hair is yellow like gold and his
eyes shine bright as stars." And Thorgrimur named him Eric Brighteyes.

Now, Coldback is but an hour's ride from Middalhof, and it chanced,
in after years, that Thorgrimur went up to Middalhof, to keep the Yule
feast and worship in the Temple, for he was in the priesthood of Asmund
Asmundson, bringing the boy Eric with him. There also was Groa with
Swanhild, for now she dwelt at Middalhof; and the three fair children
were set together in the hall to play, and men thought it great sport to
see them. Now, Gudruda had a horse of wood and would ride it while Eric
pushed the horse along. But Swanhild smote her from the horse and called
to Eric to make it move; but he comforted Gudruda and would not, and at
that Swanhild was angry and lisped out:

"Push thou must, if I will it, Eric."

Then he pushed sideways and with such good will that Swanhild fell
almost into the fire of the hearth, and, leaping up, she snatched a
brand and threw it at Gudruda, firing her clothes. Men laughed at this;
but Groa, standing apart, frowned and muttered witch-words.

"Why lookest thou so darkly, housekeeper?" said Asmund; "the boy is
bonny and high of heart."

"Ah, he is bonny as no child is, and he shall be bonny all his
life-days. Nevertheless, she shall not stand against his ill luck. This
I prophesy of him: that women shall bring him to his end, and he shall
die a hero's death, but not at the hand of his foes."

And now the years went by peacefully. Groa dwelt with her daughter
Swanhild up at Middalhof and was the love of Asmund Asmundson. But,
though he forgot his oath thus far, yet he would never take her to wife.
The witchwife was angered at this, and she schemed and plotted much
to bring it about that Asmund should wed her. But still he would not,
though in all things else she led him as it were by a halter.

Twenty full years had gone by since Gudruda the Gentle was laid in
earth; and now Gudruda the Fair and Swanhild the Fatherless were women
too. Eric, too, was a man of five-and-twenty years, and no such man had
lived in Iceland. For he was strong and great of stature, his hair was
yellow as gold, and his grey eyes shone with the light of swords. He
was gentle and loving as a woman, and even as a lad his strength was the
strength of two men; and there were none in all the quarter who could
leap or swim or wrestle against Eric Brighteyes. Men held him in honour
and spoke well of him, though