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The treachery and violence he showed were said to be the work of Gunhild the witch, and the nobles and people soon grew to hate Erik Blood-Axe and his cruel wife, and often broke out in rebellion against them.
"'Twas Satan who made 'em do it, said Hellgum. All this her father and mother overheard." "Did they really?" "Yes, they slept in the next room, and the door between was partly open; so they heard all that Hellgum said to entice their daughter." "But they could have sent him away." "They felt that Gunhild should decide for herself.
Remember that you and I were young once. Why, when we were seventeen, we danced many a night from sundown to sunup." So, one Saturday night, when young Gabriel and Gunhild, the councilman's daughter, paid a visit to the Storms, they actually had a dance at the schoolhouse. Gertrude was wild with delight at being allowed to dance, but Ingmar would not join in.
Haldor also went in the Swan, along with Ulf of Romsdal, Thorer the Thick, Kettle Flatnose, Alric, and the hermit, besides Dames Herfrida and Astrid, and the widow Gunhild, Ingeborg, and all Haldor's younger children. With Glumm there were also several women besides Ada.
"Why, Hellgum and Anna Lisa. They marched themselves down to Clementsson's in the night and kidnapped Gunhild." A cry of amazement escaped Ingmar. "I'm beginning to think my Anna Lisa is married to a brigand!" said the old man. "In the middle of the night they came and tapped on Gunhild's window, and asked her why she wasn't at the Ingmar Farm. She told them about her parents having locked her in.
Gertrude promptly stepped up to the others, and after a quick glance at Ingmar, she drew Gunhild and Gabriel aside. "We mustn't question him about anything around here," she said under her breath. "That place over yonder is the Ingmar Farm. The sight of it has probably made him sad. He hasn't been at home in two years not since he lost all his money."
"You know Strong Ingmar, I suppose?" said Gabriel. "Oh, yes," young Ingmar replied. "We used to be good friends in the old days." "Is it true that he understands magic?" asked Gunhild. "Well no!" Ingmar answered rather hesitatingly, as if half-believing it himself. "You may as well tell us what you know," persisted Gunhild. "The schoolmaster says we mustn't believe in such things."
The perils of Aastrid were not yet at an end. Gunhild, the sorceress queen, was her chief enemy, and when her spies brought her word that Aastrid had borne a son, the wicked old woman sought to destroy the child. The summer through Aastrid remained on the little isle, hiding in the weedy bushes by day and venturing abroad only at night.
It was just after we landed that a small boat came round the ness from the north with the widow Gunhild in it, and she jumped ashore, and told what she had seen and heard at Drontheim, and that we may expect Ada's father, King Hakon, in his longship, to our aid; perhaps he may be coming into the fiord even now while we are talking.
At that Arinbjörn darted into the hall, where he saw in the dim light a woman running hastily away. Going back he found that the swallow had flown. He was sure now that Queen Gunhild had changed herself into a swallow by sorcery, and for the remainder of the night he kept watch outside that the bird should not return. When morning broke he found that Egil had finished his song.
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