swoman, and Asmund, thy father--redder shall be the feast where sit
Gudruda, thy sister, and Ospakar! The wolf howls at thy door, Bjoern! the
grave-worm opens his mouth! trolls run to and fro upon thy threshold,
and the ghosts of men speed Hellwards! Ill were the deeds of Groa--worse
shall be the deeds of Groa's daughter! Red is thy hall with blood,
Bjoern!--for Whitefire is aloft and--_I tell thee Eric comes!_"--and with
one great cry she fell back--dead.

Now they stood amazed, and trembling in their fear.

"Saevuna hath spoken strange words," said Bjoern.

"Shall we be frightened by a dead hag?" quoth Ospakar, drawing his
breath again. "Fellows, bear this carrion forth, or we fling it to the
dogs."

Then the men tied the body of Saevuna, Thorgrimur's widow, Eric's
mother, fast in the chair, and bore it thence. But when at length
they came to Coldback, they found that Swanhild was there with all her
following, and had driven Eric's grieve and his folk to the fells. But
one old carline, who had been nurse to Eric, was left there, and she sat
wailing in an outhouse, being too weak to move.

Then the men set down the corpse of Saevuna in the outhouse, and, having
told all their tale to the carline, they fled also.

That night passed, and passed the morrow; but on the next day at dawn
Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail landed near Westman Isles. They
had made a bad passage from Fareys, having been beat about by contrary
winds; but at length they came safe and well to land.

Now this was the day of the marriage-feast of Gudruda the Fair and
Ospakar; but Eric knew nothing of these tidings.

"Where to now, lord?" said Skallagrim.

"To Coldback first, to see my mother, if she yet lives, and to learn
tidings of Gudruda. Then as it may chance."

Near to the beach was a yeoman's house. Thither they went to hire
horses; but none were in the house, for all had gone to Gudruda's
marriage-feast. In the home meadow ran two good horses, and in the
outhouses were saddles and bridles. They caught the horses, saddled them
and rode for Coldback. When they had ridden for something over an hour
they came to the crest of a height whence they could see Coldback in the
Marsh.

Eric drew rein and looked, and his heart swelled within him at the sight
of the place where he was born. But as he looked he saw a great train of
people ride away from Coldback towards Middalhof--and in the company a
woman wearing a purple cloak.

"N