eric brighteyes-第23部分

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surely　would；　whirled　Whitefire　round　his　helm　and　rushed　headlong　on

his　foes；　shield　aloft。



The　great　carles　saw　the　light　that　played　on　Whitefire's　edge　and　the

other　light　that　burned　in　Eric's　eyes；　and　terror　got　hold　of　them。

Now　he　was　almost　come；　and　Whitefire　sprang　aloft　like　a　tongue　of

flame。　Then　they　stayed　no　more；　but；　running　one　this　way　and　one

that；　cast　themselves　into　the　flood　and　swam　for　the　river…edge。　Now

from　either　bank　rose　up　a　roar　of　laughter；　that　grew　and　grew；　till

it　echoed　against　the　lava　rifts　and　scared　the　ravens　from　their

nests。



Eric；　too；　stopped　his　charge　and　laughed　aloud；　then　walked　back　to

where　Asmund　stood；　unarmed；　to　second　him　in　the　holmgang。



〃I　can　get　little　honour　from　such　champions　as　these；〃　he　said。



〃Nay；〃　answered　Asmund；　〃thou　hast　got　the　greatest　honour；　and　they；

and　Ospakar；　such　shame　as　may　not　be　wiped　out。〃



Now　when　Blacktooth　saw　what　had　come　to　pass；　he　well…nigh　choked；

and　fell　from　his　horse　in　fury。　Still；　he　could　find　no　stomach　for

fighting；　but；　mustering　his　company；　rode　straightway　from　the　Thing

home　again　to　Swinefell。　But　he　caused　those　two　whom　he　had　put　up　to

do　battle　with　Eric　to　be　set　upon　with　staves　and　driven　from　his

following；　and　the　end　of　it　was　that　they　might　stay　no　more　in

Iceland；　but　took　ship　and　sailed　south；　and　now　they　are　out　of　the

story。



On　the　next　day；　Asmund；　and　with　him　Eric　and　all　their　men；　rode

back　to　Middalhof。　Gudruda　greeted　Eric　well；　and　for　the　first　time

since　Swanhild　went　away　she　kissed　him。　Moreover；　she　wept　bitterly

when　she　learned　that　he　must　go　into　outlawry；　while　she　must　bide　at

home。



〃How　shall　the　days　pass　by；　Eric？〃　she　said；　〃when　thou　art　far；　and

I　know　not　where　thou　art；　nor　how　it　goes　with　thee；　nor　if　thou

livest　or　art　already　dead？〃



〃In　sooth　I　cannot　say；　sweet；〃　he　answered；　〃but　of　this　I　am　sure

that；　wheresoever　I　am；　yet　more　weary　shall　be　my　hours。〃



〃Three　years；〃　she　went　on〃three　long；　cold　years；　and　no　sight　of

thee；　and　perchance　no　tidings　from　thee；　till　mayhap　I　learn　that

thou　art　in　that　land　whence　tidings　cannot　come。　Oh；　it　would　be

better　to　die　than　to　part　thus。〃



〃Well　I　wot　that　it　is　better　to　die　than　to　live；　and　better　never　to

have　been　born　than　to　live　and　die；〃　answered　Eric　sadly。　〃Here；　it

would　seem；　is　nothing　but　hate　and　strife；　weariness　and　bitter　envy

to　fret　away　our　strength；　and　at　last；　if　we　come　so　far；　sorrowful

age　and　death；　and　thereafter　we　know　not　what。　Little　of　good　do　we

find　to　our　hands；　and　much　of　evil；　nor　know　I　for　what　ill…doing

these　burdens　are　laid　upon　us。　Yet　must　we　needs　breathe　such　an　air

as　is　blown　about　us；　Gudruda；　clasping　at　this　happiness　which　is

given；　though　we　may　not　hold　it。　At　the　worst；　the　game　will　soon　be

played；　and　others　will　stand　where　we　have　stood；　and　strive　as　we

have　striven；　and　fail　as　we　have　failed；　and　so　on；　till　man　has

worked　out　his　doom；　and　the　Gods　cease　from　their　wrath；　or　Ragnarr？k

come　upon　them；　and　they　too　are　lost　in　the　jaws　of　grey　wolf

Fenrir。〃



〃Men　may　win　one　good　thing；　and　that　is　fame；　Eric。〃



〃Nay；　Gudruda；　what　is　it　to　win　fame？　Is　it　not　to　raise　up　foes；　as

it　were；　from　the　very　soil；　who；　made　with　secret　hate；　seek　to　stab

us　in　the　back？　Is　it　not　to　lose　peace；　and　toil　on　from　height　to

height　only　to　be　hurled　down　at　last？　Happy；　then；　is　the　man　whom

fame　flies　from；　for　hers　is　a　deadly　gift。〃



〃Yet　there　is　one　thing　left　that　thou　hast　not　numbered；　Eric；　and　it

is　lovefor　love　is　to　our　life　what　the　sun　is　to　the　world；　and；

though　it　seems　to　set　in　death；　yet　it　may　rise　again。　We　are　happy；

then；　in　our　love；　for　there　are　many　who　live　their　lives　and　do　not

find　it。〃



So　these　two；　Eric　Brighteyes　and　Gudruda　the　Fair；　talked　sadly；　for

their　hearts　were　heavy；　and　on　them　lay　the　shadow　of　sorrows　that

were　to　come。



〃Say；　sweet；〃　said　Eric　at　length；　〃wilt　thou　that　I　go　not　into

banishment？　Then　I　must　fall　into　outlawry；　and　my　life　will　be　in　the

hands　of　him　who　may　take　it；　yet　I　think　that　my　foes　will　find　it

hard　to　come　by　while　my　strength　remains；　and　at　the　worst　I　do　but

turn　to　meet　the　fate　that　dogs　me。〃



〃Nay；　that　I　will　not　suffer；　Brighteyes。　Now　we　will　go　to　my　father；

and　he　shall　give　thee　his　dragon　of　warshe　is　a　good　vesseland

thou　shalt　man　her　with　the　briskest　men　of　our　quarter：　for　there　are

many　who　will　be　glad　to　fare　abroad　with　thee；　Eric。　Soon　she　shall

be　bound　and　thou　shalt　sail　at　once；　Eric：　for　the　sooner　thou　art

gone　the　sooner　the　three　years　will　be　sped；　and　thou　shalt　come　back

to　me。　But；　oh！　that　I　might　go　with　thee。〃



Now　Gudruda　and　Eric　went　to　Asmund　and　spoke　of　this　matter。



〃I　desired；〃　he　answered；　〃that　thou；　Eric；　shouldst　bide　here　in

Iceland　till　after　harvest；　for　it　is　then　that　I　would　take　Unna；

Thorod's　daughter；　to　wife；　and　it　was　meet　that　thou　shouldst　sit　at

the　wedding…feast　and　give　her　to　me。〃



〃Nay；　father；　let　Eric　go；〃　said　Gudruda；　〃for　well　begun　is；　surely；

half　done。　He　must　remain　three　years　in　outlawry：　add　thou　no　day　to

them；　for；　if　he　stays　here　for　long；　I　know　this：　that　I　shall　find

no　heart　to　let　him　go；　and；　if　go　he　must；　then　I　shall　go　with　him。〃



〃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　ship；

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

seashore　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　fashioned　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　ship　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　shore　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　shield　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　Bj？rn　asked　it；　for　Hall　was　a　friend　to　Bj？rn；　and

he　had；　moreover；　great　skill　in　all　manner　of　seamanship；　and　had

often　sailed　the　Northern　Seasay；　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　ship　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　shield　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　Bj？rn；　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　Bj？rn　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；　Bj？rn。　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。〃



Bj？rn　grew　wroth　at　these　words。　〃Prate　not　to　me；〃　he　s