eric brighteyes-第53部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



mouth　was　wide。　He　snored　loudly　in　his　drunken　sleep；　and　all　about

him　ran　the　brown　ale；　for　the　spigot　of　the　cask　lay　upon　the　floor。

In　his　left　hand　was　a　horn　cup；　but　in　his　right　he　still　grasped　his

axe。



〃Now　we　must　enter；〃　said　Swanhild。　Gizur　hung　back；　but　she　sprang

upon　the　sill　lightly　as　a　fox；　and　slid　thence　into　the　store…room。

Then　Gizur　must　follow；　and　presently　he　stood　beside　her　in　the　room；

and　at　their　feet　lay　drunken　Skallagrim。　Gizur　looked　first　at　his

sword；　then　on　the　Baresark；　and　lastly　at　Swanhild。



〃Nay；〃　she　whispered；　〃touch　him　not。　Perchance　he　would　cry　outand

we　seek　higher　game。　He　has　that　within　him　which　will　hold　him　fast

for　a　while。　Follow　where　I　shall　lead。〃



She　took　his　hand　and；　gliding　through　the　doorway；　passed　along　the

passage　till　she　came　to　the　great　hall。　Swanhild　could　see　well　in

the　dark；　and　moreover　she　knew　the　road。　Presently　they　stood　in　the

empty　hall。　The　fire　had　burnt　down；　but　two　embers　yet　glowed　upon

the　hearth；　like　red　and　angry　eyes。



For　a　while　Swanhild　stood　still　listening；　but　there　was　nothing　to

hear。　Then　she　drew　near　to　the　shut　bed　where　Gudruda　slept；　and；

with　her　ear　to　the　curtain；　listened　once　more。　Gizur　came　with　her；

and　as　he　came　his　foot　struck　against　a　bench　and　stirred　it。　Now

Swanhild　heard　murmured　words　and　the　sound　of　kisses。　She　started

back；　and　fury　filled　her　heart。　Gizur　also　heard　the　voice　of　Eric；

saying：　〃I　will　rise。〃　Then　he　would　have　fled；　but　Swanhild　caught

him　by　the　arm。



〃Fear　not；〃　she　whispered；　〃they　shall　soon　sleep　sound。〃



He　felt　her　stretch　out　her　arms　and　presently　he　saw　this　wonderful

thing：　the　eyes　of　Swanhild　glowing　in　the　darkness　as　the　embers

glowed　upon　the　hearth。　Now　they　glowed　brightly；　so　brightly　that　he

could　see　the　outstretched　arms　and　the　hard　white　face　beneath　them；

and　now　they　grew　dim；　of　a　sudden　to　shine　bright　again。　And　all　the

while　she　hissed　words　through　her　clenched　teeth。



Thus　she　hissed；　fierce　and　low：



　〃Gudruda；　Sister　mine；　hearken　and　sleep！

　　By　the　bond　of　blood　I　bid　thee　sleep！

　　By　the　strength　that　is　in　me　I　bid　thee　sleep！

　　　　Sleep！　sleep　sound！



　〃Eric　Brighteyes；　hearken　and　sleep！

　　By　the　bond　of　sin　I　charge　thee　sleep！

　　By　the　blood　of　Atli　I　charge　thee；　sleep！

　　　　Sleep！　sleep　sound！〃



Then　thrice　she　tossed　her　hands　aloft；　saying：



　〃From　love　to　sleep！

　　From　sleep　to　death！

　　From　death　to　Hela！

　　Say；　lovers；　where　shall　ye　kiss　again？〃



Then　the　light　went　out　of　her　eyes　and　she　laughed　low。　And　ever　as

she　whispered；　the　spoken　words　of　the　two　in　the　shut　bed　grew

fainter　and　more　faint；　till　at　length　they　died　away；　and　a　silence

fell　upon　the　place。



〃Thou　hast　no　cause　to　fear　the　sword　of　Eric；　Gizur；〃　she　said。

〃Nothing　will　wake　him　now　till　daylight　comes。〃



〃Thou　art　awesome！〃　answered　Gizur；　for　he　shook　with　fear。　〃Look　not

on　me　with　those　flaming　eyes；　I　pray　thee！〃



〃Fear　not；〃　she　said；　〃the　fire　is　out。　Now　to　the　work。〃



〃What　must　we　do；　then？〃



〃/Thou/　must　do　this。　Thou　must　enter　and　slay　Eric。〃



〃That　I　can　notthat　I　will　not！〃　said　Gizur。



She　turned　and　looked　at　him；　and　lo！　her　eyes　began　to　flame　again

upon　his　eyes　they　seemed　to　burn。



〃Thou　wilt　do　as　I　bid　thee；〃　she　said。　〃With　Eric's　sword　thou　shalt

slay　Eric；　else　I　will　curse　thee　where　thou　art；　and　bring　such　evil

on　thee　as　thou　knowest　not　of。〃



〃Look　not　so；　Swanhild；〃　he　said。　〃Lead　onI　come。〃



Now　they　creep　into　the　shut　chamber　of　Gudruda。　It　is　so　dark　that

they　can　see　nothing；　and　nothing　can　they　hear　except　the　heavy

breathing　of　the　sleepers。



This　is　to　be　told；　that　at　this　time　Swanhild　had　it　in　her　mind　to

kill；　not　Eric　but　Gudruda；　for　thus　she　would　smite　the　heart　of

Brighteyes。　Moreover；　she　loved　Eric；　and　while　he　lived　she　might　yet

win　him；　but　Eric　dead　must　be　Eric　lost。　But　on　Gudruda　she　would　be

bitterly　avengedGudruda；　who；　for　all　her　scheming；　had　yet　been　a

wife　to　Eric！



Now　they　stand　by　the　bed。　Swanhild　puts　out　her　hand；　draws　down　the

clothes；　and　feels　the　breast　of　Gudruda　beneath；　for　Gudruda　slept　on

the　outside　of　the　bed。



Then　she　searches　by　the　head　of　the　bed　and　finds　Whitefire　which

hung　there；　and　draws　the　sword。



〃Here　lies　Eric；　on　the　outside；〃　she　says　to　Gizur；　〃and　here　is

Whitefire。　Strike　and　strike　home；　leaving　Whitefire　in　the　wound。〃



Gizur　takes　the　sword　and　lifts　it。　He　is　sore　at　heart　that　he　must

do　such　a　coward　deed；　but　the　spell　of　Swanhild　is　upon　him；　and　he

may　not　flinch　from　it。　Then　a　thought　takes　him　and　he　also　puts　down

his　hand　to　feel。　It　lights　upon　Gudruda's　golden　hair；　that　hangs

about　her　breast　and　falls　from　the　bed　to　the　ground。



〃Here　is　woman's　hair；〃　he　whispers。



〃No；〃　Swanhild　answers；　〃it　is　Eric's　hair。　The　hair　of　Eric　is　long；

as　thou　hast　seen。〃



Now　neither　of　them　knows　that　Gudruda　cut　Eric's　locks　when　he　lay

sick　on　Mosfell；　though　Swanhild　knows　well　that　it　is　not　Brighteyes

whom　she　bids　Gizur　slay。



Then　Gizur；　Ospakar's　son；　lifts　the　sword；　and　the　faint　starlight

struggling　into　the　chamber　gathers　and　gleams　upon　the　blade。　Thrice

he　lifts　it；　and　thrice　it　draws　it　back。　Then　with　an　oath　he　strikes

and　drives　it　home　with　all　his　strength！



From　the　bed　beneath　there　comes　one　long　sigh　and　a　sound　as　of　limbs

trembling　against　the　bed…gear。　Then　all　is　still。



〃It　is　done！〃　he　says　faintly。



Swanhild　puts　down　her　hand　once　more。　Lo！　it　is　wet　and　warm。　Then

she　bends　herself　and　looks；　and　behold！　the　dead　eyes　of　Gudruda

glare　up　into　her　eyes。　She　can　see　them　plainly；　but　none　know　what

she　read　there。　At　the　least　it　was　something　that　she　loved　not；　for

she　reels　back　against　the　panelling；　then　falls　upon　the　floor。



Presently；　while　Gizur　stands　as　one　in　a　dream；　she　rises；　saying：　〃I

am　avenged　of　the　death　of　Atli。　Let　us　hence！ah！　let　us　hence

swiftly！　Give　me　thy　hand；　Gizur；　for　I　am　faint！〃



So　Gizur　gives　her　his　hand　and　they　pass　thence。　Presently　they　stand

in　the　store…room；　and　there　lies　Skallagrim；　still　plunged　in　his

drunken　sleep。



〃Must　I　do　more　murder？〃　asks　Gizur　hoarsely。



〃Nay；〃　Swanhild　says。　〃I　am　sick　with　blood。　Leave　the　knave。〃



They　pass　out　by　the　casement　into　the　yard　and　so　on　till　they　find

their　horses。



〃Lift　me；　Gizur；　I　can　no　more；〃　says　Swanhild。



He　lifts　her　to　the　saddle。



〃Whither　away？〃　he　asks。



〃To　Coldback；　Gizur；　and　thence　to　cold　Death。〃







Thus　did　Gudruda；　Eric's　bride　and　Asmund's　daughter；　the　fairest

woman　who　ever　lived　in　Iceland；　die　on　her　marriage　night　by　the　hand

of　Gizur；　Ospakar's　son；　and　through　the　hate　and　witchcraft　of

Swanhild　the　Fatherless；　her　half…sister。







XXX



HOW　THE　DAWN　CAME



The　dawn　broke　over　Middalhof。　Slowly　the　light　gathered　in　the　empty

hall；　it　crept　slowly　into　the　little　chamber　where　Eric　slept；　and

Gudruda　slept　also　with　a　deeper　sleep。



Now　the　two　women　came　from　their　chamber　at　the　far　end　of　the　hall；

and　drew　near　the　hearth；　shivering；　for　the　air　was　cold。　They　knelt

by　the　fire；　blowing　at　the　embers　till　the　sticks　they　cast　upon　them

crackled　to　a　blaze。



〃It　seems　that　Gudruda　is　not　yet　gone；〃　said　one　to　the　other。　〃I

thought　she　should　ride　away　with　Eric　before　the　dawn。〃



〃Newly　wed　lie　long　abed！〃　laughed　the　other。



〃I　am　glad　to　see　the　blessed　light；〃　said　the　first　woman；　〃for　last

night　I　dreamed　that　once　again　this　hall　ran　red　with　blood；　as　at

the　marriage…feast　of　Ospakar。〃



〃Ah；〃　answered　the　other；　〃it　will　be　well　for　the　south　when　Eric

Brighteyes　and　Gudruda　are　gone　over　sea；　for　their　loves　have　brought

much　bloodshed　upon　the　land。〃



〃Well；　indeed！〃　sighed　the　first。　〃Had　Asmund　the　Priest　never　found

Groa；　Ran's　gift；　singing　by　the　sea；　Valhalla　had　not　been　so　full

to…day。　Mindest　thou　the　day　he　brought　her　here？〃



〃I　remember　it　well；〃　she　answered；　〃though　I　was　but　a　girl　at　the

time。　Still；　when　I　saw　those　dark　eyes　of　hersjust　such　eyes　as

Swanhild's！I　knew　her　for　a　witch；　as　all　Finn　women　are。　It　is　an

evil　world：　my　husband　is　dead　by　the　sword；　dead　are　both　my　sons；

fighting　for　Eric；　dead　is　Unna；　Thorod's　daughter；　Asmund；　my　lord；

is　dead；　and　dead　is　Bj？rn；　and　now　Gudruda　the　Fair；　whom　I　have

rocked　to　sleep；　leaves　us　to　go　over　sea。　I　may　not　go　with　her；　for

my　daughter's　sake；　yet　I　almost　wish　that　I　too　were　dead。〃



〃That　will　come　soon　enough；〃　said　the　other；　who　was　young　and　fair。







Now　the　witch…sleep　began　to　roll　from　Eric's　heart；　though　his　eyes

were　not　yet　open。　But　the　talk　of　the　women　echoed　in　his　ears；　and

the　words　〃/dead！/〃　〃/dead！/〃　〃/dead！/〃　fell　heavily　on　his　slumbering

sense。　At　length　he　opened　his　eyes；　only　to　shut　them　again；　because

of　a　bright　gleam　of　light　that　ran　up　and　down　something　at　his　side。

Heavily　he　wondered　what　this　might　be；　that　shone　so　keen　and　bright

that　shone　like　a　naked　sword。



Now　he　looked　again。　Yes；　it　was　a　sword　which　stood　by　him　upon　the

bed；　and　the　golden　hilt　was　like　the　hilt　of　Whitefire。　He　lifted　up

his　hand　to　touch　it；　thinking　that　he　dreamed。　Lo！　his　hand　and　arm

were　red！



Then　he　remembered；　and　the　thought　of　Gudruda　flashed　through　his

heart。　He　sat　up；　gazing　down　into　the　shadow　at　his　side。







Presently　the　women　at　the　fire　heard　a　sound　as　of　a　great　man

falling　to　earth。



〃What　is　that　noise？〃　said　one。



〃Eric　leaping　from　his　bed；〃　answered　the　other。　〃He　has　slept　too

long；　as　we　have　also。〃



As　they　spoke　the　curtain　of　the　shut　bed　was　pushed　away；　and　through

it　staggered　Eric　in　his　night…gear；　and　lo！　the　left　side　of　it　was

red。　His　eyes　were　wide　with