ast done him wrong."

The voice died away, and was followed by a silence so deep that at
length I could bear it no more.

"Ask of the war," I said, "and of what shall happen."

"It is too late," answered the voice of Freydisa. "I sought to know of
you, Olaf, and you alone, and now the spirit has left me."

Then came another long silence, after which Freydisa sighed thrice and
awoke. We went out of the temple, I bearing the lamp and she resting on
my arm. Near the door I turned and looked back, and it seemed to me that
the image of the god glared upon me wrathfully.

"What has chanced?" asked Freydisa when we stood beneath the light of
the friendly stars. "I know nothing; my mind is a blackness."

I told her word for word. When I had finished she said,

"Give me the Wanderer's sword."

I gave it to her, and she held it against the sky by the naked blade.

"The hilt is a cross," she said; "but how can a man worship a cross and
preach it and conquer thereby? I cannot interpret this rede, yet I do
not doubt but that it shall all come true, and that you, Olaf, and I are
doomed to be joined in the same fate, whatever it may be, and with us
some other who has wronged you, Steinar perchance, or Iduna herself.
Well, of this at least I am glad, for if I have loved the father, I
think that I love the son still more, though otherwise." And, leaning
forward, she kissed me solemnly upon the brow.

After Freydisa and I had sought the oracle of Odin, three long ships
of war sailed by the light of the moon from Fladstrand for Athalbrand's
Isle of Lesso. I do not know when we sailed, but in my mind I can
still see those ships creeping out to sea. In command of the first was
Thorvald, my father; of the second, Ragnar, my brother; and of the third
myself, Olaf; and on each of these ships were fifty men, all of them
stout fighters.

The parting with Thora, my mother, had been sad, for her heart foreboded
ill of this war, and her face could not hide what her heart told her.
Indeed, she wept bitterly, and cursed the name of Iduna the Fair, who
had brought this trouble on her House. Freydisa was sad also. Yet,
watching her opportunity, she glided up to me just before I embarked and
whispered to me,

"Be of good cheer, for you will return, whoever is left behind."

"It will give me little comfort to return if certain others are left
behind," I answered. "Oh, that the folk had hearkened to me and made
peace!"

"Too late to t