Of a frightful combat by night with the Finlanders.
Now the cold blasts of the northern mountains had wholly stript the
beech-trees of their leaves. Over hill and dale, winter had spread his
stiff glittering garment of snow and frost; only on the high rocks the
frightful pine-forests of Finland, in their mournful dark-green, were
flourishing as before. Our two knights, however, in their winter-camp,
continued active and cheerful. Whether they rode out for amusement
to the chase, through the now-faded forest, or in quest of more
serious adventures, when the pagan hordes began to shew themselves on
the frontier,--or when they returned home, weary at night, to their
wooden cottage, which now served them for a fortress, and sat by the
blazing hearth over their brimming horns of mead, and talking of
past encounters,--they were always contented, and felt no lack of
pastime. They were indeed conscious, that they were acting as faithful
guardians, for the protection both of Norway and Sweden; and after
those days, when they had been engaged in arduous conflicts, when the
snow around them had often been stained with blood,--and after the
long evenings spent at their wild cabin among the rocks, the visits
which they duly made at the watch-tower of the mysterious Druda, were
to them like sudden gleams of sunlight on a dark wintry landscape.
Even Sir Arinbiorn had now regained his confidence, and felt himself
as if at home in the Druda’s castle. Many times she entertained them
with wondrous stories, ballads, and riddles, such as they had never
before heard; and even when she remained silent, their spirits were
not on that account depressed; but, on the contrary, they felt a mild
submissive patience settle on their hearts. Only at one circumstance
the youths were somewhat discontented, namely, because they had never
beheld their kind hostess without her long green veil; and though her
light-brown eyes indeed shone through that covering, and even every
gesture announced the kindness and composure that reigned in her mind,
yet her other features were always lost as if in a dense autumnal
cloud. Otto ventured once to express his wonder at this, and to beg
that she would lay aside her veil; but she only answered calmly and
resolutely, “Oh no! that may not be thought of;” and he durst not speak
any farther.
So it happened, that late one evening both the knights were seated at
the round marble table in the Druda’s castle, when all of a sudden
she became silent, laid her finger on her lips, in token that her
guests also must not speak, and, as if listening to some strange and
mysterious sound, she raised her gleaming eyes to the ceiling. Then
she rose and went to the window, looked out attentively on the stars,
and cried aloud, “To horse, brave young knights, to horse! Fly with
the speed of light to your troops; for the swords of the pagans are
now drawn! they have had recourse to their wonted sorcery! be then
brave and steadfast, for on this night depends your destruction or
triumph.” In a moment the two brave warriors had clasped their visors,
girded on their swords, seized their long ponderous javelins, and bowed
courteously before the Druda, who, at their departure, made the sign
of the cross over their heads, and repeated her former admonitions.
“To horse, and rush on with the speed of lightning to your camp!” In
another minute, they were both mounted, and their horses bore them,
swift as an arrow from the bow, down the steep path that led from the
castle.
As they advanced on their way through the tangled thickets of the
forest, they heard a strange confused noise of voices and rattling
arms on all sides; there were fires kindled also, which shone from
the snow-covered cliffs, especially from amid the pine-tree forests of
the Finland frontier. At length they arrived at their camp, and, amid
all this disturbance, found their troops in good order, the infantry
already under arms, and the riders standing by their horses. When
the knights appeared, all were inspired by new courage and ardent
anticipations of approaching victory. “Mount then in God’s name!” cried
the Knight of Trautwangen; “and let the light armed infantry lead the
way,” shouted Sir Arinbiorn. In brief space, these arrangements were
made, and they proceeded on their route through the shadowy valleys;
while the young Sir Kolbein, with a band of scouts, was already engaged
in a vehement skirmish with the barbarous Finlanders, who were howling
aloud like wild beasts, and showering against him numberless javelins
and arrows. Over the van of Sir Otto’s troops, at the same time,
there came strange missiles, that burned and shone like the stars in
heaven; whereupon some cried aloud,--“The foes attack us with flaming
spears!”--Others said,--“This is all witchcraft, and the air is filled
with serpents and dragons!”--“Let them be what they may,” cried Sir
Otto and the sea-monarch; “we have here right and justice on our side.
Onward, then! for God and our native land!”--With these inspiring
words, the only battle-cry under which a Christian warrior can advance
with due confidence and courage, they now urged their way through the
thickets, and soon came up close to their hideous adversaries.
Amid these wild mountains were here and there level glades enclosed
with trees, and on one of these the battle soon raged with such
vehemence, that, in the confusion, aided by the gloom of approaching
night, it was scarcely possible to distinguish friend from foe. But
still these flaming javelins flew at intervals over the squadrons,
and, by their uncertain gleams, betrayed to the astonished Christians
that the front-ranks of the enemy were assisted by strange figures,
such as they had never till now beheld; and though they might have
despised all attacks of sword and lance against body and limbs, yet
they could not deny that such frightful shapes were insupportable
and distracting to the spirit. From a distance, too, among the rocky
cliffs, forms yet more hideous emerged, and stood towering over the
pagan hordes. One knew not whether these were gigantic demons, or
only lifeless standards borne by the Finlanders. In spite of all
this, however, the Christians repeated their battle-cries, and rushed
forward with courage so resistless, that their spectral foes, whatever
they might in reality be, were forced back, lost their footing on the
level glade, and retired into a deep valley. Thither Sir Otto and the
sea-monarch intended to pursue them; but waited in the first place to
arrange their troops after this skirmish, and to consult whether they
should not station a party both of horse and foot to protect the level
ground in their absence; but, in the confusion which now followed,
all such thoughts were soon lost. After the flight of the Finlanders,
Night threw her dark mantle over them so densely and heavily, that
there was no longer visible a single ray of light; nor were they now
aided by the meteor-gleams of their enemies’ fiery spears. The golden
armour of the sea-monarch, and eagle-visor of Sir Otto von Trautwangen,
were alike unobserved and indistinguishable in the multitude; nay
more, their commanding voices, and the notes of their battle-horns,
were overpowered by the howling cries of the flying foe, by the noise
of the wind which had risen along with the dark clouds, and by the
shouts which their own soldiers raised in triumph at their victory.
The leaders found themselves indeed strangely perplexed. Unless they
wished to be rode down by the horsemen of their own squadrons, they
were obliged to move onward, to give the reins up to their horses, and
proceed blindly through the rayless unfriendly darkness of the night.
After no long space they arrived, in their stormy course, at a station
where they found themselves in a kind of amphitheatre, or rather the
place might be compared to a great and deep caldron. The cliffs rose
high around them, and loud reverberating echoes announced the approach
of the foe from the clifts and coverts of the mountain, who came to
the assault with fearful shouts and neighing of horses. Here then the
Christians expected that the battle would soon be decided in their
favour; but the same fiery missiles once more flew over their heads,
and, by their glimmering light, the soldiers beheld hideous spectres,
that grinned on them, and stretched out their long black arms from the
thickets: it seemed at last, as if the whole valley had changed into
some horrid pagan temple, where these figures represented the gods,
and where the Christian troops were to be immolated in sacrifice. Even
the horses, accustomed as they were to carry their noble masters into
the heart of every danger, reared and snorted wildly at the unwonted
sounds and shapes by which they were now surrounded; and all of them,
Sir Otto’s light-brown steed not excepted, became unmanageable, wheeled
round and round, and at last forced their brave riders away with them
in timid and disorderly flight. Then the Finland soldiers howled and
shouted as if in scornful triumph, and, with redoubled strength and
courage, sent down from the cliffs showers of arrows and javelins, so
that many a horseman among the Christians fell dead on the ground; and
yet more of the foot-soldiers, no longer protected by the cavalry, were
left in the power of their enemies. Not till late in the night the
two commanders contrived to quiet their horses, and bring a troop of
their most faithful adherents into regular order beside them; and this
happened in a narrow rocky valley.
Then, behold! from a snow-covered cliff before them, there broke forth
a far-gleaming light, that revolved like a fiery wheel; and herein
was visible the form of the young golden-locked enchantress, though
beautiful, yet awful to look upon, with her dishevelled hair streaming
in the wind, a drawn sword in her right hand, and in her left, despite
of the wintry season, a verdant branch. “Am I then known at last?”
cried she to the knights, who stood gazing up at her with amazement.
“Lo! I am Gerda, the despised, the rejected damsel, whose friendship
you have heretofore possessed and renounced. But now your lives are
in my power; and if you refuse to be reconciled to me, then shall my
fiery serpents be sent forth against you, till, amid the rocks of this
narrow valley, your wild horses will rush onwards to their own and your
destruction. To-morrow’s sunlight will then reveal the horrid sight,
how your troops, that were to-day so full of life and hope, afford
only a mangled heap, frozen to the earth in the blood that flowed from
their own hearts, a sight that none dare look upon; or perchance you
would save yourselves by flight; and if such be your wish, I shall
not prevent you. Here on the left there is an outlet; but you find
no other.” Involuntarily they turned their eyes in that direction,
and saw by the gleams of the fire, which continued to play in circles
around her, a boundless extent of smooth ice, by which one of the
mountain-lakes was now covered. “Will you gallop across then?” said
she scornfully. “Truly, when you and your horses together have once
become thoroughly mad and reckless, you will prance nobly there for our
amusement, till you fall dashed to pieces on the ice, or sink through
it into some unlooked-for abyss.” As if resolved to put an end to this
discourse, the sea-monarch and Sir Otto both raised their war-horns to
their lips, intending to blow the signal for onset, and to fight at all
events as long as their senses remained, or they were able to sit on
their horses. Then Gerda once more addressed them; “Yet halt,” cried
she, “and mark one other choice that I can offer to you. Be triumphant
still, retain at once your lives and your honour, but join with me!
Be not afraid; you shall not be required to abjure the faith of the
Christians, but peace may be made between us, and the people for whom
you now contend; and henceforth we may march forth honourably together
on victorious campaigns through the wide world. What say you to this?”
With these words she looked more than ever beautiful, and scarcely had
the young Sir Kolbein heard her to an end ere he threw himself from
his horse, and began to climb up the snow-covered cliff on which she
stood. “As for thy threats of destruction and vengeance,” cried he, “I
heed them not; but thy beauty and thy promises have wound their magic
spells round my heart. I will be thy companion, thy champion, and go
forth with thee, even to the end of the earth!” The sea-monarch and the
Knight of Trautwangen shouted after him their vehement reproaches,
and then stretched out their arms, like faithful friends, in earnest
entreaties that he would return to them. But, meanwhile, Gerda held
out her beautiful hand, with the green branch, towards him, and, as if
drawn onwards by irresistible attraction, he advanced, till at last he
suddenly made his appearance amid the fiery circle beside her, and,
with smiles of confidence, made signs to his comrades that they should
join him there.
Arinbiorn and Sir Otto looked at one another for a while in silence,
and indeed with melancholy. At last, “Our end will indeed come sooner
than I had thought,” said the sea-monarch. “Ay truly,” replied Sir
Otto, “and I shall not deny it to you, I should gladly have lived a
little longer in this world, and gained some laurel wreathes ere I
died!” “From my inmost heart,” answered the sea-monarch, “I also should
have wished that this had been possible.” “As these hopes are now
over,” said the Knight of Trautwangen, “and as the enchantress yonder
will ere long distract our senses, so that we shall not know what we
do, were it not better, if, like friends and brethren, we should now
take leave of each other, and also promise our mutual forgiveness
before-hand for all crimes that we may commit against each other after
the madness comes upon us?”--Thereupon they embraced cordially; and
after they had briefly admonished their troops to die nobly, and fail
not in their prayers to Heaven, they shouted aloud to Gerda,--“Come on
now if thou wilt;--thou shalt hear our signals for attack.”
But, with the first notes of the battle-horns, lo! they were surprised
by the gleams of a new light that shone from behind them. Looking back,
they perceived that it was only the full moon that now rose bright and
serenely over the mountains. Ere long, however, her light revealed
to them the well-known figure of the Lady Minnatrost, who stood with
her hands clasped, and looking up thankfully to heaven. She stood on
a high cliff, and ere long her mild sweet voice was heard addressing
the knights,--“With God’s help and blessing you have overcome the
temptations by which you were here assailed. Onwards, then, in his holy
name, and your wicked foes will fly before you!”
The fire that circled round Gerda became now pale and exhausted. The
moon shed her bright solemn light over the mountains, and guided the
Christian warriors against the Finland hordes, who no longer dared to
rally, but fled howling through the snow-covered deserts.