id presently. "He was a
king in the old days before Harald made himself the one ruler in
the land who should so call himself. But he cared not at all for
the name, so that he held his own place among his own people, and
therefore let it be, for he was a friend of Harald's and helped him
to the one throne. Whereby we have lived in peace till just now,
when the old chief grew feeble. Then came my far cousin, Arnkel,
and would take first place, for my father, the old man's son, was
dead. That my grandfather would not suffer. He would have me rule,
for I should not be the first woman who had done so in his little
realm. One of my ancestresses fought as a shield maiden--as I
thought myself until today--in the great Bravalla fight long ago.
It is her mail which I have on now. Arnkel pretended to agree to
this, being crafty. It pleased the chief, and deceived me--till
yesterday. Then at last I knew that he did but wait for the death
of my grandfather, Thorwald, and then would get rid of me and my
claims. So Thorwald died, and we would set him in his ship and
build a mound over her in all honour. But to do that must sail her
from up the long fjord, where we have our place, to a low shore
which lies open to the sea near its mouth, for with us is no place
where we may find such a spot as we needed. A little village of
ours is there on the coast, at which we might beach and draw up the
ship; and so we made all ready, even as you see it now, save for
closing the chamber, and sailed thither after the storm had passed,
in the bright night. There we beached the ship, with the rollers
under her, while the people made ready the place for the mound.

"Then suddenly, from over the near hills came Heidrek and his men,
and fell on us as the folk worked. I sat on the deck here alone at
that time, clad thus for the last rites, and saw the warriors swarm
out of a little valley on my folk, and rose up to go to them with
my arms. Then came Arnkel on board in haste, and bade me shelter in
the chamber. The ship was to be set afloat lest the fight should go
against us. But I would not go."

There she stopped, and a look of remembered terror crossed her
face.

"He had two men with him; and all the rest--our courtmen and the
freemen who loved me, as I think--were running to the fight. So
they made no more ado, but carried me thither, bound me that I
might not cry out, and then set up the timbers hastily and fastened
them. So I must lie helpless