But as soon as King Helgi had come to himself he bade follow after
Frithiof speedily, and slay them all, him and his fellows: “A man of
forfeit life, who spareth no Place of Peace!”
So they blew the gathering for the kings' men, and when they came out to
the hall they saw that it was afire; so King Halfdan went thereto with
some of the folk, but King Helgi followed after Frithiof and his men,
who were by then gotten a-shipboard and were lying on their oars.
Now King Helgi and his men find that all the ships are scuttled, and
they have to turn back to shore, and have lost some men: then waxed King
Helgi so wroth that he grew mad, and he bent his bow, and laid an arrow
on the string, and drew at Frithiof so mightily that the bow brake
asunder in the midst.
But when Frithiof saw that, then he gat him to the two bow oars of
Ellidi, and laid so hard on them that they both brake, and with that he
sang a stave:
“Young Ingibiorg
Kissed I aforetime,
Kissed Beli's daughter
In Baldur's Meadow.
So shall the oars
Of Ellidi
Break both together
As Helgi's bow breaks.”
Then the land-wind ran down the firth and they hoisted sail and sailed;
but Frithiof bade them look to it that they might have no long abiding
there. And so withal they sailed out of the Sognfirth, and Frithiof
sang:
“Sail we away from Sogn,
E'en as we sailed aforetime,
When flared the fire all over
The house that was my fathers'.
Now is the bale a-burning
Amidst of Baldur's Meadow:
But wend I as a wild-wolf,
Well wot I they have sworn it.”
“What shall we turn to now, foster-brother?” said Biorn.
“I may not abide here in Norway,” said Frithiof: “I will learn the ways
of warriors, and sail a-warring.”
So they searched the isles and out-skerries the summer long, and
gathered thereby riches and renown; but in autumn-tide they made for
the Orkneys, and Angantyr gave them good welcome, and they abode there
through the winter-tide.
But when Frithiof was gone from Norway the kings held a Thing, whereat
was Frithiof made an outlaw throughout their realm: they took his lands
to them, moreover, and King Halfdan took up his abode at Foreness, and
built up again all Baldur's Meadow, though it was long ere the fire
was slaked there. This misliked King Helgi most, that the gods were all
burned up, and great was the cost or ever Baldur's Meadow was built anew
fully equal to its first estate.
So King Helgi abode still at Sowstrand.