el with the
mountain air."

"Truly, no!" replied the girl, smiling, "mountain air likes me well. If
my looks are sadder than usual, it is because of the form of the weapon
thou art fashioning."

"The weapon!" exclaimed Erling, as he raised the handle of the hammer,
and, resting his arms on it, gazed at his visitor in some surprise. "It
is but an axe--a simple axe, perchance a trifle heavier than other axes
because it suits my arm better, and I have a weakness that way. What
ails thee at a battle-axe, Hilda?"

"I quarrel not with the axe, Erling, but it reminds me of thy love of
fighting, and I grieve for that. Why art thou so fond of war?"

"Fond of war!" echoed the youth. "Now, out upon thee, Hilda! what were
a man fit for if he could not fight?"

"Nay, I question not thine ability to fight, but I grieve to see thy
love for fighting."

"Truly there seems to me a close relationship between the love of war
and the ability to fight," returned the youth. "But to be plain with
thee: I _do not_ love war so much as ye think. Yet I utter this in
thine ear, for I would not that the blades of the valley knew it, lest
they might presume upon it, and I should have to prove my ability--
despite my want of love--upon some of their carcasses."

"I wish there were no such thing as war," said Hilda with a sigh.

Erling knitted his brows and gazed into the smithy fire as if he were
engaged in pondering some knotty point. "Well, I'm not sure," said he
slowly, and descending to a graver tone of address--"I'm not sure that I
can go quite so far as that. If we had no war at all, perchance our
swords might rust, and our skill, for want of practice, might fail us in
the hour of need. Besides, how could men in that case hope to dwell
with Odin in Valhalla's bright and merry halls? But I agree with thee
in wishing that we had less of war and more of peace _at home_."

"I fear," said Hilda, "we seem likely to have more of war and less of
peace than usual, if rumours be true. Have you heard that Danish
vikings have been seen among the islands?"

"Aye, truly, I have heard of them, and it is that which has sent me to
the smithy this morning to hasten forward my battle-axe; for I love not
too light a weapon. You see, Hilda, when it has not weight one must
sometimes repeat the blow; especially if the mail be strong. But with a
heavy axe and a stout arm there is no need for that. I had begun this
weapon," continued the youth