and two more men, with the dog Vig,
lost the rest, and before we found them we had the pack on us, and
we must fight for our lives. And that fight was a hard fight, for
there must have been a score of gaunt wolves, half starved and
ravenous.

And I think we should have fared badly, for at last I was standing
over Raud, who was down, dragged to the earth by two wolves, of
which the dog slew one and I the other, while the other two men
were back to back with me, and the wolves bayed all round us. But
Hubba and his party heard our shouts in time and came up, and so
ended the matter.

Now Raud must have it that I had saved his life, though I thought
the good dog had a share in it, and both he and the dog were a
little hurt. However, my shoulder was badly torn by a wolf that
leapt at me while my spear was cumbered with another, and I for my
part never wished it had not been so.

For Osritha, who was very skilful in leech craft, tended my hurt;
and I saw much of her, for the hurts were a long time before they
healed, as wolf bites are apt to be, and we grew very friendly. So
that, day by day, I began to long to see the maiden who cared for
my wound so gently, before the time came.

Now Raud must needs make me a spear from a tough ashen sapling that
he had treasured for a long time, because that which I had used in
the wolf hunt was sprung by the weight of one of the beasts, and
while his hurts kept him away at his own house he wrought it, and
at last brought it up to the hall to give to me.

When I looked at it--and it was a very good one, and had carved
work where the hand grips the shaft, and a carved end--I saw that
the head was one of Jarl Ingvar's best spearheads, and asked Raud
where he got it.

"Why," he said, "a good ash shaft deserves a good head, and so I
asked the jarl for one. And when he knew for whom it was, he gave
me this, saying it was the best he had."

Now I was pleased with this gift, both because I liked the man
Raud, who was both brave and simple minded, and because it showed
that the surly jarl had some liking for me. Yet I would that he
showed this openly, and telling Osritha of the gift, I dared say
so.

Then she sighed and rose up, saying that she would show me another
spear on the further wall, so taking me out of hearing of her
maidens, who sat by the fire busied over their spinning and the
like.

There she spoke to me of Jarl Ingvar.

"Moody and silent beyond his wont has he been