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Eric heard the sigh and looked, and as he looked a stick of pitchy driftwood fell into the fire and flared up fiercely. Then he saw. There, in the carved high seat, robed all in bridal white, sat Gudruda the Fair, his love. Her golden hair flowed about her breast, her white arms were stretched towards him, and on her sweet face shone such a look of love as he had never seen.
Swanhild puts out her hand, draws down the clothes, and feels the breast of Gudruda beneath, for Gudruda slept on the outside of the bed. Then she searches by the head of the bed and finds Whitefire which hung there, and draws the sword. "Here lies Eric, on the outside," she says to Gizur, "and here is Whitefire. Strike and strike home, leaving Whitefire in the wound."
They gave her the babe and she looked upon its dark eyes and said: "Fairest of women shalt thou be, Gudruda fair as no woman in Iceland ever was before thee; and thou shalt love with a mighty love and thou shalt lose and, losing, thou shalt find again." Now, it is said that, as she spoke these words, her face grew bright as a spirit's, and, having spoken them, she fell back dead.
"I must ask much of Hall and he must answer much," said Eric. "What tale, then, did he bring thee from Straumey?" "He said this, Eric," Gudruda answered: "that thou wast Swanhild's love; that for Swanhild's sake thou hadst basely killed Atli the Good, and that thou wast about to wed Swanhild's self and take the Earl's seat in Orkneys." "And for what cause was I made outlaw at the Althing?"
"There are few guests to grace our marriage-feast, husband," said Gudruda. "Yet shall our vows hold true, wife," said Eric. "Ay, Brighteyes," she answered, "in life and in death, now and for ever!" and they kissed. "It is time for us to be going, methinks," growled Skallagrim to those about him. "We are not wanted here."
Now he led Gudruda to the horse that, seeing its master, snorted and shook the snow from its coat, for it was not frozen and set her on the saddle, and put his arm about her waist, and they passed slowly through the deep snow. And Swanhild, too, crept from her place, for her burning rage had kept the life in her, and followed after them.
Presently the breeze caught them, and they set the great sail and sped away like a gull towards the Westman Isles. But Gudruda sat on the shore watching till, at length, the light faded from Eric's golden helm as he stood upon the poop, and the world grew dark to her.
I have no more to say." Now Gudruda looked on him long and steadfastly. "Thy plight is sorry, Eric," she said, "and this once I forgive thee. Look to it that thou givest me no more cause to doubt thee, for then I shall remember how thou didst bid farewell to Swanhild."
Now she spoke thus truthfully, and by chance, as it were, not as driving Gizur on to slay Eric for, now that Gudruda was dead, she was in two minds as to this matter, since, if she might, she still desired to take Eric to herself but meaning that while Eric lived she would wed no other man. But Gizur took it otherwise.
Scarcely, indeed, could Skallagrim hold him back from going down the mountain side, he was so set on coming to Gudruda whom he should wed that night. At length the darkness fell, and they went on. Eric rode swiftly down the rough mountain path, while Skallagrim and the two men followed grumbling, for they feared that their horses would fall.
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