King Alfreds Viking | Page 5

aft
to us, and stood at the break of the deck to speak with Einar.

"Jarl," he said, almost under his breath, "it is in my mind that Sigurd,
your brother, is wroth because his mound has been untended since we
made it."
Then Einar said:
"Was it so ill made that it needs tending?"
"It was well made, jarl; but rain and frost and sun on a new-made
mound may have wrought harm to it. Or maybe he thinks that enough
honour has not been paid him. He was a great warrior, jarl, and perhaps
would have more sacrifice, and a remembrance cup drunk by his own
brother at his grave."
Now this man's name was Thord, the same who taught me runes--a
good seaman and leader of men, and one who was held to be wise in
more matters than most folk. So his word was to be listened to.
"You know more of these matters than I, Thord," Einar answered. "Is it
possible that Sigurd could work this?"
"Who knows what a dead chief of might cannot work?" Thord said. "I
think it certain that Sigurd is angry for some reason; and little luck shall
we have if we do not appease his spirit."
Then the jarl looked troubled, as well he might, for to go near the
mound that held an angry ghost was no light matter. It lay far up the
firth, Thord said, and the ships could not go so far. But Einar was very
brave, and when he had thought for a little while he said:
"Well, then, I will take boat and go to Sigurd's mound and see if he ails
aught. Will any man come with me, however?"
I liked not the errand, as may be supposed, but I could not leave my
foster father to go alone.
"I will be with you," I said. "Will not Thord come also?"
"Ay," the grim Orkney man answered.

Now all our crew were listening to us, and I looked down the long
gangways by chance, and when I did so no man would meet my eye.
They feared lest they should be made to go to this haunted place, as it
seemed--all but one man, who sat on the mast step swinging his feet.
This was Kolgrim the Tall, the captain of the fore deck, a young man
and of few words, but a terrible swordsman, and knowing much of sea
craft. And when this man saw that I looked at him, he nodded a little
and smiled, for he had been a friend of mine since I had first come to
Einar.
"Two men to row the boat will be enough, jarl," I said. "Kolgrim
yonder will come with us."
"Well," the jarl answered, "maybe four of us are enough. We shall not
fright Sigurd with more, and maybe would find it hard to get them to
come."
So he called Kolgrim, and he said that he would go with us, and went
to get the boat alongside without more words.
Then the jarl and I and Thord armed ourselves--for a warrior should be
met by warriors. The men were very silent, whispering among
themselves, until the jarl was ready and spoke to them.
"Have no fear for us," he said. "Doubtless my brother needs somewhat,
and calls me. I am going to find out what it is and return."
So we pushed off, Thord and Kolgrim rowing. It was strange to look
back, as we went, on the ships, for not a soul stirred on board them, as
it seemed, so intently were we watched; and the water was like a sheet
of steel under them, so that they were doubled.
Presently they were hidden as we rounded a turn in the firth, and we
were alone among the hills, and the lonesomeness was very great.
There was no dwelling anywhere along the shores, nor in the deep
glens that came down to them, each with its noisy burn falling along it.
Once I saw deer feeding far up at the head of a valley that opened out,
but they and the eagles were the only living things we could see beside

the loons that swam and dived silently as we neared them.
The silence and the heat weighed on us, and we went for a mile or more
without a word. Then we turned into the last reach of the water, and
saw Sigurd's mound beside its edge at the very head of the firth, where
the hills came round in a circle that was broken only by the narrow
waters and the valley that went beyond them among the mountains. It
was a fitting resting place for one who would sleep in loneliness; but I
thought that I had rather lie where