(16)
“There wait they within that would snare me;
There whet they their swords for my slaying.
My bane they shall be not, the cowards,
The brood of the churl and the carline.
Let the twain of them find me and fight me
In the field, without shelter to shield them,
And ewes of the sheep should be surer
To shorten the days of the wolf.”
So he sat there all day. By that time Thorkel saw that the plan he had
made was come to nothing; and he bade the sons of Thorveig waylay Cormac
in a dale near his garth. “Narfi shall go with ye two,” said he; “but I
will stay at home, and bring you help if need be.”
In the evening Cormac set out, and when he came to the dale, he saw
three men, and said in verse:--
(17)
“There sit they in hiding to stay me
From the sight of my queen of the jewels:
But rude will their task be to reave me
From the roof of my bounteous lady.
The fainer the hatred they harbour
For him that is free of her doorway,
The fainer my love and my longing
For the lass that is sweeter than samphire.”
Then leaped up Thorveig's sons, and fought Cormac for a time: Narfi the
while skulked and dodged behind them. Thorkel saw from his house that
they were getting but slowly forward, and he took his weapons. In that
nick of time Steingerd came out and saw what her father meant. She laid
hold on his hands, and he got no nearer to help the brothers. In the end
Odd fell, and Gudmund was so wounded that he died afterwards. Thorkel
saw to them, and Cormac went home.
A little after this Cormac went to Thorveig and said he would have her
no longer live there at the firth. “Thou shalt flit and go thy way at
such a time,” said he, “and I will give no blood-money for thy sons.”
Thorveig answered, “It is like enough ye can hunt me out of the
countryside, and leave my sons unatoned. But this way I'll reward thee.
Never shalt thou have Steingerd.”
Said Cormac, “That's not for thee to make or to mar, thou wicked old
hag!”
CHAPTER SIX. Cormac Wins His Bride and Loses Her.
After this, Cormac went to see Steingerd the same as ever: and once when
they talked over these doings she said no ill of them: whereupon he made
this song:--
(18)
“There sat they in hiding to slay me
From the sight of my bride and my darling:
But weak were the feet of my foemen
When we fought on the island of weapons.
And the rush of the mightiest rivers
Shall race from the shore to the mountains
Or ever I leave thee, my lady,
And the love that I feast on to-day!”
“Say no such big words about it,” answered she; “Many a thing may stand
in the road.”