Author: H. Rider Haggard
Category: Adventure
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CHAPTER V
THE BATTLE ON THE SEA
On the morrow Thorvald, my father, sent messengers to the head men ofAgger, telling them of all that he and his House had suffered at thehands of Steinar, whereof those of their folk who had been present atthe feast could bear witness. He added that if they stood by Steinar inhis wickedness and treachery, thenceforward he and the men of the Northwould be their foes and work them mischief by land and sea.
In due course these messengers returned with the tale that the head menof Agger had met together and deposed Steinar from his lordship overthem, electing another man, a nephew of Steinar's father. Also they senta present of gold rings in atonement for the wrong which had been doneto the house of Thorvald by one of their blood, and prayed that Thorvaldand the northern men would bear them no ill will for that in which theywere blameless.
Cheered by this answer, which halved the number of their foes,my father, Thorvald of Aar, and those Over-men of whom he was theHigh-lord, began to make their preparations to attack Athalbrand on hisIsland of Lesso. Of all these things Athalbrand learned by his spies,and later, when the warships were being prepared and manned, twomessengers came from him, old men of repute, and demanded to see myfather. This was the substance of his message, which was delivered in myhearing.
That he, Athalbrand, was little to blame for what had happened, whichwas due to the mad passions of two young people who had blinded andmisled him. That no marriage had taken place between Steinar and hisdaughter, Iduna, as he was prepared and able to prove, since he hadrefused to allow any such marriage. That, therefore, he was ready tooutlaw Steinar, who only dwelt with him as an unwelcome guest, and toreturn his daughter, Iduna, to me, Olaf, and with her a fine in goldrings as compensation for the wrong done, of which the amount was to beascertained by judges to be agreed upon.
My father entertained the messengers, but would give them no answer tillhe had summoned a council of the Under-lords who stood with him inthis business. At that council, where I was present, some said that theinsult could only be washed out with blood. At length I was called uponto speak as the man most concerned. While all listened I rose and said:
"These are my words. After what has chanced, not for all the wealth inDenmark would I take Iduna the Fair to be my wife. Let her stay withSteinar, whom she has chosen. Still, I do not wish to cause the blood ofinnocent men to be spent because of my private wrong. Neither do I wishto wreak vengeance upon Steinar, who for many years was my brother, andwho has been led away by a woman, as may chance to any one of us andhas chanced to many. Therefore I say that my father should acceptAthalbrand's fine in satisfaction of the insult to our House, and letall this matter be forgotten. As for myself, I purpose to leave my home,where I have been put to shame, and to seek my fortune in other lands."
Now, the most of those present thought this a wise saying and were readyto abide by it. Yet, unluckily enough, it was made of no account by whathad slipped from my lips at its end. Although many held me strange andfey, all men loved me because I had a kind heart and gentleness, alsobecause of the wrongs that I had suffered and for something which theysaw in me, which they believed would one day make of me a great skaldand a wise leader. When she heard me announce thus publicly that I wasdetermined to leave them, Thora, my mother, whispered in the ears ofThorvald, my father, and Ragnar and others also said to each other thatthis might not be. It was Ragnar, the headlong, who sprang up and spokethe first.
"Is my brother to be driven from us and his home like a thrall caughtin theft because a traitor and a false woman have put him to shame?" hesaid. "I say that I ask Athalbrand's blood to wash away that stain,not his gold, and that if need be I will seek it alone and die upon hisspears. Also I say that if Olaf, my brother, turns his back upon thisvengeance, I name him niddering."
"No man shall name me that," I said, flushing, "and least of allRagnar."
So, amidst shouts, for there had been long peace in the land, and allthe fighting men sighed for battle, it was agreed that war should bedeclared on Athalbrand, those present pledging themselves and theirdependents to follow it to the end.
"Go back to the troth-breaker, Athalbrand," said my father to themessengers. "Tell him that we will not accept his fine of gold, who cometo take all his wealth, and with it his land and his life. Tell him alsothat the young lord Olaf refuses his daughter, Iduna, since it hasnot been the fashion of our House to wed with drabs. Tell Steinar, thewoman-thief, that he would do well to slay himself, or to be sure thathe is killed in battle, since if we take him living he shall be castinto a pit of vipers or sacrificed to Odin, the god of honour. Begone!"
"We go," answered the spokesman of the messengers; "yet before we go,Thorvald, we would say to you that you and your folk are mad. Some wronghas been done to your son, though perhaps not so much as you may think.For that wrong full atonement has been offered, and with it the hand offriendship on which you spit. Know then that the mighty lord Athalbranddoes not fear war, since for every man you can gather he numbers two,all pledged to him until the death. Also he has consulted the oracle,and its answer is that if you fight with him, but one of your House willbe left living."
"Begone!" thundered my father, "lest presently you should stay heredead."
So they went.