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Updated: July 18, 2025
At that Dalfin stared at me; but Bertric, who had seen other lands and knew the ways of men, smiled and set his hand on my arm. "I do not fear him," he said. "It is impossible that if a chief lies there he can be wroth with men who will do naught but honour him. Think is there any honour to the mighty dead that he should wander across the lone sea thus, as we met him?"
He stood aside, and the shadowless brightness shone across the chamber through the thinning peat smoke. I saw him start a little, and Dalfin signed himself with his holy sign once or twice. Then I must look also, almost in spite of myself, and I went forward quietly. It was even as I thought.
They will search for her, in the first case, and presently think her lost for good." "If there is one thing which I should like more than another," said Dalfin, "it would be to see Arnkel's face when we take back the lady." "So we may but not yet. We must know where Heidrek is. And we have to wait for wind. Eh, well! We had better sleep. I will take first watch."
"Come forward with me," she said; "I have something I must say to you." I followed her, and she went to the gunwale, close to the penthouse, where she was screened from Dalfin, and leant on it. "You are of my own folk," she said, "and of the old faith, and therefore I can tell you what is troubling me.
"It is not to be supposed that we could leave our charge," he answered. "Forgive me; I forgot," said Dalfin at once. But even that word had made Gerda pale with the thought that she might be left alone, with the fear of our not returning for her.
"Well," said Dalfin, "whom are we fighting, then?" One of our men answered him. He was a Norseman, named Sidroc. "Red hand, wandering Vikings. Wastrels from every land, and no man's men. Most of them are Danes, but I have heard the tongues of Frisian and Finn and Northumbrian amongst them. We are in evil case, for slavery is the least we have to fear."
"I ask you to do so, and I think you will not refuse." Now I saw in the face of Dalfin that he thought it right that I should take the mail, and so I did. We went with the three suits and the helms back to Bertric, and so put them on, Gerda helping us, and I taking the tiller when it was Bertric's turn. Even in this little while one could see that Heidrek's leading ship had gained on us.
It was more than good to be in the mail of a free man and warrior once more. Dalfin shook himself, as a man will to settle his byrnie into place, and his eyes shone, and he leapt on the deck, crying: "Now am I once more a prince of Maghera, and can look a foe aye, and death, in the face joyfully. My thanks, dear lady, for this honour!"
It was the way in which Heidrek's crew were wont to deal with captives when they had no hope of ransom from them. That I and my men should join such a crew was not to be thought of, if for a moment I had half wondered if I ought to save the lives of these courtmen of ours by yielding. Both I and they would be shamed, even as Dalfin had said.
He, too, had an oar for support, but it had failed him, and as he fell I caught the flash of somewhat red slung like a sack across his back. Gerda cried out as she saw him disappear, but Dalfin and I laughed as one will laugh at the like mishap when one is bathing.
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