was united
to Thorsten, and dwelt with him at Framnaes.

Thorsten and Bele

Every spring Thorsten and Bele set out together in their ships; and,
upon one of these expeditions, they joined forces with Angantyr,
a foe whose mettle they had duly tested, and proceeded to recover
possession of a priceless treasure, a magic dragon ship named Ellida,
which AEgir, god of the sea, had once given to Viking in reward for
hospitable treatment, and which had been stolen from him.

"A royal gift to behold, for the swelling planks of its framework
Were not fastened with nails, as is wont, but grown in together.
Its shape was that of a dragon when swimming, but forward
Its head rose proudly on high, the throat with yellow gold flaming;
Its belly was spotted with red and yellow, but back by the rudder
Coiled out its mighty tail in circles, all scaly with silver;
Black wings with edges of red; when all were expanded
Ellida raced with the whistling storm, but outstript the eagle.
When filled to the edge with warriors, it sailed o'er the waters,
You'd deem it a floating fortress, or warlike abode of a monarch.
The ship was famed far and wide, and of ships was first in
the North."

Tegner, Frithiof Saga (Spalding's tr.).

The next season, Thorsten, Bele, and Angantyr conquered the Orkney
Islands, which were given as a kingdom to the latter, he voluntarily
pledging himself to pay a yearly tribute to Bele. Next Thorsten and
Bele went in quest of a magic ring, or armlet, once forged by Voelund,
the smith, and stolen by Sote, a famous pirate.

This bold robber was so afraid lest some one should gain possession of
the magic ring, that he had buried himself alive with it in a mound
in Bretland. Here his ghost was said to keep constant watch over it,
and when Thorsten entered his tomb, Bele, who waited outside, heard
the sound of frightful blows given and returned, and saw lurid gleams
of supernatural fire.

When Thorsten finally staggered out of the mound, pale and bloody,
but triumphant, he refused to speak of the horrors he had encountered
to win the coveted treasure, but often would he say, as he showed it,
"I trembled but once in my life, and 'twas when I seized it!"

Birth of Frithiof and Ingeborg

Thus owner of the three greatest treasures of the North, Thorsten
returned home to Framnaes, where Ingeborg bore him a fine boy, Frithiof,
while two sons, Halfdan