“Weapons and war gear I may talk of by the hour,” he said, “but women’s gear is beyond me.  But once my daughter and I wrought together in a matter that was partly of both, and that was when I needed a war flag.  And so I drew out the great raven I would have embroidered on it, and they worked it in wondrous colours, and gold and silver round the form of the great bird, so that it seems to shift and flap its wings as the light falls on it and the breeze stirs it, as if there were magic therein.”

Now Eadgyth was well skilled in this work, and thereat she must needs say that she would work me a flag for our ship, if the jarl would plan one.  So it seems to me now that that evening was very pleasant, for they planned and shaped and began a flag whereon was drawn by the jarl a white falcon like the one he had given to me, and that was my thought, and it pleased him, as I think.

One day we came home early from our hunting, and Lodbrok and I sat in the great hall, while the summer rain swelled in torrents, with thunder and lightning sweeping over the river marshes and out to sea, and we looked at the weapons that hung on the walls.

“Little care I for your long spear and short sword, friend Wulfric,” he said; “it seems to me that you must needs shorten the one and lengthen the other before you can be held well armed.  And your bow is weak, and you have no axe.”

For I had asked him what he thought of our Saxon weapons, else would he not have spoken so plainly.  Then he thought for a little while, and said: 

“Would you learn to use the axe?”

I answered that nothing would please me better; for of all things, I longed to excel in weapon play of all kinds.

“That is well,” he said, “for I owe you my life, and I think that I can teach you that which will keep yours against any foe that you may meet; for you are of the right build for a good axeman, and not too old to learn.”

Then we went to the smithy, and there, while the thunder raged outside, he forged me an axe of the Danish pattern.

“Thor’s own weather!” he said, laughing; and as he spoke the blue lightning paled the red glow of the forge to a glimmer.  “This should be a good axe, and were you not a Christian, I would bid you hold your beginning, as its wielder, of good omen.”

Then the thunder crashed, and there was no need for me to answer.  And in the end he taught me patiently, until, one day, he said: 

“Now do you teach me to use your long spear.  I can teach you no more axe play than you know.  Some day you will meet an axeman face to face, and will find out what you know.  Then, if I have taught you ill, say naught; but if well, then say ’Jarl Lodbrok taught me’.”

Now I hold that the test of mastery of a weapon is that one wishes for no other, and I knew that I had learned that much.  But I could not tell how much he had taught me, for axe play was new to me, and I had not seen it before.