luck has bettered."
"Art yet healed, lord, of that prick in the shoulder which thou camestby on Horse-Head Heights?" roared Skallagrim.
For answer, Ospakar seized a spear and hurled it straight at Eric, andit had been his death had he not caught it in his hand as it flew. Thenhe cast it back, and that so mightily that it sped right through theshield of Ospakar and was the bane of a man who stood beside him.
"A gift for a gift!" laughed Eric. On rushed the Gudruda, but now thecable was strained six fathoms from her bow that held together the shipsof Ospakar and it was too strong for breaking. Eric looked and saw. Thenhe drew Whitefire, and while all men wondered, leaped over the prow ofthe ship and, clasping the golden dragon's head with his arm, set hisfeet upon its claws and waited. On sped the ship and spears flew thickand fast about him, but there Brighteyes hung. Now the Gudruda's bowcaught the great rope and strained it taut and, as it rose beneath herweight, Eric smote swift and strong with Whitefire and clove it in two,so that the severed ends fell with a splash into the quiet water.
Eric sprang back to deck while stones and spears hissed about him.
"That was well done, lord," said Skallagrim; "now we shall be snuglyberthed."
"In oars and out grappling-irons," shouted Eric.
Up rose the rowers, and their war-gear rattled as they rose. They drewin the long oars, and not before it was time, for now the Gudruda forcedher way between the two dragons of Ospakar and lay with her bow to theirsterns. Then with a shout Eric's men cast the irons and soon the shipswere locked fast and the fight began. The spears flew thick, and oneither side some got their death before them. Then the men of thatvessel, named the Raven, which was to larboard of the Gudruda, madeready to board. On they came with a rush, and were driven back, thoughhardly, for they were many, and those who stood against them few. Againthey came, scrambling over the bulwarks, and this time a score of themleapt aboard. Eric turned from the fight against the dragon of Ospakarand saw it. Then, with Skallagrim, he rushed to meet the boarders asthey swarmed along the hold, and naught might they withstand the axe andsword.
Through and through them swept the mighty pair, now Whitefire flashed,and now the great axe fell, and at every stroke a man lay deador wounded. Six of the boarders turned to fly, but just then thegrappling-iron broke and their ship drifted out with the tide towardsthe open sea, and presently no man of that twenty was left alive.
Now the men of the ship of Ospakar and of the Gudruda pressed each otherhard. Thrice did Ospakar strive to come aboard and thrice he was pushedback. Eric was ever where he was most needed, and with him Skallagrim,for these two threw themselves from side to side, and were now here andnow there, so that it seemed as though there were not one golden helmand one black, but rather four on board the Gudruda.
Eric looked and saw that the other ship was drawing round, thoughsomewhat slowly, to come alongside of them once more.
"Now we must make an end of Ospakar, else our hands will be overfull,"he said, and therewith sprang up upon the bulwarks and after him manymen. Once they were driven back, but came on again, and now they thrustall Ospakar's men before them and passed up his ship on both boards. Bythe mast stood Ospakar and with him Gizur his son, and Eric strove tocome to him. But many men were between them, and he could not do this.
Presently, while the fight yet went on hotly and men fell fast,Brighteyes felt the dragon of Ospakar strike, and, looking, saw thatthey had drifted with the send of the tide on to the rocks of theisland. There was a great hole in the hull amidships and the waterrushed in fast.
"Back! men; back!" he cried, and all his folk that were unhurt, ran, andleapt on board the Gudruda; but Ospakar and his men sprang into the seaand swam for the shore. Then Skallagrim cut loose the grappling-ironswith his axe, and that not too soon, for, scarcely had they pushedclear with great toil when the long warship slipped from the rock andfoundered, taking many dead and wounded men with her.
Now Ospakar and some of his people stood safe upon the rocks, and Ericcalled to him in mockery, bidding him come aboard the Gudruda.
Ospakar made no answer, but stood gnawing his hand, while the water ranfrom him. Only Gizur his son cursed them aloud.
Eric was greatly minded to follow them, and land and fight them there;but he might not do this, because of the rocks and of the other dragon,that hung about them, fearing to come on and yet not willing to go back.
"We will have her, at the least," said Eric, and bade the rowers get outtheir oars.
Now, when the men on board the other ship saw the Gudruda drawing on,they took to their oars at once and rowed swiftly for the sea, and atthis a great roar of laughter went down Eric's ship.
"They shall not slip from us so easily," said Eric; "give way, comrades,and after them."
But the men were much wearied with fighting, and the decks were allcumbered with dead and wounded, so that by the time that the Gudruda hadput about, and come to the mouth of the waterway, Ospakar's vesselhad shaken out her sails and caught the wind, that now blew strong offshore, and sped away six furlongs or more from Eric's prow.
"Now we shall see how the Gudruda sails," said Eric, and they spreadtheir canvas and gave chase.
Then Eric bade men clear the decks of the dead, and tend the wounded. Hehad lost seven men slain outright, and three were wounded, one to death.But on board the ship there lay of Ospakar's force twenty and three deadmen.
When all were cast into the sea, men ate and rested.
"We have not done so badly," said Eric to Skallagrim.
"We shall do better yet," said Skallagrim to Eric; "rather had I seenOspakar's head lying in the scuppers than those of all his carles; forhe may get more men, but never another head!"
Now the wind freshened till by midnight it blew strongly. The mate Hallcame to Eric and said:
"The Gudruda dips her nose deep in Ran's cup. Say, Eric, shall weshorten sail?"
"Nay," answered Eric, "keep her full and bail. Where yonder Raven flies,my Sea-stag must follow," and he pointed to the warship that rode thewaves before them.
After midnight clouds came up, with rain, and hid the face of thenight-sun and the ship they sought. The wind blew ever harder, till atlength, when the rain had passed and the clouds lifted, there was muchwater in the hold and the bailers could hardly stand at their work.
Men murmured, and Hall the mate murmured most of all; but still Ericheld on, for there, not two furlongs ahead of them, rode the dragon ofOspakar. But now, being afraid of the wind and sea, she had loweredher sail somewhat, and made as though she would put about and run forIceland.
"That she may not do," called Eric to Skallagrim, "if once she rollsside on to those seas Ran has her
, for she must fill and sink."
"So they hold, lord," answered Skallagrim; "see, once more she runs!"
"Ay, but we run faster--she is outsailed. Up, men, up: for presently thefight begins."
"It is bad to join battle in such a sea," quoth Hall.
"Good or bad," growled Skallagrim, "do thou thy lord's bidding," and hehalf lifted up his axe.
The mate said no more, for he misdoubted him of Skallagrim Lambstail andhis axe.
Then men made ready for the fray as best they might, and stood, sword inhand and drenched with foam, clinging to the bulwarks of the Gudruda asshe wallowed through the seas.
Eric went aft to the helm and seized it. Now but a length aheadOspakar's ship laboured on beneath her small sail, but the Gudrudarushed towards her with all canvas set and at every leap plunged hergolden dragon beneath the surf and shook the water from her foredeck.
"Make ready the grapnel!" shouted Eric through the storm. Skallagrimseized the iron and stood by. Now the Gudruda rushed alongside theRaven, and Eric steered so skilfully that there was a fathom space, andno more, between the ships.
Skallagrim cast the iron well and truly, so that it hooked and held. Onsped the Gudruda and the cable tautened--now her stern kissed the bow ofOspakar's ship, as though she was towing her, and thus for a space theytravelled through the seas.
Eric's folk shouted and strove to cast spears; but they did this butill, because of the rocking of the vessel. As for Ospakar's men, theyclung to their bulwarks and did nothing, for all the heart was out ofthem between fear of Eric and terror of the sea. Eric called to a man tohold the helm, and Skallagrim crept aft to where he stood.
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