om the open. The cliffs to
our right had been those of a great island which lies across the
mouth of the fjord itself, which we were but now entering. And then
again the cliffs closed in, and we were in the silence. On the
verge of the cliffs here were poised great stones, as if set to
roll down on those who would try to force a passage, but they were
more than man might lift. They might have been hove here by Jotuns
at play, so great were they, in truth.

Now, it was Asbiorn's plan that we should try to reach the upper
end of the fjord, where the hall and village lay, in the dusk of
evening, if we could do so, unseen. Gerda knew that it was unlikely
that we should be spied until we had passed higher yet; or, at
least, were we seen, that none would wonder at the return of a ship
which was known to be that of Heidrek. The brown sail which had
been our terror might help us here and now.

Far up its reaches the fjord branched, one arm running on toward
the east, and the other, which was our course, northward. Here, at
the meeting of these branches, there was a wider stretch of water,
ringed around with mountains which sloped, forest clad, to the
shores, and dotted with rocky islets round which the tide swirled
and eddied in the meeting of the two currents, for it was falling.

We had timed our passage well, and would wait here until we might
find our way to the hall as the men were gathered for the evening
meal. Our plan was to land and surround the building, and so take
Arnkel if we could without any fighting.

Hidden away at the foot of a valley here was a little village, but
at first we saw no signs that we were noticed. Presently, however,
when Asbiorn had taken the ship into a berth between two of the
islets, and the men were getting her shore lines fast to mooring
posts which seemed to be used only now and then, a boat with two
men in it came off to us thence, and we were hailed to know what we
needed in these waters.

Asbiorn answered, saying that we were friends, waiting for tide up
the fjord, and they went ashore on the islet next them, and came
across it to us. Then Gerda rose up from where she sat watching
them and called them by name, and they started as if they had seen
a ghost, so that she laughed at them. At that they took courage,
and came nearer.

The stern of the ship was not more than a couple of fathoms from
the rock, and there they stood, and it was good to hear their
welcome of the lady whom