Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 21, 2025
Thorstan said: "Then I must be Thorstan Red, for Thorstan is my name, and the red is of Nature's doing, and my father's. I am Eric's son of Ericsfrith. I was making the western voyage, but was driven out of my course in a gale, and forced to beat up here against my will. My men are in the Settlement, but I and the good wife could find no better quarters than these."
Remember now what I say that the thing which I may be is not I. Be not afraid of it. You have had the best I could be and it was you who made me. Remember what we have been, and think of me as dead already. And when I am dead, take my body back to Ericsfrith." She clung to him, but not with tears. Tears were denied her now. The cold had mastered even them. For now she knew what must come.
Men felt the light, and saw whence it came. The sun showed himself, first like a silver coin, then with sensible heat. The cattle were put out to pasture, the sheep could move and nibble about the foothills. Hens began to lay, cows to give milk, sheep to drop lambs. Thorbeorn made ready to sail to Ericsfrith, and Gudrid was able to forget that she was marked with a curse.
The boat came alongside, and they were hailed. "Who and whence are you?" Thorbeorn told his name and port of origin. "I hoped to make Ericsfrith," he said. "You have made a poor business of it," said the master of the boat. "This is Heriolfsness, a good ten hours' sailing from the frith; and I am Heriolf at your service." Gudrid's heart leapt.
As for this stricken land, we shall beat the sickness yet. A man tempers himself. There should be a fine race here one day, of them who have got through." Gurth turned up the whites of his eyes. He was very sick. By and by they had news from the Settlement, where things were going badly. The sickness was very rife. Many of Thorstan's men from Ericsfrith were dead of it.
Gudrid said, "To be good is the least I can do. It seems very easy. But to be happy is difficult." "I never found it so," said old Heriolf. And so they parted, she whither Fate beckoned her, and he to go fishing. Eric Red, who lived at Brattalithe in Ericsfrith, had been a notable man all his life, and a man of mettle.
When they sailed from Markland the wind still held good, and they came safely into Ericsfrith, and picked up their moorings in the haven. It was as if they had never been away. Leif came down to welcome them, and they stayed with him the rest of the year. Eric Red was dead, and Leif not married.
But your life will be longer than his, and your end will be pious and that, too, you will desire before you reach it. And I pray you to take my body back to Ericsfrith and give me holy burial. Farewell, Gudrid, and have no fear for me." Gudrid, cold as a stone, sat on Thorstan Black's knee as if she had been a child, and stared at the figure of her love.
She could not say anything to him, she dared not touch him. His head sank forward, and he fell back in the bed and lay still. Thorstan Black touched him. He was stone cold. The good giant thought now of Gudrid only, and talked to her gently for a long while, comforting her. He promised that he would never forsake her until he had brought her safely home to Ericsfrith.
The bodies of all the crew were redeemed from the snow and put aboard ship; the settlement at Lucefrith was broken up. He gave the survivors their freedom, and free passage to Ericsfrith; for he himself intended to settle there when he had restored Gudrid to Brattalithe. So they set sail, and made a good passage, and came into the frith on a day of fresh southerly wind and strong sunshine.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking