ears since, and her two elder sisters had been
married to chiefs of their own land. Sometimes, too, they would ask
him of the dress of the ladies of his land; but at that he would
laugh and shake his head, saying that he only knew that they went
wondrously clad, but that he could tell naught more of the matter.

"Weapons and war gear I may talk of by the hour," he said, "but
women's gear is beyond me. But once my daughter and I wrought
together in a matter that was partly of both, and that was when I
needed a war flag. And so I drew out the great raven I would have
embroidered on it, and they worked it in wondrous colours, and gold
and silver round the form of the great bird, so that it seems to
shift and flap its wings as the light falls on it and the breeze
stirs it, as if there were magic therein."

Now Eadgyth was well skilled in this work, and thereat she must
needs say that she would work me a flag for our ship, if the jarl
would plan one. So it seems to me now that that evening was very
pleasant, for they planned and shaped and began a flag whereon was
drawn by the jarl a white falcon like the one he had given to me,
and that was my thought, and it pleased him, as I think.

One day we came home early from our hunting, and Lodbrok and I sat
in the great hall, while the summer rain swelled in torrents, with
thunder and lightning sweeping over the river marshes and out to
sea, and we looked at the weapons that hung on the walls.

"Little care I for your long spear and short sword, friend
Wulfric," he said; "it seems to me that you must needs shorten the
one and lengthen the other before you can be held well armed. And
your bow is weak, and you have no axe."

For I had asked him what he thought of our Saxon weapons, else
would he not have spoken so plainly. Then he thought for a little
while, and said:

"Would you learn to use the axe?"

I answered that nothing would please me better; for of all things,
I longed to excel in weapon play of all kinds.

"That is well," he said, "for I owe you my life, and I think that I
can teach you that which will keep yours against any foe that you
may meet; for you are of the right build for a good axeman, and not
too old to learn."

Then we went to the smithy, and there, while the thunder raged
outside, he forged me an axe of the Danish pattern.

"Thor's own weather!" he said, laughing; and as he spoke the blue
lightning paled the red glow of the forge to a glimmer. "T