Authors: E. R. Eddison
His hights I’ll meet, and hates too,
Howe’er, this heir of Thornfoot.
Whenso, stock’s sorrow’s
Syth’d of earth, I’ve gott’n him
Apaid for all such robberies.
(Earth-dweller’s bed we strove for.)
King Eric heard those parting words of Egil’s, which he spake latest at the Thing, and he became exceeding wroth; but all men had gone weaponless to the Thing; for that cause the King made no onslaught upon him. He bade his men all go to the ships, and they did as he spake. Then the King summoned a house-thing,
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and spake his mind then: “We shall now let strike tilts on our ships. Now will I fare to find Arinbiorn and Egil. I will, withal, make this known to you, that I will take the life of Egil, if we may bring it about, and spare none of them that will stand i’ the way of it”.
After that, went they out to the ships and made them ready at their swiftest, and stood out with their ships and rowed thither where the ships of Arinbiorn had been. Then let the King row after them north into the sounds. But when they came into the Sogn-sea they saw the host of Arinbiorn; then turned the longships in toward Saudungsound, and then turned the King thitherward. He met there with Arinbiorn’s ship, and the King straightway laid aboard of her and hailed her. The King asked whether Egil were there aboard the ship.
Arinbiorn answered: “He is not aboard of my ship. You will soon, King, be able to see that. There be those only here on board whom you will know; and Egil will not be a-skulking down under the decks, though ye chance to meet together”.
The King asked what was the last Arinbiorn knew of him, but he said that Egil was with thirty men in a cutter, “And they fared on their way out toward Steinsound”.
The King and his had seen that many ships had rowed toward Steinsound. The King spake that they should row in along the inner sounds and so stand to meet with Egil and his folk.
A man is named, Ketil. He was a man of King Eric’s bodyguard. He gave the course for the King’s ship, but he steered her himself.
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Ketil was a big man in growth and fair to see and a near kinsman to the King, and that was the talk of men, that he and the King were alike in outward seeming.
Egil had let launch his ship and flitted her cargo aboard, before he fared to the Thing: and now fareth Egil thither where the cheaping-ship was, and they went up aboard the ship; but the cutter floated, with rudder shipped, between the ship and the land, and the oars lay in the loops.
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But in the morning when it was scarce grown light, they become aware, who held watch, that big ships rowed at them. But when Egil knew that, then stood he up forthwith. Saw he at once that unpeace was come: there were there six long-ships and stood towards them. Then spake Egil that they should leap all into the cutter. Egil took up two chests that King Athelstane gave him: he had those ever with him: they leapt into the cutter. He took his weapons swiftly, and all they too, and rowed forth betwixt the land and that snake-ship that fared nearest to the land. Now that was the ship of Eric the King. But because it was all done of a sudden and there was yet but little daylight, the ships sped past one another, and, as the poops bare together, Egil shot a spear, and it came on that man’s middle who sat a-steering. And that was Ketil the Franklin.
Then calleth out King Eric, and bade men row after Egil and his. But when the ships passed near the cheaping-ship, then leapt men of the King’s up aboard of the ship, and those men that had been left behind of Egil’s men and leapt not into the cutter were then all slain, those that were caught, but some leapt aland. There lost their lives there ten men of Egil’s following.
Some of the ships rowed after Egil and his, but some robbed the cheaping-ship: there was there taken all the fee that was on board, but they burnt the ship. But they that rowed after Egil and his strove fiercely: took hold two on one oar. There was no lack of folk aboard there, but Egil’s ship was thinly manned. They were then eighteen aboard the cutter. Then drew they together. But of the inner side of the island was a shoaling sound somewhat shallow betwixt it and another island. It was ebb-tide. Egil and his rushed the cutter into that shallow sound, but the snake-ships could not float there, and there was their parting with them. Then turned the King back south, but Egil fared north to find Arinbiorn.
Then quoth Egil a stave:
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Now hath the thunder-lord of fight-flame,
Fierce of heart (while I yet
His wite escapéd) fell’d me
Ten thanes of our following;
’Cause straight from mine hand sent,
Wound-salmon goddess’s
Thick quivering thorn flew
Thorough ribs of Ketil.
Egil came to find Arinbiorn and saith unto him these tidings. Arinbiorn saith that he could have hoped for nothing better from their dealings with King Eric. “But thou wilt not lack for fee, Egil. I shall pay boot to thee for the ship, and find thee another that thou mayest well be able to fare in to Iceland.”
Asgerd, Egil’s wife, had been with Arinbiorn since they fared to the Thing. Arinbiorn found Egil a ship that was fit for the main sea and let load her with wood. Egil maketh ready that ship for the main sea, and had then withal nigh thirty men. Then parted he and Arinbiorn with friendship.
Then quoth Egil:
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So should the Powers pay him:
This prince, O Gods, from land drive!
High Ones, be wroth, and Odin:
His robberies avenge Ye!
Forth let the folk-despoiler
Flee from the land, O Land’s God!
O Frey and Niord, abhor Ye
The foe that wrongs the hallows!
H
ARALD HAIRFAIR set his sons in power in Norway then when he began to be old. He made King Eric overking over all his sons: and when Harald had been seventy winters King, then gave he over his realm into the hand of his son Eric. In that time bare Gunnhild a son,
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and King Harald sprinkled him with water and gave him his own name, and let that follow, that he should be King after his father if his life should last therefor. Harald the King sate then in his seat in quiet, and sate oftenest in Rogaland or Hordaland. But three winters later died Harald the King in Rogaland, and there was made a howe after him beside Howesound. But after his death was great strife betwixt his sons, because the dwellers in the Wick took to them Olaf for King, and the Thrandheimers Sigurd: but Eric felled then both these brethren of his in Tunsberg one winter after the death of King Harald. That was all of one summer, that King Eric fared from Hordaland with his war-host east to the Wick to do battle with his brethren, and before this had they striven at the Gula-Thing, Egil and Bergonund, and these tidings befallen that now were said of.
Bergonund was at home at his own place, then when the King fared with his war-gathering, because it seemed to him unwary to fare from his house so long as Egil was not fared away out of the land. There was his brother Hadd then with him. There was a man named Frodi, a kinsman of King Eric’s and a fosterson of his. He was the fairest of men, young of years, and yet grown man. King Eric left him behind to take care of Bergonund: Frodi sat at Alrekstead at the King’s house and had there a company of men. Rognvald
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is named, a son of King Eric and Gunnhild: he was then of ten or eleven winters, and was the fairest of hopeful young men. He was then with Frodi when these tidings befell.
But before King Eric rowed on that war-gathering, he made Egil an outlaw from end to end of Norway, for every man to slay.
Arinbiorn was with the King in his war-gathering. But before he fared from home, then laid Egil his course to the main sea and held towards those outer fishing-grounds that are called the Beacons,
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out from Aldi: that lieth off the highway of the sea. There were fishermen there, and it was good there to learn tidings. Then learnt he that the King had made him an outlaw.
Then quoth Egil a stave:
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For me the law-breaker makes laws—
Long ways for me to journey:
His bride it is hath blinded
The brother-murthering shield-elf.
Gunnhild I have to thank for’t,
To drive me from the land so.
She’s cruel. Ere now, when young, I’ve had
Swift vengeance, whoso griev’d me.
The weather was with little wind, fell-wind a-nights but seabreeze by day. On an evening sailed Egil and his out into the deep; but the fishermen rowed then in to land, those that had been set for espial of Egil’s faring. They knew this to say, that Egil had put out and sailed to sea and he was away. They let bring this news to Bergonund; and when he knew these tidings, he sent then from him all those men that he had before had there for safety. Rowed he then in to Alrekstead and bade Frodi to him, because Bergonund had much ale at home at his house. Frodi fared with him and had with him certain men. They took there good feasting and had great gladness. Then was all there without fear.
Rognvald, the King’s son, had a caravel:
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there rowed six men aboard her. She was painted all down to the water-line. He had with him ten men or twelve, those that followed him everywhere. And when Frodi was gone from home, then took Rognvald the caravel, and they rowed out to Herdla, twelve in company. There was a great house of the King’s, and that man had charge of it who was named Skegg-Thorir. There had Rognvald been at fostering in his childhood. Thorir took joyfully to the King’s son. There lacked not there, neither, great drinking.
Egil sailed out toward the main sea at night, as afore was written, and when it dawned the wind fell and there came a calm. They laid her then before the waves and let her ride so for certain nights, but when a sea-breeze came on, said Egil to his shipmates, “Now will we sail toward land, because I know not for sure, if the sea-wind come up stormy, where we shall then take land, but ’tis some likelihood of unpeace for us in most places”.
The sailors bade Egil rule their journey. Then took they to sailing, and sailed in to Herdla-weir. There found they a good haven and tilted their ship and lay to then for the night.
They had aboard the ship a little boat, and Egil gat him into it with two men. Rowed he then in by night to Herdla: sent there a man up into the isle to ask tidings; and when that one came down to the ship he said that there at the farmstead was Rognvald, the King’s son, and his men. “Sat they then a-drinking. I met one of the housecarles, and that one was drunk with ale and said that here should not less be drunken than at Bergonund’s, for all that Frodi were there a-feasting and they five in company.” No more men, he said, were there than the homemen, save Frodi only and his men.
So now rowed Egil back to the ship, and bade men stand up and take their weapons. They did so. They laid the ship out at anchor. Egil let twelve men mind the ship. But he fared in the cock-boat eighteen in company: rowed therewithal in up the sounds: they timed it so that they came at evening in to Fenhring and laid to there in a hidden creek. Then spake Egil: “Now will I go alone up into the isle and aspy what I may get to know, but you shall abide me here”.
Egil had his weapons, them that he was wont to have: helm and shield, girt with sword, hewing-spear in hand. And now went he up into the isle and forth along a certain wood: he had a hood drawn low now over his helm. He came where some boys were, and along with them big shepherd’s tykes, and when they came to words together he asked whence they were, or what for were they there and had hounds so big.
They spake: “Thou wilt be a full simple man. Hast not heard that here goeth a bear
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about the isle, the greatest mischief? Slayeth here both men and cattle, and a price is set on the head of him. Wake we here every night at Ask over our livestock, that be shut in the folds. Or why farest thou with weapons i’ the night?”
He saith, “I am afeared of the bear. And few there be, methinks, that now fare weaponless. The bear hath long chased me a-nights: ay, and see him now! there he is now! i’ the neb o’ the wood. Whether be all men asleep at the farmstead?”
The boy said that Bergonund and Frodi would be still a-drinking; “They sit all night long”.
“Say to them, then,” saith Egil, “where the bear is; but I must hie me home.”
He gat him gone then. But the boy ran home to the farmstead and to the hall where they drank within. It was then so come about as that all men were gone to bed save those three, Onund and Frodi and Hadd. The boy saith where the bear was. They took their weapons that were hung anigh them, and leapt out forthwith and up to the wood. There jutted out nebs of wood
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from the mark, and thickets of brushwood in some places. The boy saith to them where the bear had been in the thicket. Then saw they how the branches moved: thought then for sure that the bear would be there. Then spake Bergonund that they, Hadd and Frodi, should run along ’twixt the thicket and the main mark, and mind that the bear did not take to the wood. Bergonund ran forward to the thicket. He had helm and shield, girt with sword, halberd in hand.
Egil was there for him in the thicket, and no bear; and when he saw where Bergonund was, then drew he sword, but there was a looped band about the hilt of it, and he drew that over his hand and let it hang there. He took in his hand his halberd and ran forth then against Bergonund; and when Bergonund saw that, then quickened he his pace and shot his shield afore him, and before they were met each shot with his halberd at the other. Egil caught the halberd on his shield and turned it aside, so that it glented off the shield and flew into the ground; but Egil’s spear came on the middle of the shield and went through it a long way up the feather, and the spear stuck fast in the shield. Onund’s shield was thus become heavy to bear. Egil grabbed then swiftly the hilt of his sword. Onund too was about drawing of his sword, and when it was not half drawn Egil thrust him through with his sword. Onund reeled with the thrust, but Egil snatched back the sword hard, and hewed at Onund and nigh took off his head. After that, Egil took the halberd out of the shield.