Authors: E. R. Eddison
K
ING HARALD HAIRFAIR had laid under him Vermland in the east. Olaf Tree-shaver had first won Vermland, the father of Halfdan Whiteleg that first was king in Norway of his kinsfolk; and King Harald was come from thence by his forefathers’ line, and all those forefathers had ruled over Vermland and taken scat thereof and set men over it for the land’s guarding. And when King Harald was become old, then ruled over Vermland that Earl who was named Arnvid. It was then (as in many another place far and wide), that the scat was worse paid than then when King Harald was in the lightest run of his age; and so too when the sons of Harald strove for the realm of Norway. There was then little overseeing of the scat-lands, those that lay afar. But then when Hakon sat in peace, then sought he to get again all that realm which Harald his father had had.
King Hakon had sent men east to Vermland, twelve in company: they had gotten the scat from the Earl; and when they fared back again by Eidwood, then came at them highwaymen
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and slew them all. The same way fared it with other messengers that King Hakon sent east to Vermland, that the men were slain and the fee came not back again. That was then the talk of some men, that Earl Arnvid would set men of his, belike, to slay the King’s men, and to have the fee to bring to the Earl.
Then sendeth King Hakon yet the third time men: he was then in Thrandheim; and they should fare into the Wick east to find out Thorstein Thorason with these words, that he should fare east to Vermland to fetch home the scat for the hand of the King, but, for his other choice, should Thorstein fare out of the land; because the King had then heard that Arinbiorn, his mother’s brother, was come south to Denmark and was with Eric’s sons: that too, withal, that they had there great followings and were a-harrying in summer-time. It seemed to King Hakon that all they together were no ways to be trusted in, because there was unpeace to be looked for from Eric’s sons if they should have aught of strength for this, to make an uprising against King Hakon. Then did he unto all kinsfolk of Arinbiorn, and unto them of his affinity or friends of his: drave he then many out of the land, or made for them other hard choices. That came about there too, where Thorstein was, that the King made offer unto him, for that sake, of this choice.
That man who bare this errand, he was a man of all lands: had been long in Denmark and in the Swede-realm: it was known to him there every deal both about the ways and the men: he had fared withal wide about Norway. And when he bare these matters before Thorstein Thorason, then saith Thorstein to Egil, with what errand these men fared, and asked what way he should answer.
Egil saith: “Clear as day it looketh to me, of this word-sending, that the King will have thee out of the land, even as other kinsmen of Arinbiorn’s; because that call I this for-sending,
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of so worshipful a man as thou art. That is my rede, that thou call to speak with thee the messengers of the King, and I will be by at your talk: see we then what is here a-doing”.
Thorstein did as he spake: brought them to speech with him. Then said the messengers all the truth of their errand, and the word-sending of the King, that Thorstein should fare on this journey, or be an outlaw for his other choice.
Then saith Egil: “I see plainly of your errand: if Thorstein will not fare, then must you fare to fetch home the scat”
The messengers said that he guessed right.
“Nowise will Thorstein fare on this journey, because he is nought bounden for this, so worshipful a man, to fare on such unseemly journeys. But this will Thorstein do, which he is bounden to, to follow the King,
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inland or outland, if the King’s will it is to ask this. So too, if ye will have some men from hence for this journey, then will that be your due, and all such furtherance for your journey that ye may demand of Thorstein.”
And now talked the messengers among themselves, and that came to an agreement betwixt them, that they should take this choice, if Egil would fare on that journey. “The King”, said they, “is all ill-willed against him, and it will seem to him our journey is all good if we so bring it about as that he be slain. He may then drive Thorstein out of the land if it likes him.” And now say they to Thorstein that they will be content if Egil fare, and Thorstein sit at home.
“That shall be, then,” saith Egil, “that I will ransom Thorstein from this journey. Or how many men think ye it needful to have from hence?”
“We be eight in company,” said they. “We will, that hence fare four men. Then we are twelve.”
Egil saith that so should it be. Onund Sjoni and certain of Egil’s following had fared out to the sea to look to their ships and wares besides that they had put into safe keeping that autumn, and they were not come home. That seemed to Egil a great miss, for the King’s men were wild for the journey and would not wait.
CHAPTER LXXI. OF EGIL’S JOURNEY INTO VERMLAND, AND HIS GUESTING WITH ARMOD BEARD.
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GIL made him ready for the journey, and three other men his companions. They had horses and sledges, like as the King’s men. Then were there great snows, and all the ways changed. They betake them now to their journey, when they were ready, and drove up aland; and when they made east toward Eid, then was it of a night that there was great fall of snow, so that nought clear was the way to see. Their faring was slow then the day after, because a man was over head and ears in snow, soon as he left the path; and as the day wore, they tarried and baited their horses. That was near a wooded hause.
Then spake they with Egil: “Now parteth here the ways; but here under the hause dwelleth that bonder who is named Arnald, a friend of ours:
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we companions will fare thither to guesting. But ye shall fare here up to the hause, and then, when ye be come there, will shortly be before you a great farmstead, and there are ye sure of guesting. There dwelleth a very wealthy man that is named Armod Beard. But in the morning betimes we shall meet together and fare the next evening to Eidwood: there dwelleth a good bonder, Thorfinn by name”.
So now part they. Egil and his fare up to the hause. But of the King’s men is that to say, that, soon as they were hidden from sight of Egil and his folk, then took they their snowshoes
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that they had had and put them on. Then made they their way back again with all their might. Fared they night and day, and turned to the Uplands and thence north by Dovrafell, and stayed not till they came to meet King Hakon and said to him of their journey, even as it had fared.
Egil and his companions fared in the evening over the hause. That was swiftest to say of them, that they forthwith lost the road. There was great snow. The horses fell into drifts every other while, so that they must be dragged up. There were cliffs sometimes, and woods full of undergrowth, and about the undergrowth and cliffs was exceeding hard going. There was then great delay for them with the horses, and the going for the men was of the heaviest. Then were they much outwearied, and yet made their way down from the hause, and saw there before them a great farmstead and held on thitherward. And when they came into the home-mead then saw they that there stood men without, Armod and his boys. They came to speech and asked tidings of one another, and when Armod knew that they were King’s messengers, then bade he them guesting there. They took that thankfully. Armod’s housecarles took their horses and gear, and the bonder bade Egil go into the hall, and they did so.
Armod set Egil in the high-seat on the lower bench, and his fellows there out from him on either side. They talked much of it, how toilsomely they had fared that evening, and to the homemen it seemed great wonder that they had come through, and said that there was no fit going for any man, even were it without snow.
Then spake Armod: “Think ye not that entertainment best, that tables be set for you and your supper given you, and then ye may go to sleep? Ye will then rest you best”.
“That likes us very well,” saith Egil.
Armod then let set tables for them, and thereafter were set forth great bowls full of curds.
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Then Armod let it seem that he thought that ill, that he had no strong beer to give them. Egil and his were much thirsty for weariness: took they up the bowls and drank deep of the curds, and yet Egil by much the most. There came not any other victuals forth for them.
There was there a mort of household folk. The mistress sat at the cross-bench, and women there beside her. The bonder’s daughter was on the floor, of ten winters or eleven: the mistress called her to her and spake her in the ear: therewith fared the maid out before the table, there where Egil sat. She quoth:
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My mother sent me,
Me with thee to talk,
And word bear to Egil
That you should be ware:
So spake the Hild of Hornés—
Manage so thy maw now:
Our guests anon may
Eat of nobler victual.
Armod struck the maid and bade her be silent: “Speakst thou that always which worst befitteth”.
The maid gat her gone; but Egil shot down the curd-bowl, and it was then near empty, and then were the bowls taken from them. Then went the homemen now into their seats, and tables were set up throughout all the hall, and victuals set forth: next to that, came in chargers of meat, and were then set before Egil as before other men. Next to that was ale borne in, and that was the strongest of beer. There was then soon drinking each man by himself: each man alone should drink off the beast’s horn. There was the most heed given to it, where Egil was and his followers, that they should drink their hardest.
Egil drank fairly at first, a long while. But when his companions became speechless, then drank he for them that which they had no might for. So went it until the tables were taken away; and then were they all become very drunk, they that were within. But every cup that Armod drank, then spake he, “Drink I to thee, Egil”; but the housecarles drank to the companions of Egil, and had the same form of speech. A man was appointed for this, to bear to Egil and his men every cup, and that one egged them on much that they should swiftly drink.
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Egil spake with his companions that they should then not drink at all; but he drank for them that which they might no other way be rid of.
Egil found then that, with things going that gate, it must ill bestead him. Stood he then up, and walked across the floor thither where Armod sat. He took him with his hands by the shoulders and bent him back up against the pillars. Therewith yawked Egil up out of him great spew, and it gushed into the face of Armod, into his eyes and nostrils and into his mouth: ran so down over his chest; but Armod was near smothered, and when he had gotten his breath again, then gushed up spew. But all spake that were by, housecarles of Armod’s, that Egil must be of all men the vilest, and he would be yet the worst of men for this work, when he should not go out when he had a will to spew, and not be a gazing-stock within-door in the drinking hall.
Egil saith, “No need to speak cross at me for this, albeit I do as the bonder doth. Speweth he with all his might, no less than I”.
Therewith Egil gat him to his place and sitteth him down: bade then give him to drink. Then quoth Egil with a rouse:
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That I this journey hazarded
Readily witness bear I—
To thy meat weighty witness—
The witness of my cheek-surge.
Many a guest for’s guesting
Yieldeth—(seldom meet we)—
Costlier pay: the ale-dregs
Is left in Armod’s beard.
Armod leapt up and out, but Egil bade give him to drink. Then spake the mistress with that man who had poured out for them that evening that he should give drink, so that it should not run short, while they had will to drink. So now took he a great beast’s horn and filled and bare it to Egil. Egil quaffed off the horn at one drink. Then quoth he:
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Drink we off—(though Ekki’s
Ocean-steed’s bestrider
Still to song-god’s hand bear
Horn-mere)—every brimmer!
Leave we nought, though sword-play’s
Stirrer unto me fetch
Froth-mash tarn in horn-a
From now till day at morn-a!
Egil drank for a while, and quaffed off every horn that came to him: but little was then of gladness in the hall, albeit some men drank. And now standeth up Egil and his companions, and take their weapons from the walls, that they had fastened up, and now go to that corn-barn that their horses were in. There they laid them down in the straw, and slept through the night.
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CHAPTER LXXII. OF EGIL’S LEAVE-TAKING OF ARMOD, AND HIS COMING TO THORFINN’S.
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GIL stood up in the morning, soon as it began to be day. Those companions array them and fared, soon as they were ready, back to the farmstead to look for Armod. And when they came to that bower which Armod slept in and his wife and daughter, then Egil kicked open the door and went to Armod’s bed. He drew then his sword, but with the other hand grabbed he Armod by the beard and jerked him forward to the bedpost. But the wife of Armod and his daughter leapt up and besought Egil that he should not slay Armod. Egil saith that he should do that for their sake, “For that is seemly. Yet had he his deserts for it, were I to slay him”.
Then quoth Egil:
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The ill-spoke giver of arm-snakes
Hath his own wife to thank for’t—
(To us of terror-eker
No awe is)—and his daughter.
Yet so belike will seem to thee,
The scot this poet for drink pays,
(Yet on our way we’ll waddle),
Nought worthy, as’t befalleth.
Therewithal sliced Egil the beard off him close to the chin. Therewithal crooked he his finger in his eye, so that it lay out on the cheek. After that Egil gat him gone and to his companions.