s his word, when the spring came. The bodies of all
the crew were redeemed from the snow and put aboard ship; the
settlement at Lucefrith was broken up. He gave the survivors their
freedom, and free passage to Ericsfrith; for he himself intended to
settle there when he had restored Gudrid to Brattalithe. So they set
sail, and made a good passage, and came into the frith on a day of
fresh southerly wind and strong sunshine. Gudrid, standing on the
afterdeck, looked at the little town and the green fields about it, at
the snow-peaks whose shapes she knew well, whereunder, as she felt, her
life had been passed; and then she saw old Eric in his red cloak being
helped into his boat, and Freydis, bareheaded, with her yellow hair
flying in the wind, and her strong arms folded over her chest--and felt
the comfort of home growing about her, and the dew of happy tears in
her eyes.

Eric's eyes looked anxiously up at her. "Is all well, daughter?" he
called out in a brave voice--but she could only answer with her own wet
eyes. He was hauled on ship-board, and soon had her in his arms. Her
hidden voice and shaking shoulders told him the rest. "There then, my
sweetheart, it is done. Yet cry your fill. I have a fine son
left--and you into the bargain. Come home now, and leave me no more."
So said old Eric Red, a man not easily downed by fate. He made
Thorstan Black free of Brattalithe for as long as he would, and
promised him the best land that he had. So they all went ashore, and
Freydis hailed Gudrid and made much of her. Freydis was not changed at
all. She was very fond of Gudrid, and for her sake put up with her
father and mother who, without Gudrid, would have fretted her to a rag.
Leif came in that evening and embraced Gudrid like a sister. He heard
her dreadful story and shook his head over his brother's fate.
"Thorstan was born to misfortune," he said. "He had the second sight,
and there is no worse gift for a man than that. Brave as he was, that
foreknowledge always baulked his effort. But he was a fine man. You
have had the best of us, Gudrid."

"I love you all so much," she said, "that I must have been happy with
any one of you, since he would have made me free of the others. I
would not have my Thorstan back again. He told me that he was at
rest--and how can you look for rest in this life?"

She went to see Theodhild in her hermitage. To her only she told
Thorstan's prediction, that she should be