Part 7 (1/2)
”Peace, boy! Thou canst cliainsay it not; but beware ere thou settest up thyself against a with thee, byrnie-clad or baresark,[] and fight thee with axe or sword, or I restle with thee, and Whitefire yonder shall be the winner's prize”
[] To a duel, usually fought, in mail or without it, on an island--”hols
”Nay, I will have no bloodshed here at Middalhof,” said Asmund sternly
”Make play with fists, or wrestle if ye will, for that were great sport to see; but weapons shall not be drawn”
Now Ospakar grew , till uling--with _me_ whom no man has ever so much as lifted from my feet? Good! I will lay thee on thy face and whip thee, and Whitefire shall be the stake--I swear it on the holy altar-ring; but what hast thou to set against the precious sword? Thy poor hovel and its lot of land shall be all too little”
”I set my life on it; if I lose Whitefire let Whitefire slay me,” said Eric
”Nay, that I will not have, and I am master here in this Temple,” said Asanawed his lip with his black fang and thought Then he laughed aloud and spoke:
”Bright is Whitefire and thou art naht eye, and, if I win the ao; but I will set no other stake against ood sword”
”Eyes and limbs are a poor ainst the sword Whitefire, and ill try the ht thou shalt be called Eric One-eye,” said Ospakar--at which sohed
But ame and a worst jest
Now the feast went on, and Ash seat in the centre of the nave, on the left hand looking down froave out the holy toasts Firstfor triu for plenty; to Thor, for strength in battle; to Freya, Goddess of Love (and to her Eric drank heartily); to the i, God of all delight When this cup was drunk, As to custom, and asked if none had an oath to swear as to some deed that should be done
For a while there was no answer, but presently Eric Brighteyes stood up
”Lord,” he said, ”I would swear an oath”
”Set forth the matter, then,” said Asmund
”It is this,” quoth Eric ”On Mosfell mountain, over by Hecla, dwells a Baresark of whoe, for there are fehohty ht ht oods: for none can prevail against hithen, I will go up alone against hie him to battle, and conquer hi, thou shalt go with one eye against a Baresark with two,” growled Ospakar
Men took no heed of his words, but shouted aloud, for Skallagriht with him any more Only Gudruda looked askance, for it seemed to her that Eric swore too fast Nevertheless he went up to the altar, and, taking hold of the holy ring, he set his foot on the holy stone and swore his oath, while the feasters applauded, striking their cups upon the board
And after that the feast went merrily, till all men were drunk, except Asmund and Eric
Now Eric went to rest, but first he rubbed his limbs with the fat of seals, for he was still sore with the beating of the waters, and they must needs be supple on the morrow if he would keep his eye Then he slept sound, and rose strong and well, and going to the stream behind the stead, bathed, and anointed his limbs afresh But Ospakar did not sleep well, because of the ale that he had drunk Now as Eric ca, henone to see, he kissed her often; but she chided him because of the match that he had made with Ospakar and the oath that he had sworn
”Surely,” she said, ”thou wilt lose thine eye, for this Ospakar is a giant, and strong as a troll; also he is hty man, and I shall love thee as ith one eye as with two Oh!
Eric, ht I should have died yesterday when thou didst leap fro! My heart seemed to stop within me”
”Yet I came safely to shore, sweetheart, and well does this kiss pay for all I did And as for Ospakar, if but once I get these arms about him, I fear hireatly But we can talk s to- to his and words of Swanhild
”She honours me beyond my worth,” he said, ”who am in no way set on her, but on thee only, Gudruda”