And after a time he added:  “There is no other way to save the queen.”  Which showed that he had been all the time occupied with Hilding’s errand.

Therefore he returned with the old peasant, and contrived to see Ingebjorg in the temple of Baldur, and found that she still loved him as much as he loved her, and did not wish to marry any one else.

And again he asked Helgi and Halfdan if they were willing that Ingebjorg should be his wife.

And again the brothers said, Nay, with scorn, and told him that he had profaned the temple of Baldur by speaking to Ingebjorg within its walls.

“For such a misdeed,” said Helgi, “death or banishment is the doom, and thou art in our power.  Nevertheless, we are willing, as we wish to make thee useful to us, to forego the penalty.  Thou shalt therefore sail forth to the distant Orkney Isles, and compel Jarl Angantyr to pay the tribute that he owes us.”

Frithiof would have refused to go, but Ingebjorg persuaded him to undertake the mission; for she was afraid of her brothers, and knew that Frithiof would be safer on the wild seas than in their hands.

At last Frithiof consented, and he took leave of Ingebjorg, and placed the golden bracelet that Voelund had made upon her arm, praying her to keep it for his sake.

And then he sailed away over the heaving waters, and Ingebjorg mourned that her lover was gone.

V

Over the sea.  It was calm enough when Frithiof started; the storm-winds were asleep, and the waters heaved gently as though they would fain help speed the dragon-ship peacefully on her way.

But King Helgi standing on a rock repented that he had suffered the noble Frithiof to escape his malice; and as he watched the good ship “Ellide” riding over the sea, he prayed loudly to the ocean-fiends that they would trouble the waters and raise a fierce tempest to swallow up Frithiof and the dragon-ship.

All at once, the sparkling sea turned leaden gray, and the billows began to roll, the skies grew dark, and the howl of the driving wind was answered by a sullen roar from the depths beneath.  Suddenly, a blinding flash of lightning played around the vessel, and as it vanished the pealing thunder burst from the clouds.  The raging sea foamed, and seethed, and tossed the vessel like a feather upon its angry waves, and deeper sounded the thunder, and more fiercely flashed the lightning round the masts.

Wilder, wilder, wilder grew the storm.  Alas, for Frithiof!

“Ho! take the tiller in hand,” shouted Frithiof to Bjorn. “and I will mount to the topmost mast and look out for danger’”

And when he looked out, he saw the storm-fiends riding on a whale.  One was in form like to a great white bear, the other like unto a terrible eagle.

“Now help me, O gift of the sea-god!  Help me, my gallant ’Ellide’!” cried Frithiof.