“I tire also,” said Gizur, “and I am much needed in the north.  I say this to thee, Swanhild, that, hadst thou not so strictly laid it on me that Eric must die ere thou weddest me, I had flitted back to Swinefell before now, and there bided my time to bring Brighteyes to his end.”

“I will never wed thee, Gizur, till Eric is dead,” said Swanhild fiercely.

“How shall we come at him then?” he answered.  “We may not go up that mountain path, for two men can hold it against all our strength, and folk do not love to meet Eric and Skallagrim in a narrow way.”

“The place has been badly watched,” said Swanhild.  “I am sure of this, that Eric has been down to Middalhof and seen Gudruda, my half-sister.  She is shameless, who still holds commune with him who slew her brother and my husband.  Death should be her reward, and I am minded to slay her because of the shame that she has brought upon our blood.”

“That is a deed which thou wilt do alone, then,” said Gizur, “for I will have no hand in the murder of that fair maid—­no, nor will any who live in Iceland!”

Swanhild glanced at him strangely.  “Hearken, Gizur!” she said:  “Gudruda makes a ship ready to sail with goods to Scotland and bring a cargo thence before winter comes again.  Now I find this strange, for never before did I know Gudruda turn her thoughts to trading.  I think that she has it in her mind to sail from Iceland with this outlaw Eric, and seek a home over seas, and that I will not bear.”

“It may be,” said Gizur, “and I should not be sorry to see the last of Brighteyes, for I think that more men will die at his hand before he stiffens in his barrow.”

“Thou art cowardly-hearted, thou son of Ospakar!” Swanhild said.  “Thou sayest thou lovest me and wouldest win me to wife:  I tell thee that there is but one road to my arms, and it leads over the corpse of Eric.  Now this is my counsel:  that we send the most of our men to watch that ship of Gudruda’s, and, when she lifts anchor, to board her and search, for she is already bound for sea.  Also among the people here I have a carle who was born near Hecla, and he swears this to me, that, when he was a lad, searching for an eagle’s eyrie, he found a path by which Mosfell might be climbed from the north, and that in the end he came to a large flat place, and, looking over, saw that platform where Eric dwells with his thralls.  But he could not see the cave, because of the overhanging brow of the rock.  Now we will do this:  thou and I, and the carle alone—­no more, for I do not wish that our search should be noised abroad—­to-morrow at the dawn we will ride away for Mosfell, and, passing under Hecla, come round the mountain and see if this path may still be scaled.  For, if so, we will return with men and make an end of Brighteyes.”

This plan pleased Gizur, and he said that it should be so.

So very early on the following morning Swanhild, having sent many men to watch Gudruda’s ship, rode away secretly with Gizur and the thrall, and before it was again dawn they were on the northern slopes of Mosfell.  It was on this same night that Eric went down from the mountain to wed Gudruda.