Eric Brighteyes

by H. Rider Haggard

  Then the thrall let himself down into the hole and Gizur went after him.But Swanhild sat there in the shadow of the rock, her chin resting onher hand, and waited. Presently, as she sat, she saw two men ride roundthe base of the fell, and strike off to the right towards a turf-boothwhich stood the half of an hour's ride away. Now Swanhild was thekeenest-sighted of all women of her day in Iceland, and when she lookedat these two men she knew one of them for Jon, Eric's thrall, and sheknew the horse also--it was a white horse with black patches, that Jonhad ridden for many years. She watched them go till they came to thebooth, and it seemed to her that they left their horses and entered.

  Swanhild waited upon the side of the fell for nearly two hours in all.Then, hearing a noise above her, she looked up, and there, black withdirt and wet with water, was Gizur, and with him was the thrall.

  "What luck, Gizur?" she asked.

  "This, Swanhild: Eric may hold Mosfell no more, for we have found a wayto bolt the fox."

  "That is good news, then," said Swanhild. "Say on."

  "Yonder hole, Swanhild, leads to the cleft above, having been cutthrough the cliff by fire, or perhaps by water. Now up that cleft a manmay climb, though hardly, as by a difficult stair, till he comes to theflat crest of the fell. Then, crossing the crest, on the further side,perhaps six fathoms below him, he sees that space of rock where isEric's cave; but he cannot see the cave itself, because the brow of thecliff hangs over. And so it is that, if any come from the cave on to thespace of rock, it will be an easy matter to roll stones upon them fromabove and crush them."

  Now when Swanhild heard this she laughed aloud.

  "Eric shall mock us no more," she said, "and his might can avail nothingagainst rocks rolled on him from above. Let us go back to Coldback andsummon men to make an end of Brighteyes."

  So they went on down the mountain till they came to the place where theyhad hidden their horses. Then Swanhild remembered Jon and the other manwhom she had seen riding to the booth, and she told Gizur of them.

  "Now," she said, "we will snare these birds, and perchance they willtwitter tidings when we squeeze them."

  So they turned and rode for the booth, and drawing near, they saw twohorses grazing without. Now they got off their horses, and creeping upto the booth, looked in through the door which was ajar. And they sawthis, that one man sat on the ground with his back to the door, eatingstock-fish, while Jon made bundles of fish and meal ready to tie on thehorses. For it was here that those of his quarter who loved Eric broughtfood to be carried by his men to the cave on Mosfell.

  Now Swanhild touched Gizur on the arm, pointing first to the man who sateating the fish and then to the spear in Gizur's hand. Gizur thought awhile, for he shrank from this deed.

  Then Swanhild whispered in his ear, "Slay the man and seize the other; Iwould learn tidings from him."

  So Gizur cast the spear, and it passed through the man's heart, and hewas dead at once. Then he and the thrall leapt into the booth and threwthemselves on Jon, hurling him to the ground, and holding swords overhim. Now Jon was a man of small heart, and when he saw his plight andhis fellow dead he was afraid, and prayed for mercy.

  "If I spare thee, knave," said Swanhild, "thou shalt do this: thou shaltlead me up Mosfell to speak with Eric."

  "I may not do that, lady," groaned Jon; "for Eric is not on Mosfell."

  "Where is he, then?" asked Swanhild.

  Now Jon saw that he had said an unlucky thing, and answered:

  "Nay, I know not. Last night he rode from Mosfell with SkallagrimLambstail."

  "Thou liest, knave," said Swanhild. "Speak, or thou shalt be slain."

  "Slay on," groaned Jon, glancing at the swords above him, and shuttinghis eyes. For, though he feared much to die, he had no will to makeknown Eric's plans.

  "Look not at the swords; thou shalt not die so easily. Hearken: speak,and speak truly, or thou shalt seek Hela's lap after this fashion," and,bending down, she whispered in his ear, then laughed aloud.

  Now Jon grew faint with fear; his lips turned blue, and his teethchattered at the thought of how he should be made to die. Still, hewould say nothing.

  Then Swanhild spoke to Gizur and the thrall, and bade them bind him witha rope, tear the garments from him, and bring snow. They did this, andpushed the matter to the drawing of knives. But when he saw the steelJon cried aloud that he would tell all.

  "Now thou takest good counsel," said Swanhild.

  Then in his fear Jon told how Eric had gone down to Middalhof to wedGudruda, and thence to fly with her to England.

  Now Swanhild was mad with wrath, for she had sooner died than that thisshould come about.

  "Let us away," she said to Gizur. "But first kill this man."

  "Nay," said Gizur, "I will not do that. He has told his tidings; let himgo free."

  "Thou art chicken-hearted," said Swanhild, who, after the fashion ofwitches, had no mercy in her. "At the least, he shall not go hence towarn Eric and Gudruda of our coming. If thou wilt not kill him, thenbind him and leave him."

  So Jon was bound, and there in the booth he sat two days before anyonecame to loose him.

  "Whither away?" said Gizur to Swanhild.

  "To Middalhof first," Swanhild answered.

  XXIX

  HOW WENT THE BRIDAL NIGHT

  Now Eric and Gudruda sat silent in the high seat of the hall atMiddalhof till they heard Skallagrim enter by the women's door. Thenthey came down from the high seat, and stood hand in hand by the fireon the hearth. Skallagrim greeted Gudruda, looking at her askance, forSkallagrim stood in fear of women alone.

  "What counsel now, lord?" said the Baresark.

  "Tell us thy plans, Gudruda," said Eric, for as yet no word had passedbetween them of what they should do.

  "This is my plan, Eric," she answered. "First, that we eat; then thatthy men take horse and ride hence through the night to where the shiplies, bearing word that we will be there at dawn when the tide serves,and bidding the mate make everything ready for sailing. But thou andI and Skallagrim will stay here till to-morrow is three hours old,and this because I have tidings that Gizur's folk will search the shipto-night. Now, when they search and do not find us, they will go away.Then, at the dawning, thou and I and Skallagrim will row on board theship as she lies at anchor, and, slipping the cable, put to sea beforethey know we are there, and so bid farewell to Swanhild and our woes."

  "Yet it is a risk for us to sleep here alone," said Eric.

  "There is little danger," said Gudruda. "Nearly all of Gizur's men watchthe ship; and I have learned this from a spy, that, two days ago, Gizur,Swanhild, and one thrall rode from Coldback towards Mosfell, and theyhave not come back yet. Moreover, the place is strong, and thou andSkallagrim are here to guard it."

  "So be it, then," answered Eric, for indeed he had little thought leftfor anything, except Gudruda.

  After this the women came in and set meat on the board, and all ate.

  Now, when they had eaten, Eric bade Skallagrim fill a cup, and bring itto him as he sat on the high seat with Gudruda. Skallagrim did so; andthen, looking deep into each other's eyes, Eric Brighteyes and Gudrudathe Fair, Asmund's daughter, drank the bride's cup.

  "There are few guests to grace our marriage-feast, husband," saidGudruda.

  "Yet shall our vows hold true, wife," said Eric.

  "Ay, Brighteyes," she answered, "in life and in death, now and forever!" and they kissed.

  "It is time for us to be going, methinks," growled Skallagrim to thoseabout him. "We are not wanted here."

  Then the men who were to go on to the ship rose, fetched their horses,and rode away. Also they caught the horses of Skallagrim, Eric, andGudruda, saddled them and, slipping their bridles, made them fast in ashed in the yard, giving them hay to eat. Afterwards Skallagrim barredthe men's door and the women's door, and, going to Gudruda, asked wherehe should stay the night till it was time to ride for the sea.

  "In the store-chamber," she answered, "for there is a shut
ter of whichthe latch has gone. See that thou watch it well, Skallagrim; though Ithink none will come to trouble thee."

  "I know the place. It shall go badly with the head that looks throughyonder hole," said Skallagrim, glancing at his axe.

  Now Gudruda forgot this, that in the store-chamber were casks of strongale.

  Then Gudruda told him to wake them when the morrow was two hours old,for Eric had neither eyes nor words except for Gudruda alone, andSkallagrim went.

  The women went also to their shut bed at the end of the hall, leavingBrighteyes and Gudruda alone. Eric looked at her.

  "Where do I sleep to-night?" he asked.

  "Thou sleepest with me, husband," she answered soft, "for nothing,except Death, shall come between us any more."

  Now Skallagrim went to the store-room, and sat down with his backagainst a cask. His heart was heavy in him, for he boded no good of thismarriage. Moreover, he was jealous. Skallagrim loved but one thing inthe world truly, and that was Eric Brighteyes, his lord. Now he knewthat henceforth he must take a second place, and that for one thoughtwhich Eric gave to him, he would give ten to Gudruda. ThereforeSkallagrim was very sad at heart.

  "A pest upon the women!" he said to himself, "for from them comes allevil. Brighteyes owes his ill luck to Swanhild and this fair wife ofhis, and that is scarcely done with yet. Well, well, 'tis nature; butwould that we were safe at sea! Had I my will, we had not slept hereto-night. But they are newly wed, and--well, 'tis nature! Better thebride loves to lie abed than to ride the cold wolds and seek the commondeck."

  Now, as Skallagrim grumbled, fear gathered in his heart, he knew notof what. He began to think on trolls and goblins. It was dark in thestore-room, except for a little line of light that crept through thecrack of the shutter. At length he could bear the darkness and histhoughts no longer, but, rising, threw the shutter wide and let thebright moonlight pour into the chamber, whence he could see the hillsidebehind, and watch the shadows of the clouds as they floated across it.Again Skallagrim sat down against his cask, and as he sat it moved, andhe heard the wash of ale inside it.

  "That is a good sound," said Skallagrim, and he turned and smelt atthe cask; "aye, and a good smell, too! We tasted little ale yonder onMosfell, and we shall find less at sea." Again he looked at the cask.There was a spigot in it, and lo! on the shelf stood horn cups.

  "It surely is on draught," he said; "and now it will stand till it goessour. 'Tis a pity; but I will not drink. I fear ale--ale is another man!No, I will not drink," and all the while his hand went up to the cupsupon the shelf. "Eric is better lain yonder in Gudruda's chamber than Iam here alone with evil thoughts and trolls," he said. "Why, what fishwas that we ate at supper? My throat is cracked with thirst! If therewere water now I'd drink it, but I see none. Well, one cup to wish themjoy! There is no harm in a cup of ale," and he drew the spigot from thecask and watched the brown drink flow into the cup. Then he lifted it tohis lips and drank, saying "Skoll! skoll!"[*] nor did he cease till thehorn was drained. "This is wondrous good ale," said Skallagrim as hewiped his grizzled beard. "One more cup, and evil thoughts shall ceaseto haunt me."

  [*] "Health! health!"

  Again he filled, drank, sat down, and for a while was merry. Butpresently the black thoughts came back into his mind. He rose, lookedthrough the shutter-hole to the hillside. He could see nothing on itexcept the shadows of the clouds.

  "Trolls walk the winds to-night," he said. "I feel them pulling at mybeard. One more cup to frighten them."

  He drank another draught of ale and grew merry. Then ale called for ale,and Skallagrim drained cup on cup, singing as he drained, till at lastheavy sleep overcame him, and he sank drunken on the ground there by thebarrel, while the brown ale trickled round him.

  Now Eric Brighteyes and Gudruda the Fair slept side by side, locked ineach other's arms. Presently Gudruda was wide awake.

  "Rouse thee, Eric," she said, "I have dreamed an evil dream."

  He awoke and kissed her.

  "What, then, was thy dream, sweet?" he said. "This is no hour for baddreams."

  "No hour for bad dreams, truly, husband; yet dreams do not weigh thehour of their coming. I dreamed this: that I lay dead beside thee andthou knewest it not, while Swanhild looked at thee and mocked."

  "An evil dream, truly," said Eric; "but see, thou art not dead. Thouhast thought too much on Swanhild of late."

  Now they slept once more, till presently Eric was wide awake.

  "Rouse thee, Gudruda," he said, "I too have dreamed a dream, and it isfull of evil."

  "What, then, was thy dream, husband?" she asked.

  "I dreamed that Atli the Earl, whom I slew, stood by the bed. His facewas white, and white as snow was his beard, and blood from his greatwound ran down his byrnie. 'Eric Brighteyes,' he said, 'I am he whomthou didst slay, and I come to tell thee this: that before the moon isyoung again thou shalt lie stiff, with Hell-shoes on thy feet. Thou artEric the Unlucky! Take thy joy and say thy say to her who lies at thyside, for wet and cold is the bed that waits thee and soon shall thywhite lips be dumb.' Then he was gone, and lo! in his place stoodAsmund, thy father, and he also spoke to me, saying, 'Thou who dost liein my bed and at my daughter's side, know this: the words of Atli aretrue; but I add these to them: ye shall die, yet is death but the gateof life and love and rest,' and he was gone."

  Now Gudruda shivered with fear, and crept closer to Eric's side.

  "We are surely fey, for the Norns speak with the voices of Atli andof Asmund," she said. "Oh, Eric! Eric! whither go we when we die? WillValhalla take thee, being so mighty a man, and must I away to Hela'shalls, where thou art not? Oh! that would be death indeed! Say, Eric,whither do we go?"

  "What said the voice of Asmund?" answered Brighteyes. "That death is butthe gate of life and love and rest. Hearken, Gudruda, my May! Odin doesnot reign over all the world, for when I sat out yonder in England,a certain holy man taught me of another God--a God who loves notslaughter, a God who died that men might live for ever in peace withthose they love."

  "How is this God named, Eric?"

  "They name Him the White Christ, and there are many who cling to Him."

  "Would that I knew this Christ, Eric. I am weary of death and blood andevil deeds, such as are pleasing to our Gods. Oh, Eric, if I am takenfrom thee, swear this to me: that thou wilt slay no more, save for thylife's sake only."

  "I swear that, sweet," he made answer. "For I too am weary of death andblood, and desire peace most of all things. The world is sad, and sadhave been our days. Yet it is well to have lived, for through many heavydays we have wandered to this happy night."

  "Yea, Eric, it is well to have lived; though I think that death drawson. Now this is my counsel: that we rise, and that thou dost put on thyharness and summon Skallagrim, so that, if evil comes, thou mayst meetit armed. Surely I thought I heard a sound--yonder in the hall!"

  "There is little use in that," said Eric, "for things will befall asthey are fated. We may do nothing of our own will, I am sure of this,and it is no good to struggle with the Norns. Yet I will rise."

  So he kissed her, and made ready to leave the bed, when suddenly, as helingered, a great heaviness seized him.

  "Gudruda," he said, "I am pressed down with sleep."

  "That I am also, Eric," she said. "My eyes shut of themselves and I canscarcely stir my limbs. Ah, Eric, we are fey indeed, and this is--deaththat comes!"

  "Perchance!" he said, speaking heavily.

  "Eric!--wake, Eric! Thou canst not move? Yet hearken to me--ah! thisweight of sleep! Thou lovest me, Eric!--is it not so?"

  "Yea," he answered.

  "Now and for ever thou lovest me--and wilt cleave to me always whereverwe go?"

  "Surely, sweet. Oh, sweet, farewell!" he said, and his voice soundedlike the voice of one who speaks across the water.

  "Farewell, Eric Brighteyes!--my love--my love, farewell!" she answeredvery slowly, and together they sank into a sleep that was heavy asdeath.

 
Now Gizur, Ospakar's son, and Swanhild, Atli's widow, rode fast and hardfrom Mosfell, giving no rest to their horses, and with them rode thatthrall who had showed the secret path to Gizur. They stayed a while onHorse-Head Heights till the moon rose. Now one path led hence to theshore that is against the Westmans, where Gudruda's ship lay bound. ThenSwanhild turned to the thrall. Her beautiful face was fierce and she hadsaid few words all this while, but in her heart raged a fire of hate andjealousy which shone through her blue eyes.

  "Listen," she said to the thrall. "Thou shalt ride hence to the baywhere the ship of Gudruda the Fair lies at anchor. Thou knowest whereour folk are in hiding. Thou shalt speak thus to them. Before it is dawnthey must take boats and board Gudruda's ship and search her. And, ifthey find Eric, the outlaw, aboard, they shall slay him, if they may."

  "That will be no easy task," said the thrall.

  "And if they find Gudruda they shall keep her prisoner. But if they findneither the one nor the other, they shall do this: they shall drive thecrew ashore, killing as few as may be, and burn the ship."

  "It is an ill deed thus to burn another's ship," said Gizur.

  "Good or ill, it shall be done," answered Swanhild fiercely. "Thou arta lawman, and well canst thou meet the suit; moreover Gudruda has weddedan outlaw and shall suffer for her sin. Now go, and see thou tarry not,or thy back shall pay the price."

  The man rode away swiftly. Then Gizur turned to Swanhild, asking:"Whither, then, go we?"