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"Alas!" said Thorar, "in these evil days he cannot entertain you all. Many of his people have fled to the woods already, and to tell the truth he, too, would feel ill at ease if he saw so brave a force come nigh him; for he is old, and his spirit is broken. But a following of twenty men or so he will gladly entertain.
Estein fell back and let Helgi walk in front with Thorar; behind those two marched the small band of wild, skin-coated followers of the lawman; and after them came the mail- clad twenty, the shields which hung from their backs clanking now and again as they struck their harness. Last of all walked their leader.
Yet, methinks, it was something less than faithful to drive his scatt-gatherer from the country and slay his followers." "Blame not me for that, Estein," answered Thorar.
"You have named me, Estein," replied the wounded lawman. "I had hoped to witness thy death, now thou canst witness mine." "Treacherous foe and faithless friend," said Estein, sternly, "well have you deserved this death." "Faithless to whom?" replied Thorar. "To my king and master Bue I alone owed allegiance.
Estein walked first, and just as he came into the court a man, pushed apparently by the surging crowd, stumbled against him. "Make way, there!" cried Thorar sternly, from behind; "give room for the king's guests to pass!" The man hastily stepped back, but not before he had found time to whisper, "Beware, Estein! Drink not too deep!"
As he spoke he went up to one prisoner who was lying on his side, with his face pressed down into the snow, like one sorely wounded, and in no gentle fashion turned him over with his foot. "Can you not let me die?" said the man, looking up coldly and proudly at his captors, though he was evidently at death's door. "It will not take long now." "Thorar!" exclaimed Estein.
"There are many sayings concerning maids, and some concerning old men; also, if I mistake not, one or two about young men and maids." "Spare Estein those last," cried Helgi lightly. "He thinks himself old, and never gives maids a thought at all." Evidently Thorar knew nothing of the message, and Estein became silent again.
"The black traitor Thorar, and with him some ten or twelve others, doubtless all the sober men at the feast. It took them but a short space to find the dead sentinel; and thereupon Thorar, who seemed almost beside himself with anger, sent the others off in haste to intercept our road to Ketill, while he himself ran to collect a force from the village.
"A flight of wild ducks passed overhead just now, and called to mind their kinsmen cooked; their kinsmen cooked called to mind the wherewithal to wash them down; and, in brief, I, for one, shall be glad to meet King Bue." "We have a saying that the king loves a guest who loves his cheer," replied Thorar with a smile.
Silence fell upon them, and for some time nothing could be heard but the occasional clash of steel and the continual creaking of snow and breaking of dead branches under foot. Then a hum of voices came to them fitfully, and at last the path opened into a wide glade. "We are almost there," said Thorar. "Smile not, Estein, at our rude hospitality; or, if you do, let our welcome make amends."
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