Part 21 (1/2)
Now Bjorn sprang up also and drew his sword, for he hite with rage; but Asreat voice
”Peace!” he said ”Be seated, Eric, and take no heed of this foolish talk And for thee, Bjorn, art thou the Priest of Middalhof, and Gudruda's father, or ahteyes to Gudruda, and it pleased h for thee For the rest, Ospakar would have slain Eric, not he Ospakar, therefore Eric's hands are clean Though thou art my son, I say this, that, if thou workest ill to Eric when he is over sea, thou shalt rightly learn the weight of Whitefire: it is a niddering deed to plot against an absentfro horse, rode south; nor did he and Eric one, and then they ots shall be bred of that fly, nor shall they lack flesh to feed on,” said Skallagrim in Eric's ears as he watched Bjorn pass But Eric bade him be silent, and turned to Gudruda
”Look not so sad, sweet,” he said, ”for hasty words rise like the foam on iven er will soon pass, or, at the very worst, I fear him not while thou art true to me”
”Then thou hast little to fear, Eric,” she answered ”Look now on thy hair: it grows long as a wo to it Say, shall I cut it for thee?”
”Yes, Gudruda”
So she cut his yellow locks, and one of them lay upon her heart for many a day
”Now thou shalt swear to me,” she whispered in his ear, ”that no other man or woman shall cut thy hair till thou coain”
”That I swear, and readily,” he answered ”I will go long-haired like a girl for thy sake, Gudruda”
He spoke low, but Koll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall, heard this oath and kept it in hishorse, rode once more to the seaside, till they came to that shed where the Gudruda lay
Then, when the tide was high, Eric's company took hold of the black shi+p's thwarts, and at his word dragged her with reased blocks and sped on quivering to the sea, and as her dragon-prow dipped in the water people cheered aloud
Now Eric must bid farewell to all, and this he did with a brave heart till at the last he came to Saevuna, his mother, and Gudruda, his dear love
”Farewell, son,” said the old daain upon that bonny face of thine, yet I am well paid for my birth-pains, for few have borne such a man as thou Think of me at times, for without me thou hadst never been Be not led astray of women, nor lead them astray, or ill shall overtake thee Be not quarrelsoer than the strongest
Spare a fallen foe, and take not a poor oods or a brave man's sword; but, when thou smitest, smite home So shalt thou win honour, and, at the last, peace, that is more than honour”
Eric thanked her for her counsel, and kissed her, then turned to Gudruda, who stood, white and still, plucking at her golden girdle
”What can I say to thee?” he asked
”Say nothing, but go,” she answered: ”go before I weep”
”Weep not, Gudruda, or thou wilt unman me Say, thou wilt think on ht”
”And thou wilt be true toas thou cleavest to me I will cleave to thee I will first die rather than betray thee But of thee I am not so sure Perchance thou s and crave er me not, Gudruda! thou knoell that I hate Swanhild ain, then thou mayst wed Ospakar”