eric brighteyes-第7部分

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moonlight　and　loathed　him。



〃What　thinkest　thou　of　him　who　comes　to　seek　thee　in　marriage；　foster…

sister？〃　asked　Swanhild；　watching　at　her　side。



〃I　think　he　is　like　a　troll；　and　that；　seek　as　he　will；　he　shall　not

find　me。　I　had　rather　lie　in　the　pool　beneath　Golden　Falls　than　in

Ospakar's　hall。〃



〃That　shall　be　proved；〃　said　Swanhild。　〃At　the　least　he　is　rich　and

noble；　and　the　greatest　of　men　in　size。　It　would　go　hard　with　Eric

were　those　arms　about　him。〃



〃I　am　not　so　sure　of　that；〃　said　Gudruda；　〃but　it　is　not　likely　to　be

known。〃



〃Comes　Eric　to　the　feast　by　the　road　of　Golden　Falls；　Gudruda？〃



〃Nay；　no　man　may　try　that　path　and　live。〃



〃Then　he　will　die；　for　Eric　will　risk　it。〃



Now　Gudruda　thought；　and　a　great　fire　burned　in　her　heart　and　shone

through　her　eyes。　〃If　Eric　dies；〃　she　said；　〃on　thee　be　his　blood；

Swanhildon　thee　and　that　dark　mother　of　thine；　for　ye　have　plotted

to　bring　this　evil　on　us。　How　have　I　harmed　thee　that　thou　shouldst

deal　thus　with　me？〃



Swanhild　turned　white　and　wicked…looking；　for　passion　mastered　her；

and　she　gazed　into　Gudruda's　face　and　answered：　〃How　hast　thou　harmed

me？　Surely　I　will　tell　thee。　Thy　beauty　has　robbed　me　of　Eric's　love。〃



〃It　would　be　better　to　prate　of　Eric's　love　when　he　had　told　it　thee；

Swanhild。〃



〃Thou　hast　robbed　me　and　therefore　I　hate　thee；　and　therefore　I　will

deliver　thee　to　Ospakar；　whom　thou　dost　loathay　and　yet　win

Brighteyes　to　myself。　Am　I　not　also　fair　and　can　I　not　also　love；　and

shall　I　see　thee　snatch　my　joy？　By　the　Gods；　never！　I　will　see　thee

dead；　and　Eric　with　thee；　ere　it　shall　be　so！　but　first　I　will　see

thee　shamed！〃



〃Thy　words　are　ill…suited　to　a　maiden's　lips；　Swanhild！　But　of　this　be

sure：　I　fear　thee　not；　and　shall　never　fear　thee。　And　one　thing　I　know

well　that；　whether　thou　or　I　prevail；　in　the　end　thou　shalt　harvest

the　greatest　shame；　and　in　times　to　come　men　shall　speak　of　thee　with

hatred　and　name　thee　by　ill　names。　Moreover；　Eric　shall　never　love

thee；　from　year　to　year　he　shall　hate　thee　with　a　deeper　hate；　though

it　may　well　be　that　thou　wilt　bring　ruin　on　him。　And　now　I　thank　thee

that　thou　hast　told　me　all　thy　mind；　showing　me　what　indeed　thou　art！〃

And　Gudruda　turned　scornfully　upon　her　heel　and　walked　away。



Now　Asmund　the　Priest　went　out　into　the　courtyard；　and　meeting　Ospakar

Blacktooth；　greeted　him　heartily；　though　he　did　not　like　his　looks；

and　took　him　by　the　hand　and　led　him　to　the　hall；　that　was　bravely

decked　with　tapestries；　and　seated　him　by　his　side　on　the　high　seat。

And　Ospakar's　thralls　brought　good　gifts　for　Asmund；　who　thanked　the

giver　well。



Now　it　was　supper　time；　and　Gudruda　came　in；　and　after　her　walked

Swanhild。　Ospakar　gazed　hard　at　Gudruda　and　a　great　desire　entered

into　him　to　make　her　his　wife。　But　she　passed　coldly　by；　nor　looked　on

him　at　all。



〃This；　then；　is　that　maid　of　thine　of　whom　I　have　heard　tell；　Asmund？

I　will　say　this：　fairer　was　never　born　of　woman。〃



Then　men　ate　and　Ospakar　drank　much　ale；　but　all　the　while　he　stared

at　Gudruda　and　listened　for　her　voice。　But　as　yet　he　said　nothing　of

what　he　came　to　seek；　though　all　knew　his　errand。　And　his　two　sons；

Gizur　and　Mord；　stared　also　at　Gudruda；　for　they　thought　her　most

wonderfully　fair。　But　Gizur　found　Swanhild　also　fair。



And　so　the　night　wore　on　till　it　was　time　to　sleep。







On　this　same　day　Eric　rode　up　from　his　farm　on　Ran　River　and　took　his

road　along　the　brow　of　Coldback　till　he　came　to　Stonefell。　Now　all

along　Coldback　and　Stonefell　is　a　steep　cliff　facing　to　the　south；

that　grows　ever　higher　till　it　comes　to　that　point　where　Golden　River

falls　over　it　and；　parting　its　waters　below；　runs　east　and　westthe

branch　to　the　east　being　called　Ran　River　and　that　to　the　west　Laxà

for　these　two　streams　girdle　round　the　rich　plain　of　Middalhof；　till

at　length　they　reach　the　sea。　But　in　the　midst　of　Golden　River；　on　the

edge　of　the　cliff；　a　mass　of　rock　juts　up　called　Sheep…saddle；

dividing　the　waters　of　the　fall；　and　over　this　the　spray　flies；　and　in

winter　the　ice　gathers；　but　the　river　does　not　cover　it。　The　great

fall　is　thirty　fathoms　deep；　and　shaped　like　a　horseshoe；　of　which　the

points　lie　towards　Middalhof。　Yet　if　he　could　but　gain　the　Sheep…

saddle　rock　that　divides　the　midst　of　the　waters；　a　strong　and　hardy

man　might　climb　down　some　fifteen　fathoms　of　this　depth　and　scarcely

wet　his　feet。



Now　here　at　the　foot　of　Sheep…saddle　rock　the　double　arches　of　waters

meet；　and　fall　in　one　torrent　into　the　bottomless　pool　below。　But；

some　three　fathoms　from　this　point　of　the　meeting　waters；　and　beneath

it；　just　where　the　curve　is　deepest；　a　single　crag；　as　large　as　a

drinking…table　and　no　larger；　juts　through　the　foam；　and；　if　a　man

could　reach　it；　he　might　leap　from　it　some　twelve　fathoms；　sheer　into

the　spray…hidden　pit　beneath；　there　to　sink　or　swim　as　it　might

befall。　This　crag　is　called　Wolf's　Fang。



Now　Eric　stood　for　a　long　while　on　the　edge　of　the　fall　and　looked；

measuring　every　thing　with　his　eye。　Then　he　went　up　above；　where　the

river　swirls　down　to　the　precipice；　and　looked　again；　for　it　is　from

this　bank　that　the　dividing　island…rock　Sheep…saddle　must　be　reached。



〃A　man　may　hardly　do　this　thing；　yet　I　will　try　it；〃　he　said　to

himself　at　last。　〃My　honour　shall　be　great　for　the　feat；　if　I　chance

to　live；　and　if　I　diewell；　there　is　an　end　of　troubling　after　maids

and　all　other　things。〃



So　he　went　home　and　sat　silent　that　evening。　Now；　since　Thorgrimur

Iron…Toe's　death；　his　housewife；　Saevuna；　Eric's　mother；　had　grown　dim

of　sight；　and；　though　she　peered　and　peered　again　from　her　seat　in　the

ingle　nook；　she　could　not　see　the　face　of　her　son。



〃What　ails　thee；　Eric；　that　thou　sittest　so　silent？　Was　not　the　meat；

then；　to　thy　mind　at　supper？〃



〃Yes；　mother；　the　meat　was　well　enough；　though　a　little　undersmoked。〃



〃Now　I　see　that　thou　art　not　thyself；　son；　for　thou　hadst　no　meat；　but

only　stock…fishand　I　never　knew　a　man　forget　his　supper　on　the　night

of　its　eating；　except　he　was　distraught　or　deep　in　love。〃



〃Was　it　so？〃　said　Brighteyes。



〃What　troubles　thee；　Eric？that　sweet　lass　yonder？〃



〃Ay；　somewhat；　mother。〃



〃What　more；　then？〃



〃This；　that　I　go　down　Golden　Falls　to…morrow；　and　I　do　not　know　how　I

may　come　from　Sheep…saddle　rock　to　Wolf's　Fang　crag　and　keep　my　life

whole　in　me；　and　now；　I　pray　thee；　weary　me　not　with　words；　for　my

brain　is　slow；　and　I　must　use　it。〃



When　she　heard　this　Saevuna　screamed　aloud；　and　threw　herself　before

Eric；　praying　him　to　forgo　his　mad　venture。　But　he　would　not　listen　to

her；　for　he　was　slow　to　make　up　his　mind；　but；　that　being　made　up；

nothing　could　change　it。　Then；　when　she　learned　that　it　was　to　get

sight　of　Gudruda　that　he　purposed　thus　to　throw　his　life　away；　she　was

very　angry　and　cursed　her　and　all　her　kith　and　kin。



〃It　is　likely　enough　that　thou　wilt　have　cause　to　use　such　words

before　all　this　tale　is　told；〃　said　Eric；　〃nevertheless；　mother；

forbear　to　curse　Gudruda；　who　is　in　no　way　to　blame　for　these

matters。〃



〃Thou　art　a　faithless　son；〃　Saevuna　said；　〃who　wilt　slay　thyself

striving　to　win　speech　with　thy　May；　and　leave　thy　mother　childless。〃



Eric　said　that　it　seemed　so　indeed；　but　he　was　plighted　to　it　and　the

feat　must　be　tried。　Then　he　kissed　her；　and　she　sought　her　bed；

weeping。







Now　it　was　the　day　of　the　Yule…feast；　and　there　was　no　sun　till　one

hour　before　noon。　But　Eric；　having　kissed　his　mother　and　bidden　her

farewell；　called　a　thrall；　Jon　by　name；　and　giving　him　a　sealskin　bag

full　of　his　best　apparel；　bade　him　ride　to　Middalhof　and　tell　Asmund

the　Priest　that　Eric　Brighteyes　would　come　down　Golden　Falls　an　hour

after　mid…day；　to　join　his　feast；　and　thence　go　to　the　foot　of　the

Golden　Falls；　to　await　him　there。　And　the　man　went；　wondering；　for　he

thought　his　master　mad。



Then　Eric　took　a　good　rope；　and　a　staff　tipped　with　iron；　and；　so　soon

as　the　light　served；　mounted　his　horse；　forded　Ran　River；　and　rode

along　Coldback　till　he　came　to　the　lip　of　Golden　Falls。　Here　he　stayed

a　while　till　at　length　he　saw　many　people　streaming　up　the　snow　from

Middalhof　far　beneath；　and；　among　them；　two　women　who　by　their　stature

should　be　Gudruda　and　Swanhild；　and；　near　to　them；　a　great　man　whom　he

did　not　know。　Then　he　showed　himself　for　a　space　on　the　brink　of　the

gulf　and　turned　his　horse　up　stream。　The　sun　shone　bright　upon　the

edge　of　the　sky；　but　the　frost　bit　like　a　sword。　Still；　he　must　strip

off　his　garments；　so　that　nothing　remained　on　him　except　his　sheepskin

shoes；　shirt　and　hose；　and　take　the　water。　Now　here　the　river　runs

mightily；　and　he　must　cross　full　thirty　fathoms　of　the　swirling　water

before　he　can　reach　Sheep…saddle；　and　woe　to　him　if　his　foot　slip　on

the　boulders；　for　certainly　he　must　be　swept　over　the　brink。



Eric　rested　the　staff　against　the　stony　bottom　and；　leaning　his　weight

on　it；　took　the　stream；　and　he　was　so　strong　that　it　could　not　prevail

against　him　till　at　length　he　was　rather　more　than　half…way　across　and

the　water　swept　above　his　shoulders。　Now　he　was　lifted　from　his　feet

and；　letting　the　staff　float；　he　swam　for　his　life；　and　with　such

mighty　strokes　that　he　felt　little　of　that　icy　cold。　Down　he　was　swept

now　the　lip　of　the　fall　was　but　three　fathoms　away　on　his　left；　and

already　the　green　water　boiled　beneath　him。　A　fathom　from　him　was　the

corner　of　Sheep…saddle。　If　he　may　grasp　it；　all　is　well；　if　not；　he

dies。



Three　great　strokes　and　he　held　it。　His　feet　were　swept　out　over　the

brink　of　the　fall；　but　he　clung　on　grimly；　and　by　the　strength　of　his

arms　drew　himself　on　to　the　rock　and　rested　a　while。　Presently　he

stood　up；　for　the　cold　began　to　nip　him；　and　the　people　below　became

aware　that　he　had　swum　the　river　above　the　fall　and　raised　a　shout；

for　the　deed　was　grea