Authors: E. R. Eddison
Fare they then on their way: come at day-meal time to the farmstead of Thorfinn. He dwelt beside Eidwood. Egil and his craved day-meal, and to bait their horses: goodman Thorfinn took it as if that were their due. Go they then, Egil and his, in into the hall.
Egil asked if Thorfinn had seen aught of his companions: “We had here bespoken tryst between us”.
Thorfinn saith as thus: “Fared here six men together something before day, and were much weaponed”.
Then spake a housecarle of Thorfinn’s: “I drove last night to fetch wood, and I found six men in the way, and that was house-carles of Armod’s; and that was much before day. Now know I not, whether those will be all one and the same with the six men that thou saidst of”.
Thorfinn saith that those men that he had met had fared later than when the housecarle came home with the load of wood.
And when Egil and his sat and took their meat, then saw Egil that a sick woman
2
lay on the cross-bench. Egil asked Thorfinn what woman that might be, who there was holden so heavily. Thorfinn saith that she was named Helga and was a daughter of his: “She hath long had lack of strength”; and that was a great fever. She gat never a night’s sleep, and was as if beside herself.
“Hath aught been looked to in it”, saith Egil, “about her hurt?”
Thorfinn saith, “Runes have been scored, and that is a certain bonder’s son a short way from here who did that: and is since then much worse than before. Or canst thou, Egil, do aught for such hurts?”
Egil saith, “May be it will not spoil things utterly, even if I come into it”.
And when Egil had eat his fill he went there where the woman lay and talked with her. He bade then lift her out of the bed and lay under her clean clothes, and now was it so done. And now he ransacked the bed that she had rested in, and there found he a whalebone, and thereon were the runes. Egil read them, and therewithal he scraped off the runes and shaved them off into the fire. He burnt all the whalebone, and let bear into the wind those clothes which she had had before.
Then quoth Egil:
3
Runes shall a man not score,
Save he can well to read them.
That many a man betideth,
On a mirk stave to stumble.
Saw I on scrapéd whalebone
Ten dark staves scoréd:
That hath to the leek-linden
Over-long sickness broughten.
Egil scored runes and laid them under the bolster in the resting-place where she rested. It seemed to her as if she wakened out of sleep, and she said that she was then healed; yet was she of little might. But her father and mother became exceeding joyful. Thorfinn offered that Egil should have there all furtherance, whatso he thought he needed.
CHAPTER LXXIII. OF EGIL’S COMING TO ALF THE WEALTHY.
E
GIL saith to his companions, that he will fare on his journey and bide no longer. Thorfinn had a son who was named Helgi: he was a stalwart man. That father and son bade Egil their companionship through the wood. They said that they knew for truth that Armod Beard had put six men in the wood to sit for them; and yet ’twas likelier that there would be more sittings in the wood, if the first should go miss. Thorfinn and his were four in company, that offered themselves for the journey.
Then quoth Egil a stave:
1
Wot you, if I with four fare,
Fare there not six that ’gainst me
Should hold exchange with red shield-
Snicking knives of Din-God.
But if I with eight be,
Are never twelve that shake should,
With swords together hurtling,
The heart of black-brow’d me.
Thorfinn and his had their way in this, that they fared to the wood with Egil, and they were then eight in company. And when they came there, where was the sitting for them, then saw they men there. But those housecarles of Armod’s, that sat there, saw that there fared eight men, and it seemed to them that they were nought fit to have to do with them. Stole they away then into the wood. But when Egil and his came there where the look-out men had been, then saw they that it was not all peaceful. Then spake Egil, that Thorfinn and his should fare back again; but they offered to fare further. Egil would not that, and bade them fare home, and they did so, and turned back; but Egil and his held on on their journey and were then four in company. And as the day wore, Egil and his were ware that there were six men in the wood, and thought they knew that there would be Armod’s housecarles. The look-out men leapt up and made at them, and they against them; and that befell of their meeting, that Egil felled two men, but those that were left leapt then into the wood.
And now fared Egil and his on their ways, and there was done then nought to tell of before they came out of the wood and took guesting beside the wood with that bonder whose name was Alf, and was called Alf the Wealthy. He was an old man and wealthy of fee, a man self-willed, so that he might not have household folk about him, save few only. Good welcome had Egil there, and Alf was free of speech with him. Egil asked much of tidings, but Alf said such as he asked. They talked most about the Earl and about the messengers of Norway’s King, them that before had fared eastward thither to fetch home the scat. Alf was no friend of the Earl’s in his talk.
E
GIL made him ready betimes in the morning for his journey, he and his companions, but at their parting Egil gave Alf a hairy cloak. Alf took the gift thankfully: “And may here make me of it a hairy cape”: and bade Egil come thither to him, when he fared back again.
They parted friends, and Egil fared on his journey and came in the afternoon to the court of Arnvid the Earl, and gat there all good welcome. Room was made for those companions next to the high-seat man. And when Egil and his had been there a night, then bear they up their errand with the Earl and the King’s word-sending out of Norway, and say that he will have all that scat from Vermland which had before stood over, since Arnvid was set in power there.
The Earl saith that he had paid out of hand all the scat and put it into the hands of the King’s messengers. “But I know not what they have done with it after that, whether they have brought it to the King or have run away out of the land with it. But sith ye bear sure tokens hereof, that the King hath sent you, then will I pay all that scat which he hath a right to, and put it into your hands. But I will not be answerable afterwards, what way ye fare with it.”
Egil and his tarry there a while, but before Egil fares away, the Earl payeth them the scat. That was some in silver, some in grey-war es. And when Egil and his were ready, then fared they back on their way. Saith Egil to the Earl at their parting: “Now will we bring the King that scat that we have taken; but that shalt thou know, Earl, that this fee is much less than the King thinketh he hath here; and yet is that not counted, that it will seem to him that you have to pay him back for his messengers with man-gilds,
1
them that men reckon that you will have let slay”.
The Earl saith that that was not true.
Part they on that. And when Egil was away, then called the Earl to him two brethren, that were each named Wolf.
2
He spake as thus: “That great Egil, that was here this while, I am minded ’twill be clean unuseful to us that he should come to the King. We may mark from this, what way he will bear our matters before the King, when he splashed this up in our eyes,
3
the taking off of the King’s men. Now shall ye two fare after them and slay them all, and let them not bear these slanders before the King. It seems to me that is your likeliest rede, that ye sit for them in Eidwood. Have with you men so many that it be certain no one of them come off, but ye get nought of man-spill from them”.
Now make they ready, those brethren, for their journey, and had thirty men. Fared they to the wood; and they knew there every path before them. Held they then espial of the faring of Egil. In the wood were two ways: by the one was a hill to fare over, and there was there a steep cliff and a one-man’s path to fare by: that road was the shorter. But by the other the faring was round the end of the hill, and there were there big fens and felled trees laid over them, and there was there too a one-man’s path to fare by. And fifteen sat in either place.
E
GIL fared till he came to Alf’s, and was there for the night in good entertainment. The morning after, stood he up before day: made ready then for their journey, and when they sat over their day-meal then came there goodman Alf. He spake: “Betimes do ye make ready, Egil; but that would be my rede, nowise to rush on the journey, rather look before you, for I am minded that men will be set for you in the wood. I have no men I may find to follow thee, such as might be aught of strength for thee. But that will I offer, that thou tarry here with me until I can say to thee this, that ’tis clear for faring through the wood”.
Egil saith, “That will be nought but fairy-babes.
1
I will fare mine own way, as I have before determined of”.
Egil and his make them ready for the journey, but Alf letted it, and bade him fare back again if he became ware that the way was trodden: said that there had no man fared over the wood from the east since Egil fared eastaway, “Unless those have fared who methinks are like to have a will to meet you”.
“What deemest thou, how many will they be belike, if so it is as thou sayest? We are not to be picked up like forfeit goods,
2
though there be some odds of strength.”
He saith, “I was fared forth to the wood and my housecarles with me, and we came on men’s footmarks, and that slot layforward towards the wood, and they would likely have been many in company. But if thou believe not that which I say to thee, then fare thither and see the slot, but turn back if it shows to thee as I say to thee”.
Egil fared on his way. And when they came to the road, that which led into the wood, then saw they there both men’s tracks and horses’. Then spake Egil’s companions, that they should turn back.
“Fare will we,” said Egil. “That seemeth to me nought wonderful, though men have fared through Eidwood, seeing that is the common highroad.”
And now fared they, and the trodden way held, and there was then a multitude of tracks; and when they come there where the ways parted, then parted the slot too, and was then of equal bigness in either place. Then spake Egil: “Now meseemeth it may be, that Alf hath said true. We shall now make us ready so, as if it were to be looked for that a meeting should be betwixt us”.
And now cast they off their cloaks, Egil and his men, and all their loose clothes. They lay that in the sledges. Egil had had in his sledge a line of bast, very long, because that is the fashion of men who drive a long way, to have with them loose cords, if there be need to make tackling. Egil took a great flat stone
3
and laid it before his breast and his belly; and now he bent the cord about it and lapped it round and round and did it so all up about his shoulders.
Then quoth Egil:
*
Eidwood is on this wise, that the forests are big all as far as the settled parts of either side, but in the midst of the wood is small timber and undergrowth far and wide, and in some places unwooded altogether. Egil and his men turned on the shorter way, that lay over the hause. All had shields and helms and hewing-weapons and thrusting-weapons. Egil fared before them, and when they fared up the hause then was there wood down below, but unwooded up on the cliff, and when they were come up to the cliff, then leapt seven men out of the wood and up into the steep part after them, and shot at them. Egil and his turned against them, and they stood in even array across the path. Then came other men down at them on to the crag, and stoned at them thence, and that was for them much more perilous.
Then spake Egil: “Now shall ye fare back under the cliff and shelter you as ye may, but I will seek up on to the berg”.
They did so. And when Egil came up from the cliff, then were there before him eight men, and went all at once against him and set upon him. Now there is nought to say of their bandying of blows: so ended it that he felled them all. And now went he forth on the berg, and bowled down stones, and there was no withstanding it. There were left lying there three of the Vermlanders, but four came off into the wood, and they were wounded and battered.
And now took Egil and his their horses and fared forth on their way till they came over the hause. But those Vermlanders that had come off brought the news to their fellows, them that were beside the fens. Set they forth then by the lower road, and so forth and in the way of Egil and his men.
Then said Wolf to his fellows, “Now shall we fare with counsel against them: watch our time so as they get not the chance to run. Here fareth it on such wise”, saith he, “that the way lieth along by the hause, but the fen reacheth up to it, and there is there a crag above, but the broken road lieth there between and is not broader than a footpath’s breadth. Some shall fare forth round the crag, and take them if they will go forward, but some shall lie hid here in the wood and then leap upon the back of them when they come past. See we to it so, that not one come off”.
They did so, as Wolf spake. Fared Wolf forth round the berg, and ten men with him. Egil and his fare on their way, and knew nought of this rede-taking before they were come into the one-man’s path. Then leapt there men upon the back of them and bare straightway weapons against them. Egil and his turned about to meet them and defended themselves. Now drive yet more men at them, they that had been of this side of the crag. And when Egil saw that, turneth he about to meet them. There was short hewing betwixt them, and Egil felled there some in the path but some turned back, there where there was more of even ground. Egil set on then after them. There fell Wolf, and in the end Egil alone slew there eleven men.