“Why sayest thou no word to these two?” asked Atli, her husband.

“For this reason, Earl,” she answered, “because ere long we three shall meet again; but I shall see Asmund, my father, and Groa, my mother, no more.”

“That is an ill saying, wife,” said Atli.  “Methinks thou dost foretell their doom.”

“Mayhap!  And now I will add to my redes, for I foretell thy doom also:  it is not yet, but it draws on.”

Then Atli bethought him of many wise saws, but spoke no more, for it seemed to him this was a strange bride that he had wed.

They hauled the anchor home, shook out the great sail, and passed away into the evening night.  But while land could still be seen, Swanhild stood near the helm, gazing with her blue eyes upon the lessening coast.  Then she passed to the hold, and shut herself in alone, and there she stayed, saying that she was sick, till at length, after a fair voyage of twenty days, they made the Orkney Islands.

But all this pleased Atli wondrous ill, yet he dared not cross her mood.

Now, in Iceland the time drew on when men must ride to the Althing, and notice was given to Eric Brighteyes of many suits that were laid against him, in that he had brought Mord, Ospakar’s son, to his death, dealing him a brain or a body or a marrow wound, and others of that company.  But no suits were laid against Skallagrim, for he was already outlaw.  Therefore he must go in hiding, for men were out to slay him, and this he did unwillingly, at Eric’s bidding.  Asmund took up Eric’s case, for he was the most famous of all lawmen in that day, and when thirteen full weeks of summer were done, they two rode to the Thing, and with them a great company of men of their quarter.

Now, men go up to the Loegberg, and there came Ospakar, though he was not yet healed of his wound, and all his company, and laid their suits against Eric by the mouth of Gizur the Lawman, Ospakar’s son.  The pleadings were long and cunning on either side; but the end of it was that Ospakar brought it about, by the help of his friends—­and of these had many—­that Eric must go into outlawry for three years.  But no weregild was to be paid to Ospakar and his men for those who had been killed, and no atonement for the great wound that Skallagrim Lambstail gave him, or for the death of Mord, his son, inasmuch as Eric fought for his own hand to save his life.

The party of Ospakar were ill pleased at this finding, and Eric was not over glad, for it was little to his mind that he should sail a-warring across the seas, while Gudruda sat at home in Iceland.  Still, there was no help for the matter.

Now Ospakar spoke with his company, and the end of it was that he called on them to take their weapons and avenge themselves by their own might.  Asmund and Eric, seeing this, mustered their army of freemen and thralls.  There were one hundred and five of them, all stout men; but Ospakar Blacktooth’s band numbered a hundred and thirty-three, and they stood with their backs to the Raven’s Rift.