ric's eyes, and terror got hold of them. Now
he was almost come, and Whitefire sprang aloft like a tongue of flame.
Then they stayed no more, but, running one this way and one that, cast
themselves into the flood and swam for the river-edge. Now from either
bank rose up a roar of laughter, that grew and grew, till it echoed
against the lava rifts and scared the ravens from their nests.

Eric, too, stopped his charge and laughed aloud; then walked back to
where Asmund stood, unarmed, to second him in the holmgang.

"I can get little honour from such champions as these," he said.

"Nay," answered Asmund, "thou hast got the greatest honour, and they,
and Ospakar, such shame as may not be wiped out."

Now when Blacktooth saw what had come to pass, he well-nigh choked,
and fell from his horse in fury. Still, he could find no stomach for
fighting, but, mustering his company, rode straightway from the Thing
home again to Swinefell. But he caused those two whom he had put up
to do battle with Eric to be set upon with staves and driven from
his following, and the end of it was that they might stay no more in
Iceland, but took ship and sailed south, and now they are out of the
story.

On the next day, Asmund, and with him Eric and all their men, rode back
to Middalhof. Gudruda greeted Eric well, and for the first time since
Swanhild went away she kissed him. Moreover, she wept bitterly when she
learned that he must go into outlawry, while she must bide at home.

"How shall the days pass by, Eric?" she said, "when thou art far, and I
know not where thou art, nor how it goes with thee, nor if thou livest
or art already dead?"

"In sooth I cannot say, sweet," he answered; "but of this I am sure
that, wheresoever I am, yet more weary shall be my hours."

"Three years," she went on--"three long, cold years, and no sight of
thee, and perchance no tidings from thee, till mayhap I learn that thou
art in that land whence tidings cannot come. Oh, it would be better to
die than to part thus."

"Well I wot that it is better to die than to live, and better never to
have been born than to live and die," answered Eric sadly. "Here, it
would seem, is nothing but hate and strife, weariness and bitter envy
to fret away our strength, and at last, if we come so far, sorrowful age
and death, and thereafter we know not what. Little of good do we find to
our hands, and much of evil; nor know I for what ill-doing these burdens
are laid upon us