Part 20 (1/2)
Now all those atched called out that this was a good offer and a ht turn out ill for Eric; but Ospakar answered:
”Were I but well of olden coart; as it is, be sure that two shall be found”
”Who is the braggart?” answered Eric ”He ice has learned the weight of this ar that two should coet thee houile frorim Lambstail the Baresark, nurse thee whole of the wound her husband gave thee Be sure we shall yet stand face to face, and that coolden Nurse thee! nurse thee! cease thy prating--get thee home, and bid Thorunna nurse thee; but first na in Oxara's streanashed his teeth with rage Still, he na thehteyes This, indeed, they were loth to do; still, because of the sha back, and for fear of the wrath of Ospakar, they
Then all men passed down to the bank of Oxara, and, on the other side, people came from their booths and sat upon the slope of All Man's Raft, for it was a new thing that one
Now Eric crossed to the island where holht to this day, and after hi their swords bravely, and taking counsel how one should rush at his face, while the other passed behind his back and spitted him, as woodfolk spit a la for the word, and all the women held hiolden heliven, and Eric, standing not to defend himself as they deemed he surely would, whirled Whitefire round his hel on his foes, shi+eld aloft
The great carles saw the light that played on Whitefire's edge and the other light that burned in Eric's eyes, and terror got hold of the aloft like a tongue of fla one this way and one that, cast thee Now frorew, till it echoed against the lava rifts and scared the ravens frohed aloud; then walked back to where As
”I can get little honour from such champions as these,” he said
”Nay,” answered Asreatest honour, and they, and Ospakar, such shame as may not be wiped out”
Nohen Blacktooth sahat had coh choked, and fell frohting, but, ain to Swinefell But he caused those thom he had put up to do battle with Eric to be set upon with staves and driven froht stay no more in Iceland, but took shi+p and sailed south, and now they are out of the story
On the next day, Asmund, and with hireeted Eric well, and for the first time since Swanhild went away she kissed hio into outlahile she must bide at home
”How shall the days pass by, Eric?” she said, ”when thou art far, and I know not where thou art, nor how it goes with thee, nor if thou livest or art already dead?”
”In sooth I cannot say, sweet,” he answered; ”but of this I am sure that, wheresoever I am, yet more weary shall be , cold years, and no sight of thee, and perchance no tidings from thee, till s cannot come Oh, it would be better to die than to part thus”
”Well I wot that it is better to die than to live, and better never to have been born than to live and die,” answered Eric sadly ”Here, it would see but hate and strife, weariness and bitter envy to fret away our strength, and at last, if we coe and death, and thereafter we know not what Little of good do we find to our hands, andthese burdens are laid upon us Yet must we needs breathe such an air as is blown about us, Gudruda, clasping at this happiness which is given, though we ame will soon be played, and others will stand where we have stood, and strive as we have striven, and fail as we have failed, and so on, till man has worked out his doonarrok corey wolf Fenrir”
”Men , and that is fame, Eric”
”Nay, Gudruda, what is it to win fame? Is it not to raise up foes, as it were, from the very soil, who, made with secret hate, seek to stab us in the back? Is it not to lose peace, and toil on froht only to be hurled down at last? Happy, then, is the ift”
”Yet there is one thing left that thou hast not numbered, Eric, and it is love--for love is to our life what the sun is to the world, and, though it seeain We are happy, then, in our love, for there are many who live their lives and do not find it”
So these two, Eric Brighteyes and Gudruda the Fair, talked sadly, for their hearts were heavy, and on them lay the shadow of sorrows that were to coth, ”wilt thou that I go not into banishment? Then I must fall into outlawry, and my life will be in the hands of him who may take it; yet I think that th remains, and at the worst I do but turn to s hteyes Noill go to on of war--she is a good vessel--and thou shalt man her with the briskest lad to fare abroad with thee, Eric Soon she shall be bound and thou shalt sail at once, Eric: for the sooner thou art gone the sooner the three years will be sped, and thou shalt coo with thee”
Now Gudruda and Eric went to Asmund and spoke of this matter