Part 14 (2/2)

But Swanhild cursed him for a coward, so that he shrank before her eyes

Gudruda turned and walked into the hall and her face was like the face of death Men saw her, and Ase a :

”Up to Mosfell, battle eager, Rode helhteyen to the fray

Back fro

Slunk yon coward thrall I ween

Now shall maid Gudruda never Know a husband's dear embrace; Widowed is she--sunk in sorrow, Eric treads Valhalla's halls!”

And with this she walked froht nor to the left

”Let the maid be,” said Atli the Earl ”Grief fares best alone But o ill with that Baresark if I rip of hione,” said Asmund, for the death of Eric seemed to him the worst of sorrows

Gudruda walked far, and, crossing Laxa by the stepping stones, climbed Stonefell till she ca, she desired to be alone in her grief But Swanhild saw her and followed, cohty cleft Presently Swanhild's shadow fell athwart her, and Gudruda looked up

”What wouldst thou with rief?”

”Nay, foster-sister, for then I must mock my own I come to mix my tears with thine See, we loved Eric, thou and I, and Eric is dead Let our hate be buried in his grave, whence neither may draw hi could stir her now

”Get thee gone,” she said ”Weep thine own tears and leave me to weep mine Not with thee will I mourn Eric”

Swanhild frowned and bit her lip ”I will not come to thee ords of peace a second time, my rival,” she said ”Eric is dead, but rows, and its flower shall be thy death, Gudruda!”

”Now that Brighteyes is dead, I would fain follow on his path: so, if thou listest, throw the gates wide,” Gudruda answered, and heeded her no more

Swanhild went, but not far On the further side of a knoll of grass she flung herself to earth and grieved as her fierce heartwith empty eyes adown the past, and onward to the future, and finding no good therein

But Gudruda wept as the weight of her loss pressed in upon her--wept heavy silent tears and cried in her heart to Eric as gone--cried to death to co her sleep or Eric

So she sat and so she grieved till, quite outith sorrow, sleep stole upon her and she dreah to the golden door that is in Odin's house at Valhalla, by which the warriors pass and repass for ever There she sat fro to the thunder of ten thousand thousand tra the fierce faces of the chosen as they marched out in arth a one-eyed arlorious to look on, and old, and she knew him for Odin the Allfather

”Whom seekest thou, maid Gudruda?” he asked, and the voice he spoke as the voice of waters

”I seek Eric Brighteyes,” she answered, ”who passed hither a thousand years ago, and for love of whorimur's son?” quoth Odin ”I know him well; no brisker warrior enters at Valhalla's doors, and none shall do rey wolf Fenrir[] Pass on and leave hilory and his God”

[] The foe destined to bring destruction on the Norse Gods

Then, in her dream, she wept sore, and prayed of Odin by the naive Eric to her for a little space