Part 26 (2/2)
After this Eric and Skallagrim rested three full days, and they were so weary that they were awake for little of this ti and well, except for their hurts and soreness Then they told the men of that which had coht and hardihood To them indeed Eric seemed as a God, for few such deeds as his had been told of since the God-kind were on earth
But Brighteyes thought little of his deeds, and ht of Swanhild, and of that witch-dream she sent him: for it onderful to him that she should have saved him thus from Ran's net
Eric was heartily welcomed by the Earl of the Farey Isles, for, when he heard his deeds, he h seat It was a great feast, but Skallagrim beca for Hall of Lithdale
This angered Eric rireat Baresark slunk about after him like his shadow, or a whipped hound at its th humbled his pride so far as to ask pardon for his fault
”I grant it for thy deeds' sake,” said Eric shortly; ”but this is upon ain, and it shall be my cause of death--ay, and that of rim
”They shall be white thereafter,” answered Eric
At Fareys Eric shi+pped twelve good men and true, to take the seats of those who had been slain by Ospakar's folk Afterwards, when the wounded ell of their hurts (except one ain, Brighteyes bade farewell to the Earl of those Isles, who gave hi, and sailed away
Noere too long to tell of all the deeds that Eric and hislike hith and skill and hardihood, and, in those days, no such war-dragon as the Gudruda had been known upon the sea Wherever Eric joined battle, and that was in ainst him, till at last foes would fly before the terror of his na the aid of his hands Withal he was the best and gentlest of men It is said of Eric that in all his days he did no base deed, nor hurt the weak, nor refused peace to hiainst prisoner or wounded foe From traders he would take a toll of their ains he won he would share equally, asking no larger part than the ave him honour and spoke well of hi his mates ould not have passed to death for him, for they held him dearer than their lives Women, too, loved him much; but his heart was set upon Gudruda, and he seldom turned to look on the the coast of Ireland, but in the winter he cauard of the king of that toho held him in honour, and would have had hi, the Gudruda being ready for sea, he sailed for the shores of England
There he gave battle to two vikings' shi+ps of war, and took theri taken one shi+p, Eric boarded the other with but few men, he was driven back and fell over a beari on his own back that blow of a battle-axe which was aireat wound, for the axe shore through the steel of the byrnie and sank into the flesh But when Eric's rim, as they deemed, dead athwart him, they made so fierce a rush that the foeale, and the end of it was that the vikings prayed peace of Eric Skallagrim lay sick for many days, but he was hard to kill, and Eric nursed him back to life After this these two loved each other as brother loves twin brother, and they could scarcely bear to be apart
But other people did not love Skallagrim, nor he the the viking shi+ps with him, and he delivered their captains bound to Ednificent These captains the King hung, for they had wrought dae to his shi+ps
Eric found one before hirim at his back, as now al called out to hi that he desired to look on the bravest viking and most beauteous man who sailed the seas, and on that fierce Baresark whom men called ”Eric's Death-shadow”
So Eric cas more splendid than ever his eyes had seen, and stood before the King With hi chiefs before hi these lorious to look on than he was before Moreover, his hair was now so long that it flowed like a flood of gold doards his girdle, for since Gudruda trirew fast as a wo looked at him and was astonished
”Of a truth,” he said, ”reat wolf-hound of thine,” and he pointed at Skallagrim with his sword of state ”Never saw I such a uard stand forward that he hteyes was an inch taller than the tallest, and est
”What wouldest thou of
”This, lord,” said Eric: ”to serve thee a while, and all my men with me”
”That is an offer that feould turn frouard, and, if I havealso”
Eric said that he asked no better, and thereafter he went up with Ed to reat deeds before the eyes of the Englishmen
That winter Eric and his co in much state and honour Now, there was a certain lady of the court named Elfrida She was both fair and wealthy, the sweetest of women, and of royal blood by her mother's side So soon as her eyes fell on Eric she loved hi did she desire hteyes kept aloof from her, for he loved Gudruda alone; and so the winter wore away, and in the spring he went aarring, nor did he come back till autumn was at hand
The Lady Elfrida sat at a hen Eric rode through London Town in the King's following, and as he passed she threw hihed
”My cold kinswoht eyes of thine, Icelander,” he said, ”as my foes melt before Whitefire's flame Well, I could wish her a worse ely