Part 44 (2/2)

”I slew Ospakar too, Gudruda. Surely the death of him by whose side thou didst sit as wife is more to thee than the death of Bjorn?”

”The bride-cup was not yet drunk, Eric; therefore I have no blood-feud for Ospakar.”

”Is it, then, thy will that I should go, lady?”

”Yes, go!--go! Never let me see thy face again!”

Brighteyes turned without a word. He took three paces and Gudruda watched him as he went.

”Eric!” she called. ”Eric! thou mayest not go yet: for at this hour the thralls bring down the kine to milk, and they will see thee. Liest thou hid here. I--I will go. For though, indeed, thou dost deserve to die, I am not willing to bring thee to thy end--because of old friends.h.i.+p I am not willing!”

”If thou goest, I will go also,” said Eric. ”Thralls or no thralls, I will go, Gudruda.”

”Thou art cruel to drive me to such a choice, and I have a mind to give thee to thy fate.”

”As thou wilt,” said Eric; but she made as though she did not hear his words.

”Now,” she said, ”if we must stay here, it is better that we hide where thou didst hide, lest some come upon thee.” And she pa.s.sed through the screen of rushes and sat down in a gra.s.sy place beyond, and spoke again.

”Nay, sit not near me; sit yonder. I would not touch thee, nor look upon thee, who wast Swanhild's love, and didst slay Bjorn my brother.”

”Say, Gudruda,” said Eric, ”did I not tell thee of the magic arts of Swanhild? Did I not tell thee before all men yonder in the hall, and didst thou not say that thou didst believe my words? Speak.”

”That is true,” said Gudruda.

”Wherefore, then, dost thou taunt me with being Swanhild's love--with being the love of her whom of all alive I hate the most--and whose wicked guile has brought these sorrows on us?”

But Gudruda did not answer.

”And for this matter of the death of Bjorn at my hands, think, Gudruda: was I to blame in it? Did not Bjorn thrust the cloven s.h.i.+eld before my feet, and thus give me into the hand of Ospakar? Did he not afterwards smite at me from behind, and would he not have slain me if Skallagrim had not caught the blow? Was I, then, to blame if I smote back and if the sword flew home? Wilt thou let the needful deed rise up against our love? Speak, Gudruda!”

”Talk no more of love to me, Eric,” she answered; ”the blood of Bjorn has blotted out our love: it cries to me for vengeance. How may I speak of love with him who slew my brother? Listen!” she went on, looking on him sidelong, as one who wished to look and yet not seem to see: ”here thou must hide an hour, and, since thou wilt not sit in silence, speak no tender words to me, for it is not fitting; but tell me of those deeds thou didst in the south lands over sea, before thou wentest to woo Swanhild and camest hither to kill my brother. For till then thou wast mine--till then I loved thee--who now love thee not. Therefore I would hear of the deeds of that Eric whom once I loved, before he became as one dead to me.”

”Heavy words, lady,” said Eric--”words to make death easy.”

”Speak not so,” she said; ”it is unmanly thus to work upon my fears.

Tell me those tidings of which I ask.”

So Eric told her all his deeds, though he showed small boastfulness about them. He told her how he had smitten the war-dragons of Ospakar, how he had boarded the Raven and with Skallagrim slain those who sailed in her. He told her also of his deeds in Ireland, and of how he took the viking s.h.i.+ps and came to London town.

And as he told, Gudruda listened as one who hung upon her lover's dying words, and there was but one light in the world for her, the light of Eric's eyes, and there was but one music, the music of his voice. Now she looked upon him sidelong no longer, but with open eyes and parted lips she drank in his words, and always, though she knew it not herself, she crept closer to his side.

Then he told her how he had been greatly honoured of the King of England, and of the battles he had fought in at his side. Lastly, Eric told her how the King would have given him a certain great lady of royal blood in marriage, and how Edmund had been angered because he would not stay in England.

”Tell me of this lady,” said Gudruda, quickly. ”Is she fair, and how is she named?”

”She is fair, and her name is Elfrida,” said Eric.

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