nd, by the bed of Atli the Earl, her lord, crying "Awake!"

"What passes now?" said Atli, lifting himself upon his arm. "What
passes, Swanhild, and why dost thou ever wander alone at nights, looking
so strangely? I love not thy dark witch-ways, Swanhild, and I was wed to
thee in an ill hour, wife who art no wife."

"In an ill hour indeed, Earl Atli," she answered, "an ill hour for thee
and me, for, as thou hast said, eld and youth are strange yokefellows
and pull different paths. Arise now, Earl, for I have dreamed a dream."

"Tell it to me on the morrow, then," quoth Atli; "there is small
joyousness in thy dreams, that always point to evil, and I must bear
enough evil of late."

"Nay, lord, my rede may not be put aside so. Listen now: I have
dreamed that a great dragon of war has been cast away upon Straumey's
south-western rocks. The cries of those who drowned rang in my ears. But
I thought that some came living to the shore, and lie there senseless,
to perish of the cold. Arise, therefore, take men and go down to the
rocks."

"I will go at daybreak," said Atli, letting his head fall upon the
pillow. "I have little faith in such visions, and it is too late for
ships of war to try the passage of the Firth."

"Arise, I say," answered Swanhild sternly, "and do my bidding, else I
will myself go to search the rocks."

Then Atli rose grumbling, and shook the heavy sleep from his eyes:
for of all living folk he most feared Swanhild his wife. He donned his
garments, threw a thick cloak about him, and, going to the hall where
men snored around the dying fires, for the night was bitter, he awoke
some of them. Now among those men whom he called was Hall of Lithdale,
Hall the mate who had cut the grapnel-chain. For this Hall, fearing to
return to Iceland, had come hither saying that he had been wounded off
Fareys, in the great fight between Eric and Ospakar's men, and left
there to grow well of his hurt or die. Then Atli, not knowing that the
carle lied, had bid him welcome for Eric's sake, for he still loved Eric
above all men.

But Hall loved not labour and nightfarings to search for shipwrecked
men of whom the Lady Swanhild had chanced to dream. So he turned himself
upon his side and slept again. Still, certain of Atli's folk rose at his
bidding, and they went together down to the south-western rocks.

But Swanhild, a cloak thrown over her night-gear, sat herself in the
high seat of the hall and fixing her eyes, now