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Updated: May 4, 2025
"Here is my mother come with me," said Gilchrist, "who declares my real baptismal name to have been Harald, given me by that great King; and who will carry the red-hot ploughshares or do any reasonable ordeal in testimony of these facts. I am King Sigurd's veritable half-brother: what will King Sigurd think it fair to do with me?"
Any one who has read the Volsung tale as we have given it, will be at no loss to see where the 'little birds' who speak to the Prince and the lassie, in these tales, come from; nor when they read in the 'Big Bird Dan', No. lv, about 'the naked sword' which the Princess lays by her side every night, will they fail to recognize Sigurd's sword Gram, which he laid between himself and Brynhildr when he rode through the flame and won her for Gunnar.
Sigurd's friends would receive me well for his sake; and after I had got everything for my disguise, I would have yet many good chances to return to Nidaros and board the ship of Arnor Gunnarsson, who comes here each summer on a trading voyage. Coming that way, who could suspect me? particularly when it is everyone's belief that I am dead." "No one!" Helga cried joyously. "No one! It is perfect!"
But Eric did not see when Leif shook his head at the bearer of the forbidden meat; and that danger passed. Rolf murmured approvingly in Sigurd's ear: "He is wise to lie low as long as possible. It is a great thing to get a good foothold before the whirlwind overtakes one." Sigurd shook his head in his goblet.
The vessels drifted a little nearer, and the stranger hailed, "Art thou not Ulf, of Sigurd's Vik?" "Yea!" A flutter swept through the stranger-craft, and a pause. Its men flashed at each other startled looks. "Is it war?" the captain asked again, hoping his men would not note the little tremble in his voice. "War have I seen," was the curt reply, and there was a twang as a bow was strung.
He did not notice the expression that flared up in Kark's eyes; nor did he hear Helga's gasp, nor feel Sigurd's foot. His gaze fell again to the floor in moody abstraction. The chief answered briefly to the murmurs: "It is unadvisable to oppose my whim for writing in wine; who knows but I might exchange it for a fancy to write in blood?
The stroke of the sword sheared away some of the shield, but the blade broke in Sigurd's hands. Then in anger he turned on Regin, crying out, "Thou hast made a knave's sword for me. To work with thee again! Thou must make me a Volsung's sword." Then he went out and called to Grani, his horse, and mounted him and rode to the river bank like the sweep of the wind.
The "Thidreksaga", which has forgotten the enmity of the brothers, and calls Sigurd's tutor "Mimr", tells the episode in somewhat different fashion. The brothers plan to kill Sigurd, and the latter is attacked by the dragon, while burning charcoal in the forest.
At his elbow Helga the Fair waited with his drinking-horn. Tyrker hovered behind him, touching now his hair and now his broad shoulders with an old man's tremulous fondness. All were listening reverently to his quick, curt narrative. Sigurd's laughing carelessness fell from him. He walked forward with the gallant air that sat so well upon his handsome figure.
I heard the first questions that the man asked, for he spoke loudly. "Whose man are you?" "Sigurd's," answered my father shortly. "Whose are the boats?" "Mine, seeing that I built them." "Why, then, there is somewhat that you can do for me," the horseman said. "Is your time your own, however?" "If the jarl needs me not." "Tonight, then?" "I have naught to do after I have carried the nets home."
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