Eric Brighteyes | Page 9

day of the death of
Gudruda the Gentle, Saevuna, the wife of Thorgrimur Iron-Toe, gave
birth to a son, at Coldback in the Marsh, on Ran River, and when his
father came to look upon the child he called out aloud:
"Here we have a wondrous bairn, for his hair is yellow like gold and his
eyes shine bright as stars." And Thorgrimur named him Eric
Brighteyes.
Now, Coldback is but an hour's ride from Middalhof, and it chanced, in
after years, that Thorgrimur went up to Middalhof, to keep the Yule
feast and worship in the Temple, for he was in the priesthood of
Asmund Asmundson, bringing the boy Eric with him. There also was
Groa with Swanhild, for now she dwelt at Middalhof; and the three fair
children were set together in the hall to play, and men thought it great
sport to see them. Now, Gudruda had a horse of wood and would ride it
while Eric pushed the horse along. But Swanhild smote her from the
horse and called to Eric to make it move; but he comforted Gudruda
and would not, and at that Swanhild was angry and lisped out:
"Push thou must, if I will it, Eric."
Then he pushed sideways and with such good will that Swanhild fell
almost into the fire of the hearth, and, leaping up, she snatched a brand
and threw it at Gudruda, firing her clothes. Men laughed at this; but
Groa, standing apart, frowned and muttered witch-words.
"Why lookest thou so darkly, housekeeper?" said Asmund; "the boy is
bonny and high of heart."
"Ah, he is bonny as no child is, and he shall be bonny all his life- days.
Nevertheless, she shall not stand against his ill luck. This I prophesy of
him: that women shall bring him to his end, and he shall die a hero's
death, but not at the hand of his foes."

And now the years went by peacefully. Groa dwelt with her daughter
Swanhild up at Middalhof and was the love of Asmund Asmundson.

But, though he forgot his oath thus far, yet he would never take her to
wife. The witchwife was angered at this, and she schemed and plotted
much to bring it about that Asmund should wed her. But still he would
not, though in all things else she led him as it were by a halter.

Twenty full years had gone by since Gudruda the Gentle was laid in
earth; and now Gudruda the Fair and Swanhild the Fatherless were
women too. Eric, too, was a man of five-and-twenty years, and no such
man had lived in Iceland. For he was strong and great of stature, his
hair was yellow as gold, and his grey eyes shone with the light of
swords. He was gentle and loving as a woman, and even as a lad his
strength was the strength of two men; and there were none in all the
quarter who could leap or swim or wrestle against Eric Brighteyes.
Men held him in honour and spoke well of him, though as yet he had
done no deeds, but lived at home on Coldback, managing the farm, for
now Thorgrimur Iron-Toe, his father, was dead. But women loved him
much, and that was his bane--for of all women he loved but one,
Gudruda the Fair, Asmund's daughter. He loved her from a child, and
her alone till his day of death, and she, too, loved him and him only.
For now Gudruda was a maid of maids, most beautiful to see and sweet
to hear. Her hair, like the hair of Eric, was golden, and she was white as
the snow on Hecla; but her eyes were large and dark, and black lashes
drooped above them. For the rest she was tall and strong and comely,
merry of face, yet tender, and the most witty of women.
Swanhild also was very fair; she was slender, small of limb, and dark
of hue, having eyes blue as the deep sea, and brown curling hair,
enough to veil her to the knees, and a mind of which none knew the end,
for, though she was open in her talk, her thoughts were dark and secret.
This was her joy: to draw the hearts of men to her and then to mock
them. She beguiled many in this fashion, for she was the cunningest
girl in matters of love, and she knew well the arts of women, with
which they bring men to nothing. Nevertheless she was cold at heart,
and desired power and wealth greatly, and she studied magic much, of
which her mother Groa also had a store. But Swanhild, too, loved a
man, and that was the joint in her harness by which the shaft of