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Updated: June 3, 2025
"Hail, old man!" replied Estein courteously; "what errand brings you here?" "You know me not?" said the old man, looking at him keenly. "Nay, I cannot call your face to mind." "My name is Atli, and if my features are strange to thee, much stranger must my name be." He took Estein's hand, looked closely into his eyes for a minute, and then said solemnly,
"Ay," said the black-bearded captain; "there is little skill we can teach Estein." As they neared the stones, Estein's onset became more furious than ever; sword and shield had to shift up and down, right and left, to guard his storm of blows, and all the while Liot was being driven back the faster towards one place where larger stones than usual had been used to make the ring.
He soon tired of waiting, however, and presently an arrow, aimed evidently at what he could see of Estein's legs, passed within six inches of one knee and buried itself in the snow beside him. "He shoots too well," muttered Estein. "If this goes on I must try a desperate ruse. I shall have one other shot." He rose almost to his full height, fired his arrow, and quickly stooped again.
He perchance forgot that Hakon had other sons. "But now, Helgi, we must sleep while we may; nights may come when we shall want it." For six days and six nights they sailed with a favouring wind over an empty ocean. On the seventh day land was sighted on the starboard bow. "Can that be England?" asked old Ulf, Estein's forecastle man, a hairy, hugely muscular Viking from the far northern fiords.
They were observed, and the strange Vikings awoke and gave chase like a swarm of bees incautiously aroused. Apparently the strangers considered themselves hardly yet prepared for battle; for they slackened speed as they advanced, and those on Estein's ships could see that a hasty bustle of preparation was going on. "What think you friends or foes?" asked Helgi.
For the next two days the talk was all of the voyage to the south. Guests were coming in all the time for Estein's inheritance feast, and many of them warriors thirsting for adventure and sea-roving- -declared their intention of following his banner. A braver force men said had never followed a king of Sogn to war.
"I must have you too, Osla!" She started this time indeed, and for an instant the shock of surprise took thoughts and words away. "Vandrad!" she cried faintly, and then she was trembling in King Estein's arms. "Nay," he said, "no longer Vandrad, but rather Estein the Lucky!
Estein's words were few and unsteady with emotion, and those who heard them wondered at their meaning. "Fare thee well, my father! I will yet keep my promise to thee!" Loudest of all cried Earl Sigvald, "May Odin be as good a friend to thee as thou hast been to me! Keep me a place beside thee, Hakon.
Liot laid his own ship alongside Estein's, Osmund attacked Thorkel's, and the other vessels forced their bows forward wherever they saw an opening. The Norwegians manned their bulwarks shield to shield, and fought with the courage of despair. Twice Liot, backed by his boldest men, tried by a headlong rush to force himself on board, and twice he was beaten back.
"Dear was Estein to his father, and dear the old king to his son. Deep and burning, I fear, will his sorrow be," said the earl. "Fain would I comfort him," replied Helgi. "But I know well Estein's humours, and now he is best alone for a time." They walked slowly up to Hakonstad, the old earl leaning upon his son's arm, and as they went Helgi told him the tale of the Jemtland journey.
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