“What did I say, lord?” broke in Skallagrim—­“that in Hall thou hadst let a weasel go who would live to nip thee?”

“Him I will surely live to shorten by a head,” quoth Eric.

“Nay, lord, this one for me—­Ospakar for thee, Hall for me!”

“As thou wilt, Baresark.  Among so many there is room to pick and choose.  Tell on, nurse!”

Then she told how Swanhild came out to Iceland, and, having won Ospakar Blacktooth and Gizur to her side, had laid a suit against Eric at the Thing, and there bore false witness against him, so that Brighteyes was declared outlaw, being absent.  She told, too, how Gudruda had betrothed herself to Ospakar, and how Swanhild had moved down to Coldback and seized the lands.  Lastly she told of the rising of Saevuna from her deathbed, of her going to Middalhof, of the words she spoke to Bjoern and Ospakar, and of her death in the hall at Middalhof.

When all was told, Eric stooped and kissed the cold brow of his mother.

“There is little time to bury thee now, my mother,” he said, “and perchance before six hours are sped there will be one to bury at thy side.  Nevertheless, thou shalt sit in a better place than this.”

Then he cut loose the cords that bound the body of Saevuna to the chair, and, lifting it in his arms, bore it to the hall.  There he set the corpse in the high seat of the hall.

“We need not start yet a while, Skallagrim,” said Eric, “if indeed thou wouldst go a-guesting with me to Middalhof.  Therefore let us eat and drink, for there are deeds to do this day.”

So they found meat and mead and ate and drank.  Then Eric washed himself, combed out his golden locks, and looked well to his harness and to Whitefire’s edge.  Skallagrim also ground his great axe upon the whetstone in the yard, singing as he ground.  When all was ready, the horses were caught, and Eric spoke to the carline: 

“Hearken, nurse.  If it may be that thou canst find any of our folk—­and perchance now that they see that Swanhild has ridden to Middalhof some one of them will come down to spy—­thou shalt say this to them.  Thou shalt say that, if Eric Brighteyes yet lives, he will be at the foot of Mosfell to-morrow before midday, and if, for the sake of old days and fellowship, they are minded to befriend a friendless man, let them come thither with food, for by then food will be needed, and I will speak with them.  And now farewell,” and Eric kissed her and went, leaving her weeping.

As it chanced, before another hour was sped, Jon, Eric’s thrall, who had stayed at home in Iceland, seeing Coldback empty, crept down from the fells and looked in.  The carline saw him, and told him these tidings.  Then he went thence to find the other men.  Having found them he told them Eric’s words, and a great gladness came upon them when they learned that Brighteyes still lived, and was in Iceland.  Then they gathered food and gear, and rode away to the foot of Mosfell that is now called Ericsfell.