Part 20 (2/2)

”That may never be,” said Asmund; ”thou art too young and fair to sail a-viking down the sea-path. Hearken, Eric: I give thee the good s.h.i.+p, and now we will go about to find stout men to man her.”

”That is a good gift,” said Eric; and afterwards they rode to the seash.o.r.e and overhauled the vessel as she lay in her shed. She was a great dragon of war, long and slender, and standing high at stem and prow. She was fas.h.i.+oned of oak, all bolted together with iron, and at her prow was a gilded dragon most wonderfully carved.

Eric looked on her and his eyes brightened.

”Here rests a wave-horse that shall bear a viking well,” he said.

”Ay,” answered Asmund, ”of all the things I own this s.h.i.+p is the very best. She is so swift that none may catch her, and she can almost go about in her own length. That gale must be heavy that shall fill her, with thee to steer; yet I give her to thee freely, Eric, and thou shalt do great deeds with this my gift, and, if things go well, she shall come back to this sh.o.r.e at last, and thou in her.”

”Now I will name this war-gift with a new name,” said Eric. ”'Gudruda,'

I name her: for, as Gudruda here is the fairest of all women, so is this the fairest of all war-dragons.”

”So be it,” said Asmund.

Then they rode back to Middalhof, and now Eric Brighteyes let it be known that he needed men to sail the seas with him. Nor did he ask in vain, for, when it was told that Eric went a-viking, so great was his fame grown, that many a stout yeoman and many a great-limbed carle reached down sword and s.h.i.+eld and came up to Middalhof to put their hands in his. For mate, he took a certain man named Hall of Lithdale, and this because Bjorn asked it, for Hall was a friend to Bjorn, and he had, moreover, great skill in all manner of seamans.h.i.+p, and had often sailed the Northern Seas--ay, and round England to the coast of France.

But when Gudruda saw this man, she did not like him, because of his sharp face, uncanny eyes, and smooth tongue, and she prayed Eric to have nothing to do with him.

”It is too late now to talk of that,” said Eric. ”Hall is a well-skilled man, and, for the rest, fear not: I will watch him.”

”Then evil will come of it,” said Gudruda.

Skallagrim also liked Hall little, nor did Hall love Skallagrim and his great axe.

At length all were gathered; they were fifty in number and it is said that no such band of men ever took s.h.i.+p from Iceland.

Now the great dragon was bound and her faring goods were aboard of her, for Eric must sail on the morrow, if the wind should be fair. All day long he stalked to and fro among his men; he would trust nothing to others, and there was no sword or s.h.i.+eld in his company but he himself had proved it. All day long he stalked, and at his back went Skallagrim Lambstail, axe on shoulder, for he would never leave Eric if he had his will, and they were a mighty pair.

At length all was ready and men sat down to the faring-feast in the hall at Middalhof, and that was a great feast. Eric's folk were gathered on the side-benches, and by the high seat at Asmund's side sat Brighteyes, and near to him where Bjorn, Asmund's son, Gudruda, Unna, Asmund's betrothed, and Saevuna, Eric's mother. For this had been settled between Asmund and Eric, that his mother Saevuna, who was some somewhat sunk in age, should flit from Coldback and come with Unna to dwell at Middalhof.

But Eric set a trusty grieve to dwell at Coldback and mind the farm.

When the faring-toasts had been drunk, Eric spoke to Asmund and said: ”I fear one thing, lord, and it is that when I am gone Ospakar will trouble thee. Now, I pray you all to beware of Blacktooth, for, though the hound is whipped, he can still bite, and it seems that he has not yet put Gudruda from his mind.”

Now Bjorn had sat silently, thinking much and drinking more, for he loved Eric less than ever on this day when he saw how all men did him honour and mourned his going, and his father not the least of them.

”Methinks it is thou, Eric,” he said, ”whom Ospakar hates, and thee on whom he would work his vengeance, and that for no light cause.”

”When bad fortune sits in thy neighbour's house, she knocks upon thy door, Bjorn. Gudruda, thy sister, is my betrothed, and thou art a party to this feud,” said Eric. ”Therefore it becomes thee better to hold her honour and thy own against this Northlander, than to gird at me for that in which I have no blame.”

Bjorn grew wroth at these words. ”Prate not to me,” he said. ”Thou art an upstart who wouldst teach their duty to thy betters--ay, puffed up with light-won fame, like a feather on the breeze. But I say this: the breeze shall fail, and thou shalt fall upon the goose's back once more.

And I say this also, that, had I my will, Gudruda should wed Ospakar: for he is a mighty chief, and not a long-legged carle, outlawed for man-slaying.”

Now Eric sprang from his seat and laid hand upon the hilt of Whitefire, while men murmured in the hall, for they held this an ill speech of Bjorn's.

”In thee, it seems, I have no friend,” said Eric, ”and hadst thou been any other man than Gudruda's brother, forsooth thou shouldst answer for thy mocking words. This I tell thee, Bjorn, that, wert thou twice her brother, if thou plottest with Ospakar when I am gone, thou shalt pay dearly for it when I come back again. I know thy heart well: it is cunning and greedy of gain, and filled with envy as a cask with ale; yet, if thou lovest to feel it beating in thy breast, strive not to work me mischief and to put Gudruda from me.”

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