The Story of Rolf and the Viking's Bow by Allen French

  CHAPTER XXIV

  NOW ROLF AND GRANI QUARREL

  Now says the tale that Rolf goes before the Earl, and tells ofKiartan's treachery.

  "Thou shalt have thine own way with him," quoth Thorfinn. "Shall hedie by the hands of my men, or what atonement wilt thou take?"

  "I ask not his death," said Rolf. "Give me his ship to return toIceland in, and his goods to repay my mother for all her sufferings."But of those sufferings, nor of all that Kiartan had done, the Earldid not ask until later.

  "Thou art easy," said he, "upon him who sought thy life; but all shallbe as thou sayest."

  Then Grani spoke apart with the Earl, and after that Thorfinn gaveorders to his men. Where the sward lay greenest (for no snow lay onsouthern slopes all that winter) they cut a strip of turf; its middlethey raised and propped aloft on spears, but its ends were still inthe ground. Then the Earl called Rolf to come, and bade all men standthere and hear what Grani had to say. Before all, Grani told that hehad wrongfully enthralled Rolf, and led by Kiartan had treated himunfairly. His sorrow he confessed, and he asked for pardon.

  Answered Rolf: "For this I grant pardon readily enough."

  "Meseems thou sayest that coldly, man," said the Earl. "Now herestands Grani to swear blood-brothership with thee, under this turf.What sayest thou to that?"

  Now blood-brothership was a sacred ceremony, and those who swore itmust uphold each other until death, if once the oath was taken undersuch a strip of turf, by letting blood from the arms mingle in theground. And no greater honor might one man do another than to offerblood-brothership. But again Rolf spoke coolly, and said:

  "Mayhap I am willing to do that."

  "Come, then," said Thorfinn. "Lay aside thy sword, and step under theturf with Grani."

  "Once I swore," replied Rolf, "never to leave weapon from my reach.And another oath I call to mind, which later I may tell thee here. Nowsince blood-brothership is asked, here I name myself: Rolf, son ofHiarandi, of Cragness above Broadfirth in Iceland. And rememberingwhat Grani said when we were like to be burnt together, I ask his truename, and his father's name, and his birthplace."

  "Grani hight I," answered that one. "Years long have I been fosteredhere, and I remember little of my childhood. But Einar is my father,Fellstead was our home, and the place is that same Broadfirth out inIceland. So much I know and no more."

  Then those who stood by saw Rolf draw his short-sword and spring atGrani. At his forehead Rolf laid the sword, the flat to the skin."Thus," cried he, "I laid this sword to thy father's head. But thus"(and he turned the sword) "I lay it to thine, edge to thy flesh. Andbecause I promised to do it, thus I draw thy blood!"

  He drew the sword lightly across Grani's forehead, and the bloodstarted out in little drops. Then Rolf dropped his arm, sheathed hissword, and stood quiet; but Grani, white with rage, snatched a spearfrom one of the Earl's men, and would have slain Rolf had not the Earlhimself come between.

  "Now," quoth Thorfinn grimly, "here is an odd end toblood-brothership. The cause of this shall I hear, from first untolast."

  Then Rolf told the story of his father's wrongs and his own, and Frodisaid it all was true. Grani, though he learned what his father haddone, stood still and said no word, except that he cried at the end:

  "Great insult hath Rolf offered me in drawing my blood, and for thatshall he pay with his."

  "Meseems," answered the Earl, "that the weight of blood-debt is stillon thy side, and it is well for thee that Rolf took not payment infull. And this I advise, that here ye two make up the feud; and allmoney atonements I will make to Rolf, if so be I see ye accorded."

  "I will lay down the feud on these terms," said Rolf, "if Grani willget me my homestead again."

  But deep anger burned in Grani that his offer of blood-brothership hadbeen so answered, by the shedding of his blood. He strode to thespears that held the strip of turf, and cast them down. "My feud do Ikeep!" he cried.

  "Then of thee," said the Earl, "I wash my hands. But I will take Rolfto me, to be of my bodyguard so long as he will."

  "Lord Earl," answered Rolf, "I thank thee for the honor, but in theship which thou hast given me I must return to Iceland, there to clearme of mine outlawry by means of my bow."

  And then that meeting of men broke up, and Rolf set himself to fit hisship for the outward voyage, and to hire sailors. He had wealthenough, in Kiartan's goods, to pay for all his father had lost; but inthe viking's bow he had that treasure which he most prized, for itshould win him his honor again, and the homestead which his fathershad built.

  He provisioned his ship, and he hired men and a shipmaster, and soonwas ready for the voyage outward. Now the spring was early, withoutstorms as yet.

  But Grani went unhappily about, knowing that danger was preparing forhis father, through Rolf, and seeing not what could be done. For inthat place, except Rolf's ship, lay no vessels plying either north orsouth, and none to go to Iceland. So there was no way for Grani tosend warning to Einar, and no means by which he himself might go toIceland, to stand by his father's side. He would have challenged Rolfto the holm, but holm-gangs and all duels were forbidden by the Earl.And now came the day when Rolf's ship was ready; the wind was fairfrom the east, and on the morrow they should start. Then Grani wentand sat on the hillside at sunset, watching the men at a littledistance as they worked about the ship where it lay upon the strand;but Rolf and Frodi had gone to the hall, and were feasting there withthe Earl and his men.

  Grani thought: "To save my father I must sail on that ship. Now thenight will be dark, and the men will sleep at the huts, but Rolf andFrodi at the hall. Naught hinders me from hiding myself on the ship,so that on the morrow they will sail with me."

  That pleased him well. But before dark Rolf and Frodi returned fromthe hall, having said farewell to the Earl.

  The ship was then pushed off, and all men got them aboard; theyanchored off the boat-steads, ready to sail at first twilight in themorning. Then when Grani saw his plan spoiled, in great uncertainty ofmind he went to the hall and sat down on the lowest bench.

  Quoth the Earl: "Come forward, Grani, and sit here near the dais; forthou didst save my realm as much as did those other two who have justsaid farewell."

  "I know that well, lord," answered Grani.

  "Come, sit here by my side," said the Earl, "and what thou askest inreward for thy deed, that I will give thee."

  So Grani sat there by the Earl's side until it was dark out of doors,and he knew the stars were out, but no moon. With the feast, Thorfinnwaxed joyous, for good tidings had come that day; and he began topress Grani to name the reward he would have for crossing the PentlandFirth to bring him news. So Grani said:

  "Stretch forth thy hand now, Earl Thorfinn, and promise to grant methat thing which I ask, which shall take from no man his right or hisown."

  So the Earl stretched forth his hand in promise, and said: "Ask whatthou wilt."

  Then all the Orkneyingers listened while Grani made his request. "OhEarl," said he, "make me thine outlaw!"

  "Nay," cried the Earl, "what request is this? Dost thou mock me and mypower?" And his men were angry, and some drew their swords.

  But Grani said most earnestly, "I mean no insult, but much lies on itthat thou shouldst make me outlaw."

  Wroth indeed were the Orkneyingers, and thronged around Grani to slayhim; but the Earl signed them to give peace, and sat with his eye onthe youth, and thought. Then at last he smiled in his beard, and said:

  "Thou art a clever lad, and bold withal. Here I grant thy desire." Andhe stretched out his hand and said: "Outlaw do I make thee in all mylands--not to be fed, not to be forwarded, not to be helped orharbored in any need, save only by masters of ships outward bound. Igrant thee three days' space to seek shelter, and here I give noticeamong my men of thy full outlawry."

  Then Grani thanked the Earl with all his heart, and went from thehall; after him the Earl's men scoffed, but still the Earl smiled inhis beard.

  Now that nig
ht a small boat rowed to the side of Rolf's ship, and aman climbed aboard, and the boatmen rowed the boat ashore again. Oneof the ship's men told Rolf, who sent for that one who had thus comeaboard. He stood before Rolf in the starlight, wrapped in a cloak.Rolf asked why he came aboard the ship in that manner.

  "Outlaw am I," said that one, "and by law thou must give me shelterwhen it is claimed."

  "Good is the law," quoth Rolf, "and once it helped me ere now. But thyvoice is muffled in the cloak, man. What is thy name?"

  "No-man is my name," answered the muffled man, "and here is my faringmoney."

  Rolf laughed. "No-man's fare costs nothing," said he, and would nottake the silver. "Find thyself a place to sleep; thou art welcomehere."

  So that one found himself a place to sleep, and early in the morningthe ship set sail. Now it is said that when the ship was gone the Earlsaw Kiartan on the strand bewailing his loss. Thorfinn ordered thatKiartan be set in a galley as rower, and for two years did Kiartanlabor at the oar. Then he escaped, and fled away southward; but hebecame thrall to a chapman, and was a thrall to the end of his days.So now he is out of the story.

  But that outlaw who had come on Rolf's ship lay like a log all thefirst day, while the ship sped westward; and only at night did herouse to take food. Four days he did thus, while the ship ran beforethe wind until the Faroe Islands were well astern. Then on a morningthe man rose and walked by the rail, and looked upon the sea. Rolfsent for him to come and speak to him, and when the man was face toface with him, behold, it was Grani!

  Then Rolf stood and looked on him, and Grani stood fast and looked onRolf. And Rolf turned away and walked in the stern, but Grani waitedin the same place. At last Rolf came back to him and said:

  "Only one thing will I ask of thee. Wast thou indeed outlaw of theEarl?"

  Grani stretched out his hand and swore to the truth. "Outlaw was I,and the Earl gave me but three days to quit his land."

  "Now," said Rolf, "thou art on my ship lawfully, and naught will I doagainst thee. We will leave it to the fates, which of us shall prosperin this affair."

  So Grani was out of danger of his life. Now that east wind lasteduntil they made Iceland--a quick voyage. And they sailed along thesouth of the land, and rounded the western cape, and sailed across themouth of Faxafirth. But when they would round the cape into Broadfirththe wind freshened, and blew them off the land a day's sail; therethey lay when the wind dropped. But then the wind came from the west,and blew them back to the land, and drove them ever faster till therewas a high gale. The smallest sail they could set split from the mast,the mast itself went next, and so they came to Broadfirth and drove upit. Night drew near, and the sailors were in fear of their lives.

  Now Frodi was in great uneasiness, and clung to his place, and lookedupon the waters. Sometimes he made as he would speak, and yet he saidnothing. Rolf and Grani stayed at opposite sides of the ship, and weresteadfast in all danger, though the waves washed over them.

  Then Rolf makes his way to Grani, and says he: "Now we near the land,and it is likely that we shall never need more of it than a fathomapiece, for burial. Therefore here I offer thee peace, asking noatonement from thee or thy father, save only my farm again, if wetwain get ashore."

  Grani looks upon Rolf, and his heart nearly melts: but he makeshimself stubborn and drops his eyes. Says he: "This is no time tospeak of that."

  Rolf clambers back to his place. The moon rises behind broken clouds,and he sees that the ship drives toward cliffs.