Part 15 (1/2)
”What wilt thou pay, then, maid Gudruda?” said Odin
”My life,” she answered
”Good,” he said; ”for a night Eric shall be thine Then die, and let thy death be his cause of death” And Odin sang this song:
”Now, corse-choosing Daughters, hearken To the dread Allfather's word: When the gale of spears' breath gathers Count not Eric hteyen once hath slumbered, Wedded, at Gudruda's side-- Then, Maidens, scream your battle call; Whelmed with foes, let Eric fall!”
And Gudruda awoke, but in her ears the :
”Then, Maidens, scream your battle call; Whelmed with foes, let Eric fall!”
She awoke from that fey sleep, and looked upwards, and lo! before her, with shattered shi+eld and all besold-helreat and beautiful to see, and she looked on hi and amazed
”Is it indeed thou, Eric, or is it yet my dream?” she said
”I am no dream, surely,” said Eric; ”but why lookest thou thus on ht,” she said, ”rireat cry she fell into his arht thus to see Gudruda the Fair, her head of gold pillowed on Eric's war-stained byrnie, her dark eyes afloat with tears of joy; but not so thought Swanhild, watching She shook in jealous rage, then crept away, and hid herself where she could see no more, lest she should be smitten with madness
”Whence caht thee dead, my love; but now I dreamed that I prayed Odin, and he spared thee to h hardly,” and he told her all that had happened, and how, as he rode with Skallagriht of a worass and knew the colour of the cloak
Then Gudruda kissed him for very joy, and they were happy each with each--for of all things that are sweet on earth, there is nothing ht dead and cold, alive and at our side
And so they talked and were very glad with the gladness of youth and love, till Eric said he ht failed, for he could not come on horseback the way that Gudruda took, but must ride round the shoulder of the hill; and, reeary of waiting
”Go!” said Gudruda; ”I will be there presently!”
So he kissed her and went, and Swanhild saw the kiss and saw hiriether,” answered Eric
They rode a while in silence
”I thought the riririainst thy fate, that s foredoomed will happen,” said Eric; ”but if thou fearest a maid, the cure is easy: depart from my company”
”Who was the other?” asked the Baresark--”she who crept and peered, listened, then crept back again, hid her face in her hands, and talked with a grey wolf that ca?”
”That must have been Swanhild,” said Eric, ”but I did not see her Ever does she hide like a rat in the thatch, and as for the wolf, he must be her Familiar; for, like Groa, her mother, Swanhild plays much itchcraft Noill away back to Gudruda, for my heart misobs me of this matter Stay thou here till I coallops back to the head of Goldfoss
When Eric left her, Gudruda drew yet nearer to the edge of the hty falls, and seated herself on their very brink Her breast was full of joy, and there she sat and let the splendour of the night and the greatness of the rushi+ng sounds sink into her heart Yonder shone the setting sun, poised, as it were, on Westman's distant peaks, and here sped the waters, and by that path Eric had come back to her Yea, and there on Sheep-saddle was the road that he had trod down Goldfoss; and but now he had slain one Baresark and won another to be his thrall, and they two alone had smitten the company of Ospakar, and come thence with honour and but little harmed Surely no suchand tender; and she was right happy in his love! She stretched out her arht dead, but who had lived to come back to her with honour, and blessed his beloved na:
”_Eric! Eric!_”