eric brighteyes-第31部分

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was　more　fair　than　thou　art　to…day。〃



Swanhild　opened　her　lips　to　shriek；　but　no　sound　came。



〃Troll；〃　she　whispered；　〃mock　me　not　with　lies；　but　hearken　to　my

bidding：　where　sails　Eric　now？〃



〃Look　out　into　the　night；　lady；　and　thou　shalt　see。〃



Swanhild　looked；　and　the　ways　of　the　darkness　opened　before　her　witch…

sight。　There　at　the　mouth　of　Pentland　Firth　the　Gudruda　laboured

heavily　in　the　great　seas；　and　by　the　tiller　stood　Eric；　and　with　him

Skallagrim。



〃Seest　thou　thy　love？〃　asked　the　Familiar。



〃Yea；〃　she　answered；　〃full　clearly；　he　is　worn　with　wind　and　sea；　but

more　glorious　than　aforetime；　and　his　hair　is　long。　Say；　what　shall

befall　him　if　thou　aidest　not？〃



〃This；　that　he　shall　safely　pass　the　Firth；　for　the　gale　falls；　and

come　safely　to　Fareys；　and　from　Fareys　isles　to　Gudruda's　arms。〃



〃And　what　canst　thou　do；　Goblin？〃



〃This：　I　can　lure　Eric's　ship　to　wreck；　and　give　his　comrades；　all

save　Skallagrim；　to　Ran's　net；　and　bring　him　to　thy　arms；　Swanhild；

witch…mother's　witch…child！〃



She　hearkened。　Her　breast　heaved　and　her　eyes　flashed。



〃And　thy　price；　Toad？〃



〃/Thou/　art　the　price；　lady；〃　piped　the　goblin。　〃Thou　shalt　give

thyself　to　me　when　thy　day　is　done；　and　merrily　will　we　sisters　dwell

in　Hela's　halls；　and　merrily　for　ever　will　we　fare　about　the　earth　o'

nights；　doing　such　tasks　as　this　task　of　thine；　Swanhild；　and　working

wicked　woe　till　the　last　woe　is　worked　on　us。　Art　thou　content？〃



Swanhild　thought。　Twice　her　breath　went　from　her　lips　in　great　sighs。

Then　she　stood；　pale　and　silent。



〃Safely　shall　he　sail　the　Firth；〃　piped　the　thin　voice。　〃Safely　shall

he　sit　in　Fareys。　Safely　shall　he　lie　in　white　Gudruda's　arms/hee！

hee！/　Think　of　it；　lady！〃



Then　Swanhild　shook　like　a　birth…tree　in　the　gale；　and　her　face　grew

ashen。



〃I　am　content；〃　she　said。



〃/Hee！　hee！/　Brave　lady！　She　is　content！　Ah；　we　sisters　shall　be

merry。　Hearken：　if　I　aid　thee　thus　I　may　do　no　more。　Thrice　has　the

night…owl　come　at　thy　callnow　it　must　wing　away。　Yet　things　will　be

as　I　have　said；　thine　own　wisdom　shall　guide　the　rest。　Ere　morn

Brighteyes　shall　stand　in　Atli's　hall；　ere　spring　he　will　be　thy　love；

and　ere　autumn　Gudruda　shall　sit　on　the　high　seat　in　the　hall　of

Middalhof　the　bride　of　Ospakar。　Draw　nigh；　give　me　thine　arm；　sister；

that　blood　may　seal　our　bargain。〃



Swanhild　drew　near　the　toad；　and；　shuddering；　stretched　out　her　arm；

and　then　and　there　the　red　blood　ran；　and　there　they　sealed　their

sisterhood。　And　as　the　nameless　deed　was　wrought；　it　seemed　to

Swanhild　as　though　fire　shot　through　her　veins；　and　fire　surged　before

her　eyes；　and　in　the　fire　a　shape　passed　up　weeping。



〃It　is　done；　Blood…sister；〃　piped　the　voice；　〃now　I　must　away　in　thy

form　to　be　about　thy　tasks。　Seat　thee　here　before　meso。　Now　lay　thy

brow　upon　my　browfear　not；　it　was　thy　mother'slife　on　death！

curling　locks　on　corpse　hair！　See；　so　we　changewe　change。　Now　thou

art　the　Death…toad　and　I　am　Swanhild；　Atli's　wife；　who　shall　be　Eric's

love。〃



Then　Swanhild　knew　that　her　beauty　had　entered　into　the　foulness　of

the　toad；　and　the　foulness　of　the　toad　into　her　beauty；　for　there

before　her　stood　her　own　shape　and　here　she　crouched　a　toad　upon　the

floor。



〃Away　to　work；　away！〃　said　a　soft　low　voice；　her　own　voice　speaking

from　her　own　body　that　stood　before　her；　and　lo！　it　was　gone。



But　Swanhild　crouched；　in　the　shape　of　a　hag…headed　toad；　upon　the

ground　in　her　bower　of　Atli's　hall；　and　felt　wickedness　and　evil

longings　and　hate　boil　and　seethe　within　her　heart。　She　looked　out

through　her　sunken　horny　eyes　and　she　seemed　to　see　strange　sights。

She　saw　Atli；　her　lord；　dead　upon　the　grass。　She　saw　a　woman　asleep；

and　above　her　flashed　a　sword。　She　saw　the　hall　of　Middalhof　red　with

blood。　She　saw　a　great　gulf　in　a　mountain's　heart；　and　men　fell　down

it。　And；　last；　she　saw　a　war…ship　sailing　fast　out　on　the　sea；　afire；

and　vanish　there。



Now　the　witch…hag　who　wore　Swanhild's　loveliness　stood　upon　the　cliffs

of　Straumey　and　tossed　her　white　arms　towards　the　north。



〃Come；　fog！　come；　sleet！〃　she　cried。　〃Come；　fog！　come；　sleet！　Put　out

the　moon　and　blind　the　eyes　of　Eric！〃　And　as　she　called；　the　fog　rose

up　like　a　giant　and　stretched　his　arms　from　shore　to　shore。



〃Move；　fog！　beat；　rain！〃　she　cried。　〃Move　and　beat　against　the　gale；

and　blind　the　eyes　of　Eric！〃



And　the　fog　moved　on　against　the　wind；　and　with　it　sleet　and　rain。



〃Now　I　am　afeared；〃　said　Eric　to　Skallagrim；　as　they　stood　in　darkness

upon　the　ship：　〃the　gale　blows　from　behind　us；　and　yet　the　mist　drives

fast　in　our　faces。　What　comes　now？〃



〃This　is　witch…work；　lord；〃　answered　Skallagrim；　〃and　in　such　things

no　counsel　can　avail。　Hold　the　tiller　straight　and　drive　on；　say　I。

Methinks　the　gale　lessens　more　and　more。〃



So　they　did　for　a　little　while；　and　all　around　them　sounded　the　roar

of　breakers。　Darker　grew　the　sky　and　darker　yet；　till　at　the　last；

though　they　stood　side　by　side；　they　could　not　see　each　other's

shapes。



〃This　is　strange　sailing；〃　said　Eric。　〃I　hear　the　roar　of　breakers　as

it　were　beneath　the　prow。〃



〃Lash　the　helm；　lord；　and　let　us　go　forward。　If　there　are　breakers；

perhaps　we　shall　see　their　foam　through　the　blackness；〃　said

Skallagrim。



Eric　did　so；　and　they　crept　forward　on　the　starboard　board　right　to

the　prow　of　the　ship；　and　there　Skallagrim　peered　into　the　fog　and

sleet。



〃Lord；〃　he　whispered　presently；　and　his　voice　shook　strangely；　〃what

is　that　yonder　on　the　waters？　Seest　thou　aught？〃



Eric　stared　and　said；　〃By　Odin！　I　see　a　shape　of　light　like　to　the

shape　of　a　woman；　it　walks　upon　the　waters　towards　us　and　the　mist

melts　before　it；　and　the　sea　grows　calm　beneath　its　feet。〃



〃I　see　that　also！〃　said　Skallagrim。



〃She　comes　nigh！〃　gasped　Eric。　〃See　how　swift　she　comes！　By　the　dead；

it　is　Swanhild's　shape！　Look；　Skallagrim！　look　how　her　eyes　flame！

look　how　her　hair　streams　upon　the　wind！〃



〃It　is　Swanhild；　and　we　are　fey！〃　quoth　Skallagrim；　and　they　ran　back

to　the　helm；　where　Skallagrim　sank　upon　the　deck　in　fear。



〃See；　Skallagrim；　she　glides　before　the　Gudruda's　beak！　she　glides

backwards　and　she　points　yonderthere　to　the　right！　Shall　I　put　the

helm　down　and　follow　her？〃



〃Nay；　lord；　nay；　set　no　faith　in　witchcraft　or　evil　will　befall　us。〃



As　he　spoke　a　great　gust　of　wind　shook　the　ship；　the　music　of　the

breakers　roared　in　their　ears；　and　the　gleaming　shape　upon　the　waters

tossed　its　arms　wildly　and　pointed　to　the　right。



〃The　breakers　call　ahead；〃　said　Eric。　〃The　shape　points　yonder；　where

I　hear　no　sound　of　sea。　Once　before；　thou　mindest；　Swanhild　walked　the

waves　to　warn　us　and　thereby　saved　us　from　the　men　of　Ospakar。　Ever

she　swore　she　loved　me；　now　she　is　surely　come　in　love　to　save　us　and

all　our　comrades。　Say；　shall　I　put　about？　Look：　once　more　she　waves

her　arms　and　points；〃　and　as　he　spoke　he　gripped　the　helm。



〃I　have　no　rede；　lord；〃　said　Skallagrim；　〃and　I　love　not　witch…work。

We　can　die　but　once；　and　death　is　all　around；　be　it　as　thou　wilt。〃



Eric　put　down　the　helm　with　all　his　might。　The　good　ship　answered；　and

her　timbers　groaned　loudly；　as　though　in　woe；　when　the　strain　of　the

sea　struck　her　abeam。　Then　once　more　she　flew　fast　across　the　waters；

and　fast　before　her　glided　the　wraith　of　Swanhild。　Now　it　pointed　here

and　now　there；　and　as　it　pointed　so　Eric　shaped　his　course。　For　a

while　the　noise　of　breakers　lessened；　but　now　again　came　a　thunder；

like　the　thunder　of　waves　smiting　on　a　cliff；　and　about　the　sides　of

the　Gudruda　the　waves　hissed　like　snakes。



Suddenly　the　Shape　threw　up　its　arms　and　seemed　to　sink　beneath　the

waves；　while　a　sound　like　the　sound　of　a　great　laugh　went　up　from　sea

to　sky。



〃Now　here　is　the　end；〃　said　Skallagrim；　〃and　we　are　lured　to　doom。〃



Ere　ever　the　words　had　passed　his　lips　the　ship　struck；　and　so

fiercely　that　they　were　rolled　upon　the　deck。　Suddenly　the　sky　grew

clear；　the　moon　shone　out；　and　before　them　were　cliffs　and　rocks；　and

behind　them　a　great　wave　rushed　on。　From　the　hold　of　the　ship　there

came　a　cry；　for　now　their　comrades　were　awake　and　they　knew　that　death

was　here。



Eric　gripped　Skallagrim　round　the　middle　and　looked　aft。　On　rushed　the

wave；　no　such　wave　had　he　ever　seen。　Now　it　struck　and　the　Gudruda

burst　asunder　beneath　the　blow。



But　Eric　Brighteyes　and　Skallagrim　Lambstail　were　lifted　on　its　crest

and　knew　no　more。







Swanhild；　crouching　in　hideous　guise　upon　the　ground　in　the　bower　of

Atli's　hall；　looked　upon　the　visions　that　passed　before　her。　Suddenly

a　woman's　shape；　her　own　shape；　was　there。



〃It　is　done；　Blood…sister；〃　said　a　voice；　her　own　voice。　〃Merrily　I

walked　the　waves；　and　oh；　merry　was　the　cry　of　Eric's　folk　when　Ran

caught　them　in　her　net！　Be　thyself；　again；　Blood…sisterbe　fair　as

thou　art　foul；　then　arise；　wake　Atli　thy　lord；　and　go　down　to　the

sea's　lip　by　the　southern　cliffs　and　see　what　thou　shalt　find。　We

shall　meet　no　more　till　all　this　game　is　played　and　another　game　is

set；〃　and　the　shape　of　Swanhild　crouched　upon　the　floor　before　the

hag…headed　toad　muttering　〃Pass！　pass！〃



Then　Swanhild　felt　her　flesh　come　back　to　her；　and　as　it　grew　upon　her

so　the　shape　of　the　Death…headed　toad　faded　away。



〃Farewell；　Blood…sister！〃　piped　a　voice；　〃make　merry　as　thou　mayest；

but　merrier　shall　be　our　nights　when　thou　hast　gone　a…sailing　with

Eric　on　the　sea。　Farewell！　farewell！　/Were…wolf/　thou　didst　call　me

once；　and　as　a　wolf　I　came。　/Rat/　thou　didst　call　me　once；　and　as　a

rat　I　came。　/Toad/　didst　thou　call　me　once；　and　as　a　toad　I　came。　Say；

at　the　last；　what　wilt　thou　call　me　and　in　what　shape　shall　I　come；

Blood…sister？　Till　then　farewell！〃







And　all　was　gone　and　all　was　still。







XVII



HOW　ASMUND　THE　PRIEST　WEDDED　UNNA；　THOR