And now it was very wonderful to see what a wholly different man
Halfred had became since he had won Thora.
He threw off his tattered clothing, and clad himself in the most costly
royal raiment of scarlet and rich gold, which lay stored away as a
special treasure among the spoils of the Singing Swan.
He quaffed the sparkling Chios wine from a silver cup, and eagerly
pledged Thora in Freya's love.
He played often upon her harp, and sang new songs far more beautiful
and ardent, and moving according to a melody which he invented, and
called "Thora's melody."
And his youth seemed to be given back to him, for the deep furrows
vanished from his forehead, his eyes, which had always been cast down,
as though he revolved the past, or his own thoughts, now looked
brightly upwards again, and around his lips again played joyously the
smile of Oski.
And he stirred not night or day from his young wife's side; and was
never weary of stroking her long golden hair, or looking deep into her
golden joyfully glistening eyes.
But in the night he often held her high aloft in his arms, and silently
showed her to the silent stars.
And he had himself seized the helm, to turn the Singing Swan towards
the south, for he said, "Thora shall see the islands of the blest, in
the blue Grecian waters, where marble statues, white and slender as
herself, look out from among evergreen laurels."
And the flame marks on the Swan's wings were effaced, and mast and
spars must always be wreathed with flowers, for Thora loved flowers.
But the young wife had eyes for Halfred alone. She spoke but few words;
but with sweet smiles she often whispered--
"Yes, verily, thou art the Son of Heaven. Mortal men, such as I have
often seen in my father's hall, could never be at once so strong and so
gentle. Thou art like the sea a furious irresistible God, and withal a
lovely dreaming child."
And when she glided across the ship, all in snow white garments, and
with her golden flowing hair, the men on the rowing benches sat with
oars suspended, and Hartvik, at the helm, forgot to guide the ship's
course, and followed her steps with wondering eyes.
And when they drew near to land, and the people saw her hovering on the
wings of the Singing Swan--where she loved to stand--they brought
offerings of flowers, for they believed that Frigg, or Freya, had
sailed in to visit them.
And Halfred told me that she grew more beautiful from day to day.
And in this wise passed four times seven nights.
And Halfred was so infatuated and absorbed in Thora, that he did not in
the least observe what was brewing among the sailors, or how his blood
brethren, who held themselves aloof from him, whispered together.
He heard once, as he remembered afterwards that Hartvik whispered to
Eigil, "No I tell thee. He will never do it himself, or by free will.
Therefore the physician must by force burn out the wound from the
sufferer."
He neither noticed nor understood these words. But soon afterwards he
understood them.
One clear moonlight night Halfred and Thora had already sought their
couch in their chamber between the decks, from whence a small gangway
and flight of steps led upwards, and Thora had fallen asleep. Ere
Halfred fell asleep however, it seemed to him as though he detected
that the Singing Swan was, very slowly certainly, but perceptibly
turning. She groaned, as though resisting the pressure of the helm; and
he thought that he heard, through the open gangway, the sound of many
steps upon the deck, and of whispering voices, and now and again of
weapons clashing.
Instinctively he glanced towards the head of the couch; where his
hammer hung, guarding his bride's pillow. The loop was empty. The
hammer was missing.
Quickly, but lightly, so as not to wake the sleeper, he sprang up the
narrow stairs. He was just in time. Hartvik and Eigil were in the act
to close the small trap door, which fastened over the gangway with a
bolt, and thus confine the pair between decks. There, now, stood
Halfred, his right foot on the deck, his left on the highest step.
Hartvik and Eigil started up, and drew back a pace. Hartvik was leaning
upon Halfred's hammer. The ship's crew stood armed in a half circle
behind him. The helm also was surrounded by armed men, and had been
turned. The ship no longer sailed towards the south-east, but held west
north-west, and the sails were half-reefed.
"What do ye here my blood brethren?" said Halfred, softly--for he
thought of Thora--and was more amazed than angry. "Are ye mad, or have
ye grown faithless."
For a while all were silent, startled at Halfred's sudden appearance,
whom they had believed to be sleeping soundly by Thora's side. But
Hartvik recovered and spoke--
"It is not we who are mad, or have grown faithless, but thou, our
unhappy brother, under magic spell. We would have accomplished what
must be done without it being possible for thee to hinder it. Thou
shouldst only have trodden the deck again, when, against thine own
will, thou wert restored to health.
"Now, however, since thou hast too soon learnt this, hear what we, thy
blood brethren and the most of those on board, assembled in ship's
council, last night resolved--resolved for thy weal, although many
opposed it, and would first have spoken with thee. Submit thyself
peaceably, for it is unalterable as the course of the stars, and
although thou art very strong, Halfred Hamundson, bethink thee, thou
art weaponless, and we are seventy."
Halfred was silent. Fearfully swelled his temple veins; but he thought
of Thora. "She sleeps," he whispered. "Say softly what ye have to say.
I listen."
"Halfred, our dear blood brother," continued Hartvik softly. "Thou
liest spell bound in the toils of a woman who--I will verily not revile
her, for I love her more ardently than my own heart's blood--whatever
she may be, a mortal woman undoubtedly is not.
"Here works one of the strongest spells which ever witchcraft wove, and
ever befooled the senses of men.
"I blame her not as do many of our comrades.
"She can do no otherwise. This is her very nature.
"She is in truth an Elfin woman, or what the Irish call their white half
Goddesses.
"In the old Sagas it is told that there are such magic women, who,
whether they will or not, wherever they come, bewitch the eyes and
hearts of all men. In Herjadal lived such an one, seventy years ago,
and there was no peace in the land until they had hung a mill stone
about her neck, and sunk her where the Fjord is deepest.
"That this woman is no mortal woman can any one see who only looks once
in her white face, through which all the veins shine blue, and in the
selfish glittering golden eyes. This alone were enough, without that
which many among us have seen; how, lately, when the moon was full, she
rose unperceived from thy side, and floated up upon deck and with
closed eyes danced up and down upon the slightest wing feathers of the
Singing Swan, like an elf in the moon rays. And when the moon went
behind a cloud she glided just as lightly down to thee.
"But this is the smallest part of her magic.
"Not thee alone has her beauty ensnared. She hath so crazed all the
ship's crew that they forget work and duty to gaze after her as she
floats along.
"Yes, even among us, blood friends, hath she kindled frightful sinister
thoughts against thee, and against each other. I, who care not for
women, and Eigil, who never thought of any woman save my burnt sister,
we have lately by night confessed to each other that this silent white
elf woman hath so fearfully crazed our senses, that each of us has
already wished thy death, yes, would even have contrived it, in order
to win this golden haired enchantress.
"And when we confessed these same thoughts to each other, we were filled
with shame.
"Yet nevertheless each of us has plotted the death of the other.
"There must be an end of this.
"This slender sorceress shall not make men murderers in their thoughts,
who have stood together through fire and blood.
"We will not throw her overboard, as many of the crew in superstitious
terror advise. Where would be the use? She would swim like a sea bird
on the tops of the waves. But we will bear her back to the lonely
island, where no eye of man can see her, and where no doubt wise gods
had banished her. We would all possess her, and none shall have what
each covets."
Frightfully throbbed the veins in Halfred's temples, in his rage. "The
first," he said, quite softly, through his gnashing teeth, "the first
who lifts a hand, ay even a look towards her, I will tear his false
heart from his living body."
And so frightfully threatening was his face to behold that Hartvik and
all the armed men drew back a couple of paces.
But Eigil stepped forward again, and spoke in a louder voice than
Hartvik had used.
"Halfred, give way. We have sworn it. We will compel thee."
"Ye compel me!" cried Halfred, also now in a louder voice. "Murder and
revolt on board the Singing Swan! What saith the Viking code? Like a
dog shall he hang by the neck at the mast head who secretly stirs up
disobedience to the ship's lord."
"To the ship's lord, yes, when madness crazes him not," shouted Eigil
again.
"Darest thou to speak of rights, Halfred Hamundson?
"Only because madness and magic excuse thee, have we not long since
asserted our rights against thee: thou, who every word and bond of
right hast broken. We demand our rights. But thou hast no right to that
woman.
"Hast thou forgotten, Perjurer, that bloodstained midsummer night on
Hamunds Fjord? Of that, in truth, thou hast not spoken, since, like a
love sick boy, thou hast doted on this slender sorceress.
"Thou hast forgotten it, but the seamen who sail by yonder spot, they
see with horror the huge black Heckla Stone which there hides an awful
catastrophe, and covers a fearful curse. But huge and heavy as it is,
it cannot bury it. Demanding vengeance the shades of many thousand dead
arise, who lie there, through thy crime, and with whom thou hast broken
faith and oath.
"For how did'st thou swear in that night?
"Here I renounce, on account of the awful calamity which I have drawn
down upon wife and child, and many hundred friends and strangers, I
renounce for ever happiness and joy, song, wine, and the love of women.
To the dead alone, slain for my crime, with whose ashes I here cover
myself on their grave mound, do I belong, and among the living to my
faithful blood-brethren. And if I break this solemnly-sworn vow, then
be Dame Harthild's curse wholly fulfilled."
"But thou carest no more for Gods or men, no more for us thy
blood-brethren, who stood by thee to the death; who kept faith with
thee against our own kindred; who defended thy head against King
Hartstein's sword when thou layest defenceless as a child upon our
knees; who for thee have slain our nearest kindred; for thee have given
up sister and beloved.
"Her also, whose voluptuous lips have kissed forgetfulness upon thy
forehead, even her also has thy selfishness forgotten; for thou wilt
bring destruction upon her, as surely as the Gods hear curses, and
chastise perjury.
"Doubtless thou hast never told the white armed enchantress what a
fearful curse thou, with each kiss, art drawing down nearer and nearer
upon her head."
"Silence, Raven," cried Halfred, threateningly, paling with rage and
dread.
But Eigil continued, "Who knows if the golden eyes would not turn
shuddering from thee did she know that upon thy head rests the curse of
the wedded wife, burned through thee--of thy unborn murdered son. And
thou hast exposed her as well as thyself to the fearful sentence--it
will be fulfilled, for unerring is such deadly hate:
"'Cursed be thy proud thoughts--Madness shall strike them;
"'Cursed be thy false eyes--Blindness shall smite them;
"'Cursed be thy lying lips--They shall wither and smile no more;
"'Yet a twofold curse shall rend thee both, if thou winnest again a
woman's love.
"'In madness and disease shall she perish whom thou lovest more than
thy soul.'"
Here sounded a faint soul-harrowing moan from the open gangway.
"Thou here!" cried Eigil, and paused.
Halfred turned. There behind him stood Thora, not white as in general,
but with crimson glowing head, like a poppy, her eyes gazing wildly
upwards towards the moon and stars. Suddenly she uplifted both arms on
high, as though to avert from Halfred's head some fearful stroke from
the clouds. Then, once more, a faint but heart piercing moan, and she
fell forwards upon her face, like a crushed flower. Blood flowed from
her mouth. Halfred would have quickly raised her, but lifeless lay the
slight form on his arms.
"Dead," cried Halfred, "murdered! And ye have murdered her!"
He let slip the ice-cold form, wrenched with one tremendous spring
forwards his hammer from Hartvik, and swinging it on high, with one
stroke of his arm brought it crashing down upon the heads of both his
blood-brethren, so that brains, blood, and fragments of skulls were
scattered all around.
With that deed began a slaughter on board the Singing Swan like that of
the midsummer night; only it was much shorter, because there were fewer
to slay.
It seemed to Halfred as though his temple veins had burst. He felt,
instead of brains, only boiling blood in his head; he tasted blood in
his mouth, he saw only red blood before his eyes. Without choosing,
without asking who was for or against him, he sprang into the thickest
of the crowd of armed men, seized man after man by the throat with his
left hand, and shattered their skulls with the broad side of his
hammer.
He did not in the least perceive that a handful of men stood by him. He
did not notice the many wounds he received on arms, face, and hands, in
close combat with his despairing foes. He raged on and slew, until all
whom he could see before him lay dead and silent upon the deck. Then he
turned, still brandishing his hammer, and shouted--
"Who besides Halfred still breathes on this accursed ship?"
Then he saw that some six men of those who had aided him kneeled behind
him. They had formed, with their shields, a half circle round Thora's
body, and had turned off many a spear which would have reached the form
of the white sorceress. Halfred perceived this.
"Stand up," he said, with his left arm wiping away the blood and sweat
from his forehead, and the white foam from his lips.
He thrust the blood stained hammer into his belt, and kneeled beside
Thora, pillowing on his breast her face, which had become whiter than
ever before.
"It was too much to bear and to hear at once. The frightful hailstones
of this curse have struck the white rose too heavily."
Then she opened her eyes, and murmured, "Not for me, only for thee,
have the horrors of this curse overwhelmed me."
"She lives! she lives! Praise to you, ye gracious Gods," exulted
Halfred, "It could not be that she should die for the crimes of others.
She must be healed, as surely as the Gods live. Had Thora perished for
mine, for other men's guilt; with this hammer must I have slain all the
Gods."
And tenderly and softly, as a mother a sick child, the mighty man
raised his young wife in both arms, and bore her, treading softly, down
the steps.
But once more before she left the deck, Thora opened her eyes. She saw
Halfred stained all over with blood. She recognised, by their armour
and clothing, the bodies of Hartvik and Eigil, with frightfully
shattered heads. She saw the whole deck strewn with dead. She saw that
only very few of the ship's crew were left, and shuddering, shrinking,
she closed her eyes again.