"Thore's people--from Ramfirth."
"Where is Thore?" They pointed to the woman.
"Yonder he lies hurt. That is his wife."
"And you are for Ericshaven?"
They said that they were. "Then you are well met," said Leif, and
stepped on to the rock.
Gudrid's eyes were great and serious. Leif came to her and took her
hands. "I little thought we should meet again like this."
"We must have died without you," she said.
Then he asked to look at poor Thore. He was unconscious, and had a
great wound in his temple, cut open almost to the bone. Gudrid told
him that when they struck, Thore, who had been at the helm, was thrown
out upon the edge of the rock. One of his men, thrown out also, had
pulled him up out of the sea. Gudrid herself had been below, sleeping.
She did not know how she had been saved. She awoke at the shock to
find herself in water. Then Leif saw that she was wet through and
almost rigid with cold. He did not believe Thore was dead, nor did
she. "No, no, he won't die so. He will die in my arms." So Gudrid
said.
They took off the sick man first, and Gudrid with him. Both of them
were put to bed, where Gudrid, who was now in a fever, soon became
light-headed. Leif attended to her like a woman. It was wonderful to
see so big a man so gentle and light in the hand.
He brought them all in safely, and Thore and Gudrid were taken up to
Brattalithe, to lodge with Eric until one at least of them was well
again. Gudrid very soon recovered, and seemed none the worse, but in
all her glow of beauty and health. Thore was much slower. His wound
pained him a great deal. Cold had got into it and inflamed it. The
pain made him fretful; he seemed much older than a year and a half's
absence could account for, and was anxious to get home.
Gudrid wished to go also. Everybody was very kind to her at
Brattalithe. She was a great favourite with Eric Red, who used to tell
her that she ought to have married one of his sons. "Then I should
have been sure that things would go right here when I am out of the
way." Gudrid once replied to that that none had asked her, whereupon
the old man looked slyly about him, and then said: "There was one at
least was thinking of you--and so he is now."
She knew that too well. Thorstan was consumed by love, and must always
be with her if he could. She was gentle with him, as she was with
everybody, and had to own to herself that it was Thorstan who now
possessed her thoughts. That may have been going by contraries, for if
Leif paid her nothing but the good-humoured civility he had ready for
everybody, Thorstan, on his part, seemed afraid of her, and was
speechless in her company. But there's all the difference in the world
between a man completely easy in your company and one completely
uneasy. Leif was a young giant, the best-tempered giant in the world;
but it was clear to Gudrid that he had other things to think about
besides love. He was full of the exploration he had made, determined
to get more of the good timber over, and with more than half a mind to
go out and settle in Wineland. Dirk made wine of the grapes which they
had brought back. There was a great feast, and everybody got very
drunk. If Eric Red had not died and left the Greenland settlement on
his hands there is little doubt but Leif would have colonised Wineland.
Meantime, Thorwald, the third of the brothers, was on fire with the
thought of going. He said that he should go out next spring if Leif
would let him have his boat. Thore--to the surprise of all--said that
he would go too, but nobody seemed to want him. Leif said: "I don't
think you a lucky man, Thore. And I don't think your wife will care
about so long and rough a voyage, seeing what you made of her last."
The laugh went against Thore.
"Gudrid shall stay with her father," said he; but Gudrid said, "I shall
go if you do." Thorstan's face fell, and Eric Red burst into a great
shout of laughter. "Oh, sour face," he cried out, "let us hear what
you have to say about all this."
Thorstan was very hot, but he answered his father. "I think that
Gudrid should not go, nor Thore either"--which made Eric chuckle.
When he was with her the next day, after a long time of brooding,
Thorstan said that he hoped she would not go to Wineland.
"I must go if Thore goes," she said over her needlework.
"If Thore goes, I shall go myself," Thorstan said after a pause.
Gudrid looked up, but said nothing.
"He is not a lucky man--that is to be seen," Thorstan said then. "And
he has no great knowledge of the sea, and is moreover infirm. It would
come to this, that he would hurt himself, and you would have the care
of him as you did upon the rock out beyond the head."
She answered him gravely. "It may be as you say, that he is not lucky.
Indeed, I know it too well. For it was told me before ever I saw or
heard of him, that he would die before me."
Thorstan was now strongly moved. He wrung his hands together. "I beg
you to tell me just what was said about that."