The White Wolf | Page 7

the shadow upon the far side of the horse.
He reached down a hand, and she took it, and sprang up behind him.
"For this bout, Sir Borre, I came with a fresh horse!" called my master
blithely; and so, striking spur, galloped off into the dark.
Little chance had Sir Borre to overtake them. The stallion was swift,
our boat waiting in the lee of the Ness, the wind southerly and fresh,
the White Wolf ready for sea, with sail hoisted and but one small anchor
to get on board or cut away if need were. But there was no need. Before
the men of Egeskov reached the Ness and found there the black stallion
roaming, its riders were sailing out of the Strait with a merry breeze. So
began our voyage.
My master was minded to sail for Norway and take service under the
king. But first, coming to the island of Laeso, he must put ashore and
seek a priest, by whom he and the lady Mette were safely made man
and wife. Two days he spent at the island, and then, with fresh store of
provisions, we headed northward again.
It was past Skagen that our troubles began, with a furious wind from
the north-east against which there was no contending, so that we ran
from it and were driven for two days and a night into the wide sea.
Even when it lessened, the wind held in the east; and we, who could
handle the ship, but knew little of reckoning, crept northward again in
the hope to sight the coast of Norway. For two days we held on at this,
lying close by the wind, and in good spirits, although our progress was

not much; but on the third blew another gale--this time from the
south-east--and for a week gale followed gale, and we went in deadly
peril, yet never losing hope. The worst was the darkness, for the year
was now drawing towards Yule, and as we pressed farther north we lost
almost all sight of the sun.
At length, with the darkness and the bitter cold and our stores running
low, we resolved to let the wind take us with what swiftness it might to
whatsoever land it listed; and so ran westward, with darkness closing
upon us, and famine and a great despair.
But the lady Mette did not lose heart, and the worst of all (our failing
cupboard) we kept from her, so that she never lacked for plenty. Truly
her cheerfulness paid us back, and her love for my master, the like of
which I had not seen in this world; no, nor dreamed of. Hand in hand
this pair would sit, watching the ice which was our prison and the great
North Lights, she close against Ebbe's side for warmth, and (I believe)
as happy us a bird; he trembling for the end. The worst was to see her at
table, pressing food to his mouth and wondering at his little hunger;
while his whole body cried out for the meat, only it could not be
spared.
Though she must know soon, none of us had the heart to tell her; and
not out of pity alone, but because with her must die out the last spark
by which we warmed ourselves.
But there came a morning--I write it as of a time long ago, and yet it
was but yesterday, praise be unto God!--there came a morning when I
awoke and found that two of our men had died in the plight, of frost
and famine. They must be hidden before my mistress discovered aught;
and so before her hour of waking we weighted and dropped the bodies
overside into deep water; for the ice had not yet wholly closed about us.
Now as I stooped, I suppose that my legs gave way beneath me. At any
rate, I fell; and in falling struck my head against the bulwarks, and
opened my eyes in that unending dusk to find the lady Mette stooping
over me.
Then somehow I was aware that she had called for wine to force down

my throat, and had been told that there was no wine; and also that with
this answer had come to her the knowledge, full and sudden, of our
case. Better had we done to trust her than to hide it all this while, for
she turned to Ebbe, who stood at her shoulder, and "Is not this the feast
of Yule?" she asked. My master bent his head, but without answering.
"Ah!" she cried to him. "Now I know what I have longed to know, that
your love is less than mine, for you can love yet be doubtful of miracles;
while to me, now that I have loved, no