arl. I will fight willingly for my faith."

"Fight for what you like," said Ingvar, "but make haste over it."

Then Hubba and Guthrum placed me at one side of the square, and
Rorik at the opposite. And I faced the image of Thor, so that under
the very eyes of the idol I hated I must prove my faith.

Then came a longing into my mind to lift my axe in Thor's face and
defy him, but I put it away, for how should an idol know of threat
or defiance? Surely that would be to own some power of his.

When we were ready, Hubba and Guthrum, each with drawn swords,
stood on either side of the spear-marked square, and signed to
Ingvar to give the word. At once he did so.

Then I strode forward five paces and waited, but Rorik edged round
me, trying to gain some vantage of light, and I watched him
closely.

And all the host stood silent, holding breath, and the altar smoke
rose up over our heads, and the ravens croaked in the trees, and
over all stared the great statue of Thor, seeing naught.

Then like a wolf Rorik sprang at me, smiting at my left shoulder
where no shield was to guard me. And that was Rorik's last stroke,
for even as I had parried Thormod's stroke in sport, the man's
wrist lit on the keen edge of my axe, so that hand and weapon flew
far beyond me with the force of his stroke. Then flashed my axe,
and Rorik fell with his helm cleft in twain.

Then roared our crew, cheering me:

"Skoal to the axeman! Ahoy!"

But I looked at Ingvar, and said:

"Short work have I made, Jarl."

Whereat he laughed a grim laugh, only answering:

"Aye, short enough. The gods are appeased."

Then I went back to my place beside Halfden, and our men patted my
back, praising me, roughly and heartily, for it is not a viking's
way to blame a man for slaying a comrade in fair fight and for good
reason.

Now Ingvar stood before the shrine, and called to the gods to be
heedful of the blood spilt to purge whatever dishonour or wrong had
been done. And he hung up the weapons of the slain man in the
shrine, and after that closed its doors and barred them; and we
marched from the Ve silently and swiftly, leaving the body of Rorik
alone for a feast to the birds of Odin before the dying altar fire.

Now was I light hearted, thinking that the worst was past, and so
also thought Halfden, so that we went back and sought Osritha, who
waited, pale and anxious, to know how things should go with me, and
when we found her I saw that she had be