ey are dead or living."

Now Swanhild started and came on swiftly. Had the Familiar tricked her
and had she paid the price for nothing? Was Eric taken from Gudruda and
given to her indeed--but given dead? She bent over him, gazing keenly on
his face. Then she spoke.

"He is not dead but senseless. Bring dry clothes, and make water hot,"
and, kneeling down, she loosed Eric's helm and harness and ungirded
Whitefire from his side.

For long Swanhild and Atli tended Eric at one fire, and the serving
women tended Skallagrim at the other. Presently there came a cry that
Skallagrim stirred, and Atli with others ran to see. At this moment also
the eyes of Eric were unsealed, and Swanhild saw them looking at her
dimly from beneath. Moved to it by her passion and her joy that he yet
lived, Swanhild let her face fall till his was hidden in her unbound
hair, and kissed him upon the lips. Eric shut his eyes again, sighing
heavily, and presently he was asleep. They bore him to a bed and heaped
warm wrappings upon him. At daybreak he woke, and Atli, who sat watching
at his side, gave him hot mead to drink.

"Do I dream?" said Eric, "or is it Earl Atli who tends me, and did I but
now see the face of Swanhild bending over me?"

"It is no dream, Eric, but the truth. Thou hast been cast away here on
my isle of Straumey."

"And Skallagrim--where is Skallagrim?"

"Skallagrim lives--fear not!"

"And my comrades, how went it with them?"

"But ill, Eric. Ran has them all. Now sleep!"

Eric groaned aloud. "I had rather died also than live to hear such heavy
tidings," he said. "Witch-work! witch-work! and that fair witch-face
wrought it." And once again he slept, nor did he wake till the sun was
high. But Atli could make nothing of his words.

When Swanhild left the side of Eric she met Hall of Lithdale face to
face and his looks were troubled.

"Say, lady," he asked, "will Brighteyes live?"

"Grieve not, Hall," she answered, "Eric will surely live and he will be
glad to find a messmate here to greet him, having left so many yonder,"
and she pointed to the sea.

"I shall not be glad," said Hall, letting his eyes fall.

"Why not, Hall? Fearest thou Skallagrim? or hast thou done ill by Eric?"

"Ay, lady, I fear Skallagrim, for he swore to slay me, and that kind
of promise he ever keeps. Also, if the truth must out, I have not dealt
altogether well with Eric, and of all men I least wish to talk with
him."

"Speak on," she