eric brighteyes-第38部分

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only！　Down　rushed　the　bright　blade　like　a　star　through　the　night。

Sword　and　shield　did　Atli　lift　to　catch　the　blow。　Through　shield　it

sheared；　and　arm　that　held　the　shield；　through　byrnie　mail　and　deep

into　Earl　Atli's　side。　He　fell　prone　to　earth；　while　men　held　their

breath；　wondering　at　the　greatness　of　that　stroke。



But　Eric　leaned　on　Whitefire　and　looked　at　the　old　Earl　upon　the　rock。



〃Now；　Atli；　thou　hast　had　thy　way；〃　he　said；　〃and　methinks　things　are

worse　than　they　were　before。　But　I　will　say　this：　would　that　I　lay

there　and　thou　stoodest　to　watch　me　die；　for　as　lief　would　I　have

slain　my　father　as　thee；　Earl　Atli。　There　lies　Swanhild's　work！〃



Atli　gazed　upwards　into　Eric's　sad　eyes　and；　while　he　gazed　so；　his

rage　left　him；　and　of　a　sudden　a　light　brake　upon　his　mind；　as　even

then　the　light　of　the　setting　sun　brake　through　the　driving　mist。



〃Eric；〃　he　said；　〃draw　near　and　speak　with　me　ere　I　am　sped。　Methinks

that　I　have　been　beguiled　and　that　thou　didst　not　do　this　thing　that

Swanhild　said　and　Koll　bore　witness　to。〃



〃What　did　Swanhild　say；　then；　Earl　Atli？〃



The　Earl　told　him。



〃It　was　to　be　looked　for　from　her；〃　said　Eric；　〃though　I　never　thought

of　it。　Now　hearken！〃　and　he　told　him　all。



Atli　groaned　aloud。　〃I　know　this　now；　Eric；〃　he　said：　〃that　thou

speakest　truth；　and　once　more　I　have　been　deceived。　Eric；　I　forgive

thee　all；　for　no　man　may　fight　against　woman's　witchcraft；　and　witch's

wine。　Swanhild　is　evil　to　the　heart。　Yet；　Eric；　I　lay　this　doom　upon

theeI　do　not　lay　it　of　my　own　will；　for　I　would　not　harm　thee；　whom

I　love；　but　because　of　the　words　that　the　Norns　put　in　my　mouth；　for

now　I　am　fey　in　this　the　hour　of　my　death。　Thou　hast　sinned；　and　that

thou　didst　sin　against　thy　will　shall　avail　thee　nothing；　for　of　thy

sin　fate　shall　fashion　a　handle　to　the　spear　which　pierces　thee。

Henceforth　thou　art　accursed。　For　I　tell　thee　that　this　wicked　woman

Swanhild　shall　drag　thee　down　to　death；　and　worse　than　death；　and　with

thee　those　thou　lovest。　By　witchcraft　she　brought　thee　to　Straumey；　by

lies　she　laid　me　here　before　thee。　Now　by　hate　and　might　and　cruel

deeds　shall　she　bring　thee　to　lie　more　low　than　I　do。　For；　Eric；　thou

art　bound　to　her；　and　thou　shalt　never　loose　the　bond！〃



Atli　ceased　a　while；　then　spoke　again　more　faintly：



〃Hearken；　comrades；〃　he　cried；　〃my　strength　is　well…nigh　spent。　Ye

shall　swear　four　things　to　methat　ye　will　give　Eric　Brighteyes　and

Skallagrim　Lambstail　safe　passage　from　Straumey。　That　ye　will　tell

Swanhild　the　Fatherless；　Groa's　daughter　and　Atli's　wife；　that；　at

last；　I　know　her　for　what　she　isa　murderess；　a　harlot；　a　witch　and　a

liar；　and　that　I　forgive　Eric　whom　she　tricked；　but　that　her　I　hate

and　spit　upon。　That　ye　will　slay　Koll　the　Half…witted；　Groa's　thrall；

who　came　hither　about　two　days　gone；　since　by　his　lies　he　hath　set　an

edge　upon　this　sword　of　falsehood。　That　ye　will　raise　no　blood…feud

against　Eric　for　this　my　slaying；　for　I　goaded　him　to　the　deed。　Do　ye

swear？〃



〃We　swear；〃　said　the　men。



〃Then　farewell！　And　to　thee　farewell；　also；　Eric　Brighteyes！　Now　take

my　hand　and　hold　it　while　I　die。　Behold！　I　give　thee　a　new　name；　and

by　that　name　thou　shalt　be　called　in　story。　I　name　thee　/Eric　the

Unlucky/。　Of　all　tales　that　are　told；　thine　shall　be　the　greatest。　A

mighty　stroke　that　was　of　thinea　mighty　stroke！　Farewell！〃



Then　his　head　fell　back　upon　the　rock　and　Earl　Atli　died。　And　as　he

died　the　last　rays　of　light　went　out　of　the　sky。







XXI



HOW　HALL　OF　LITHDALE　TOOK　TIDINGS　TO　ICELAND



Now　on　the　same　night　that　Atli　died　at　the　hand　of　Eric；　Swanhild

spake　with　Hall　of　Lithdale；　whom　she　had　summoned　from　the　mainland。

She　bade　him　do　this：　take　passage　in　a　certain　ship　that　should　sail

for　Iceland　on　the　morrow　from　the　island　that　is　called　Westra；　and

there　tell　all　these　tidings　of　the　ill…doings　of　Eric　and　of　the

slaying　of　Atli　by　his　hand。



〃Thou　shalt　say　this；〃　she　went　on；　〃that　Eric　had　been　my　love　for

long；　but　that　at　length　the　matter　came　to　the　ears　of　Atli；　the

Earl。　Then；　holding　this　the　greatest　shame；　he　went　on　holmgang　with

Eric　and　was　slain　by　him。　This　shalt　thou　add　to　thy　tale　also；　that

presently　Eric　and　I　will　wed；　and　that　Eric　shall　rule　as　Earl　in

Orkneys。　Now　these　tidings　must　soon　come　to　the　ears　of　Gudruda　the

Fair；　and　she　will　send　for　thee；　and　question　thee　straightly

concerning　them；　and　thou　shalt　tell　her　the　tale　as　thou　toldest　it

at　first。　Then　thou　shalt　give　Gudruda　this　packet；　which　I　send　her

as　a　gift；　saying；　that　I　bade　her　remember　a　certain　oath　which　Eric

took　as　to　the　cutting　of　his　hair。　And　when　she　sees　that　which　is

within　the　packet　is　somewhat　stained；　tell　her　that　is　but　the　blood

of　Atli　that　is　upon　it；　as　his　blood　is　upon　Eric's　hands。　Now

remember　thou　this；　Hall；　that　if　thou　fail　in　the　errand　thy　life

shall　pay　forfeit；　for　presently　I　will　also　come　to　Iceland　and　hear

how　thou　hast　sped。〃



Then　Swanhild　gave　him　faring…money　and　gifts　of　wadmal　and　gold

rings；　promising　that　he　should　have　so　much　again　when　she　came　to

Iceland。



Hall　said　that　he　would　do　all　these　things；　and　went　at　once；　nor　did

he　fail　in　his　tasks。







Atli　being　dead；　Eric　loosed　his　hand　and　called　to　the　men　to　take　up

his　body　and　bear　it　to　the　hall。　This　they　did。　Eric　stood　and

watched　them　till　they　were　lost　in　the　darkness。



〃Whither　now；　lord？〃　said　Skallagrim。



〃It　matters　little；〃　said　Eric。　〃What　is　thy　counsel？〃



〃This　is　my　counsel。　That　we　take　ship　and　sail　back　to　the　King　in

London。　There　we　will　tell　all　this　tale。　It　is　a　far　cry　from

Straumey　to　London　town；　and　there　we　shall　sit　in　peace；　for　the　King

will　think　little　of　the　slaying　of　an　Orkney　Earl　in　a　brawl　about　a

woman。　Mayhap；　too；　the　Lady　Elfrida　will　not　set　great　store　by　it。

Therefore；　I　say；　let　us　fare　back　to　London。〃



〃In　but　one　place　am　I　at　home；　and　that　is　Iceland；〃　said　Eric。

〃Thither　I　will　go；　Skallagrim；　though　it　be　but　to　miss　friend　from

stead　and　bride　from　bed。　At　the　least　I　shall　find　Ospakar　there。〃



〃Listen；　lord！〃　said　Skallagrim。　〃Was　it　not　my　rede　that　we　should

bide　this　winter　through　in　London？　Thou　wouldst　none　of　it；　and　what

came　about？　Our　ship　is　sunk；　gone　are　our　comrades；　thine　honour　is

tarnished；　and　dead　is　thy　host　at　thine　own　hand。　Yet　I　say　all　is

not　lost。　Let　us　hence　south；　and　see　no　more　of　Swanhild；　of　Gudruda；

of　Bj？rn　and　Ospakar。　So　shall　we　break　the　spell。　But　if　thou　goest

to　Iceland；　I　am　sure　of　this：　that　the　evil　fate　which　Atli　foretold

will　fall　on　thee；　and　the　days　to　come　shall　be　even　more　unlucky

than　the　days　that　have　been。〃



〃It　may　be　so；〃　said　Eric。　〃Methinks；　indeed；　it　will　be　so。

Henceforth　I　am　Eric　the　Unlucky。　I　will　go　back　to　Iceland　and　there

play　out　the　game。　I　care　little　if　I　live　or　am　slainI　have　no　more

joy　in　my　life。　I　stand　alone；　like　a　fir　upon　a　mountain…top；　and

every　wind　from　heaven　and　every　storm　of　hail　and　snow　beats　upon　my

head。　But　I　say　to　thee；　Skallagrim：　go　thy　road；　and　leave　a　luckless

man　to　his　ill　fate。　Otherwise　it　shall　be　thine　also。　Good　friend

hast　thou　been　to　me；　now　let　us　part　and　wend　south　and　north。　The

King　will　be　glad　to　greet　thee　yonder　in　London；　Lambstail。〃



〃But　one　severing　shall　we　know；　lord；〃　said　Skallagrim；　〃and　that

shall　be　sword's　work；　nor　will　it　be　for　long。　It　is　ill　to　speak

such　words　as　these　of　the　parting　of　lord　and　thrall。　Bethink　thee　of

the　oath　I　swore　on　Mosfell。　Let　us　go　north；　since　it　is　thy　will：　in

fifty　years　it　will　count　for　little　which　way　we　wended　from　the

Isles。〃



So　they　went　together　down　to　the　shore；　and；　finding　a　boat　and　men

who　as　yet　knew　nothing　of　what　had　chanced　to　Atli；　they　sailed

across　the　firth　at　the　rising　of　the　moon。



Two　days　afterwards　they　found　a　ship　at　Wick　that　was　bound　for

Fareys；　and　sailed　in　her；　Eric　buying　a　passage　with　the　half　of　a

gold　ring　that　the　King　had　given　him　in　London。



Here　at　Fareys　they　sat　a　month　or　more；　but　not　in　the　Earl's　hall　as

when　Eric　came　with　honour　in　the　Gudruda；　but　in　a　farmer's　stead。

For　the　tale　of　Eric's　dealings　with　Atli　and　Atli's　wife　had　reached

Fareys；　and　the　Earl　there　had　been　a　friend　of　Atli's。　Moreover；　Eric

was　now　a　poor　man；　having　neither　ship　nor　goods；　nor　friends。

Therefore　all　looked　coldly　on　him；　though　they　wondered　at　his　beauty

and　his　might。　Still；　they　dared　not　to　speak　ill　or　make　a　mock　of

him；　for；　two　men　having　done　so；　were　nearly　slain　of　Skallagrim；　who

seized　the　twain　by　the　throat；　one　in　either　hand；　and　dashed　their

heads　together。　After　that　men　said　little。



They　sat　there　a　month；　till　at　length　a　chapman　put　in　at　Fareys；

bound　for　Iceland；　and　they　took　passage　with　him；　Eric　paying　the

other　half　of　his　gold　ring　for　ship…room。　The　chapman　was　not　willing

to　give　them　place　at　first；　for　he；　too；　had　heard　the　tale；　but

Skallagrim　offered　him　choice；　either　to　do　so　or　to　go　on　holmgang

with　him。　Then　the　chapman　gave　them　passage。







Now　it　is　told　that　when　his　thralls　and　house…carles　bore　the　corpse

of　Atli　the　Earl　to　his　hall　in　Straumey；　Swanhild　met　it　and　wept

over　it。　And　when　the　spokesman　among　them　stood　forward　and　told　her

those　words　that　Atli　had　bidden　them　to　say　to　her；　sparing　none；　she

spoke　thus：



〃My　lord　was　distraught　and　weak　with　loss　of　blood　when　he　spoke

thus。　The　tale　I　told　him　was　true；　and　now　Eric　has　added　to　his　sin

by　shedding　the　blood　of　him　whom　he　wronged　so　sorely。〃



And　thereafter　she　spoke　so　sweetly　and　with　so　much　gentleness；

craft；　and　wisdom　that；　though　they　still　doubted　them；　all　men　held

her　words　weighty。　For　Swanhild　had　this　art；　that　she　could　make　the

false　sound　true　in　the　ears　of　men　and　the　true　sound　fals