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Updated: June 23, 2025
And in this matter neither I nor Gerda had any hand. "The townsfolk judged him," said Asbiorn again, "and we did Hakon's bidding. Else they had hewn him in pieces." Suddenly the red wildfires sank, and it was very dark.
"Listen, Dalfin," I said, and my comrade started up eagerly. Asbiorn heard the movement, and he seemed to lean toward the hatch. "Jarl's son," he hummed, "come under the hatch and listen. Is it in your mind to get away from us?" I set my head through the little square opening carefully, and looked round.
Presently, however, when Asbiorn had taken the ship into a berth between two of the islets, and the men were getting her shore lines fast to mooring posts which seemed to be used only now and then, a boat with two men in it came off to us thence, and we were hailed to know what we needed in these waters.
"My name?" said Dalfin, with a flash of pride in his gray eyes. "It is Dalfin, prince of Maghera, in Ireland, of the line of the Ulster kings. Kill me, and boast that once you slew a prince. No need to say that I was bound when you did it." He spoke the Danish of Waterford and Dublin well enough. Asbiorn flushed, with some sort of manly shame, as I believe, and even old Heidrek frowned uneasily.
"You may as well loose the men," he said carelessly; "we can mind them well enough." "More likely to have them out on us in some sort of berserk rage," said the man, growling. "I ken what I would do in their place well enough." Asbiorn stooped and looked in on us. The light was behind him, and I could not see his face; but he spoke evenly, and not unkindly.
The boat would drift after me with the wind, and I swam to his help with all my might. I could see him as the rollers lifted me on their crests now and then, and round him the white water flew as he struggled with somewhat. At that time I saw the tall figure of Asbiorn on the fast-lessening stern of the ship, and with him was another man.
We thought we might have little difficulty in overhauling the vessel, and should have had none if it had not been for you. Had you picked up a crew of fishers?" "No; we managed somehow by ourselves." "I always told my father that Bertric was the best seaman we had in all our crowd," Asbiorn said frankly. "You did well that time."
I turned my head from him. Maybe I was wrong, but it seemed like treachery. Yet, after all, save myself there was not one left of our line, and he was deserting no one. Both these two were single men. Young Asbiorn heard the man name me, and he came a pace nearer. "So you are the son of the chief here," he said quietly. "What is your name and rank? Will anyone ransom you?"
"It seems that these ships of yours are too well known for me to overlook. My men say that I am sure to have to settle with Heidrek at some time, and I may as well do so here as on the Norway shore next summer. I shall be busy then, and Heidrek will have heard thereof. I am not busy just now." "You will be when you overhaul the ships," said Asbiorn.
"And my father," answered Asbiorn, getting up and looking ahead. "To say the truth, I am not altogether sorry of an excuse to leave that company, which is bad, though I say it. Yet he was driven out of his own home by his foes, and thereafter his hand has been against all men. It is the crew he has gathered which I would leave, not him." We had not gained on the two pirate ships.
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