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Updated: May 18, 2025
But even as he fell, a man, it may have been friend or foe, for the moon was sinking and the darkness grew dense, thrust a spear into Ragnar's back, and he was carried, dying, to his own vessel by those who remained to him. Then that fight ceased, for all Athalbrand's people were dead or wounded to the death.
I also drank of the ale and drew a cloak about me, for the air was keen. Then I said, "Let us go to the other ships and see what has chanced there." They got out the oars and rowed to Ragnar's vessel, where we saw men stirring. "How went it with you?" I asked of one who stood upon the prow. "Not so ill, Olaf," he answered. "We won, and but now, with the new light, have finished the game.
They allowed ample time for the assembling and organizing of the confederation. When all was ready, they found that there were eight kings and twenty earls in the alliance, generally the relatives and comrades of Ragnar. The two most prominent of these commanders were Guthrum and Hubba. Hubba was one of Ragnar's sons. At length, toward the close of the summer, the formidable expedition set sail.
In this chamber, the husband and wife's little temple, the moonlight was brilliantly reflected from Ragnar's brightly polished hunting and fishing implements which, neatly arranged, were hung against the walls.
He filled them with selected men, and sailing down along the coast of Scotland, he watched for a place and an opportunity to land. Winds and storms are almost always raging among the dark and gloomy mountains and islands of Scotland. Ragnar's ships were caught on one of these gales and driven on shore. The ships were lost, but the men escaped to the land.
Another minute, and he saw the dark lines leaving the shadow of the forest, and descending the hill in serried array, then deploying, as if to surround a foe in stealthy silence; he looked around for the object, and beheld Ragnar's forces all unconscious of their danger, not having heard the approach in their own hasty preparations for departure.
Nearly two months had elapsed since those remarkable days on which Nanna had received her first kiss, and Magde had heard from her husband by the arrival of Jon Jonson's sloop. Great had been her joy when Ragnar's gifts arrived in safety. She then thought that everything had come to a good conclusion. But greatly was she deceived!
I know that, as he saw her for this first time, it was with the wish that he were in Ragnar's place. But I thought that if Havelok were king, here was the queen for him. Now Alsi bade the feast go on, and be spoke a few words only to Havelok, letting him go at once, and I was glad. This sudden faintness of the princess had put all out somewhat, and none cared to take up a jest where it had stayed.
Still, as the words passed Ragnar's lips he sat up, rubbed his eyes and smiled as a child does when it awakes. "Are you much hurt?" asked Ragnar. "I think not," he answered doubtfully, "save that I feel sore and my head swims. I have had a bad dream." Then his eyes fell on the bear, and he added: "Oh, I remember now; it was no dream. Where is Olaf?"
My father, Thorvald's, ship and one of Athalbrand's lay helpless, for all, or nearly all, their crews were dead, while the other had drifted off and was now half a mile away. Ragnar's ship was still grappled to its foe. My own was perhaps in the best case, for here over twenty men were left unhurt, and another ten whose wounds were light. The rest were dead or dying.
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