the sacrifice to Aegir and Ran [5]
for luck on the swan's path be?"

"Scant time have we for that," my father said, "for tide will not wait."

"Then," said the boy, "it were well to take the stone altar with us, and
make sacrifice on board. I have heard that Aegir is wrathful and strong."

Then my father said to Leva, "The boy is right in one thing, and that
is, that if we are to make a new home beyond the sea, the blue stones
that have belonged to our family since time untold should go with us,
else will there be no luck in this flitting."

"What matter?"

"West they came with us in the days of Odin, and west they shall go with
us once more," my father said.

And there was an end of question on the matter, for presently Arngeir
came up with the team of oxen and a sled, and my father hastily cried to
Thor as in time of sudden war, and then on the sled they loaded the
stones easily. I helped, and it is certain that they were no trouble to
uproot or lift, though they were bedded in the ground and heavy.
Wherefrom we all thought that the flitting was by the will of the Norns,
and likely to turn out well.

But in no way could we lift Thor himself. It was as if he were rooted,
and maybe he was so. Therefore we left him, but sadly.

One may suppose that, had any noticed that Grim was taking these sacred
things with him, there would have been a talk; but as we sailed light,
none thought them aught but needed ballast; and we brought other stones
to the ship with them and afterwards.

Of course folk did wonder at this sudden sailing of ours, but my father
made no secret of his wish to get out of the way of Hodulf, who had
taken the ships of one or two other men elsewhere, so that all thought
he feared that his would be the next to be seized, and deemed him
prudent in going. As for our own crew, they were told that it was
certain that the ship would be taken unless we went on this tide, and so
they worked well.

Very early in the morning, and unseen, Arngeir had brought Eleyn, the
queen, on board, and she was in the cabin under the raised after deck
all the while that the bustle of making ready was going on. Only my
father went in there at any time, unless he gave the key to one of us,
for there he kept his valuables and the arms.

Presently, when all the men were forward and busy, I got Havelok on
board unnoticed. We had kept Withelm running to and fro from ship to
house with little burdens all the morning, mightil