The Wanderers Necklace | Page 6

"let
him play no tricks like that red-headed cub, his brother Ragnar, if he
would not taste of a spear through his liver. Now I go to learn Iduna's
mind."
So he went; as did my father and mother, leaving me alone, thinking
and thanking the gods for the chance that had come my way--yes, and
blessing Ragnar and that brown-eyed wench who had thrown her spell
over him.
Whilst I stood thus I heard a sound, and, turning, saw Iduna gliding
towards me in the blue twilight, looking more lovely than a dream. At
my side she stopped and said:
"My father tells me you wish to speak with me," and she laughed a
little softly and held me with her beautiful eyes.
After that I know not what happened till I saw Iduna bending towards
me like a willow in the wind, and then--oh, joy of joys!--felt her kiss
upon my lips. Now my speech was unsealed, and I told her the tale that
lovers have always told. How that I was ready to die for her (to which
she answered that she had rather that I lived, since ghosts were no good
husbands); how that I was not worthy of her (to which she answered
that I was young, with all my time before me, and might live to be
greater than I thought, as she believed I should); and so forth.
Only one more thing comes back to me of that blissful hour. Foolishly I
said what I had been thinking, namely, that I blessed Ragnar. At these
words, of a sudden Iduna's face grew stern and the lovelight in her eyes
was changed to such as gleams from swords.
"I do not bless Ragnar," she answered. "I hope one day to see
Ragnar----" and she checked herself, adding: "Come, let us enter, Olaf.
I hear my father calling me to mix his sleeping-cup."
So we went into the house hand in hand, and when they saw us coming
thus, all gathered there burst into shouts of laughter after their rude

fashion. Moreover, beakers were thrust into our hands, and we were
made to drink from them and swear some oath. Thus ended our
betrothal.
I think it was on the next day that we sailed for home in my father's
largest ship of war, which was named the /Swan/. I went unwillingly
enough, who desired to drink more of the delight of Iduna's eyes. Still,
go I must, since Athalbrand would have it so. The marriage, he said,
should take place at Aar at the time of the Spring feast, and not before.
Meanwhile he held it best we should be apart that we might learn
whether we still clung to each other in absence.
These were the reasons he gave, but I think that he was already
somewhat sorry for what he had done, and reflected that between
harvest and springtime he might find another husband for Iduna, who
was more to his mind. For Athalbrand, as I learned afterwards, was a
scheming and a false-hearted man. Moreover, he was of no high lineage,
but one who had raised himself up by war and plunder, and therefore
his blood did not compel him to honour.

The next scene which comes back to me of those early days is that of
the hunting of the white northern bear, when I saved the life of Steinar,
my foster-brother, and nearly lost my own.
It was on a day when the winter was merging into spring, but the
coast-line near Aar was still thick with pack ice and large floes which
had floated in from the more northern seas. A certain fisherman who
dwelt on this shore came to the hall to tell us that he had seen a great
white bear on one of these floes, which, he believed, had swum from it
to the land. He was a man with a club-foot, and I can recall a vision of
him limping across the snow towards the drawbridge of Aar,
supporting himself by a staff on the top of which was cut the figure of
some animal.
"Young lords," he cried out, "there is a white bear on the land, such a
bear as once I saw when I was a boy. Come out and kill the bear and

win honour, but first give me a drink for my news."
At that time I think my father, Thorvald, was away from home with
most of the men, I do not know why; but Ragnar, Steinar and I were
lingering about the stead with little or nothing to do, since the time of
sowing was not yet. At the news of the club-footed man, we ran for our
spears, and one of us went to tell the only