Afterawhileshegrewsilent，andfeartookholdofme。Theplacewaslarge，andthefeeblelightofthelampscarcelyreachedtothearchedroof；allaboutmeweregreatformlessshadows。Ifeltthatthereweretwoworlds，oneofthefleshandoneofthespirit，andthatIstoodbetweenthetwo。Freydisaseemedtogotosleep；Icouldnolongerhearherbreathing。Thenshesighedheavilyandturnedherhead，andbythelightofthelampInotedthatherfacewaswhiteandghastly。
“Whatdoyouseek？“herlipsasked，forIsawthemmoving。Yetthevoicethatissuedfromthemwasnotherownvoice，butthatofadeep-
throatedman，whospokewithastrangeaccent。
NextcametheanswerinthevoiceofFreydisa。
“I，yourvirgin，seektoknowthefateofhimwhostandsbythealtar，onewhomIlove。“
Forawhiletherewasquiet；thenthefirstvoicespoke，stillthroughthelipsofFreydisa。OfthisIwassure，forthoseofthestatueremainedimmovable。Itwaswhatithadalwaysbeen——athingofwood。
“Olaf，thesonofThorvald，“saidthedeepvoice，“isanenemyofusthegods，aswashisforefatherwhosegraveherobbed。Ashisforefather’sfatewas，soshallhisbe，forinbothofthemdwellsthesamespirit。Heshallworshipthatwhichisuponthehiltoftheswordhestolefromthedead，andinthissignshallconquer，sinceitprevailsagainstusandmakesourcurseofnoneeffect。Greatsorrowshallhetaste，andgreatjoy。Heshallthrowawayasceptreforawoman’skiss，andyetgainagreatersceptre。Olaf，whomwecurse，shallbeOlaftheBlessed。Yetintheendshallweprevailagainsthisfleshandthatofthosewhoclingtohimpreachingthatwhichisupontheswordbutnotwiththesword，amongwhomthoushaltbenumbered，woman——thou，andanother，whohastdonehimwrong。“
Thevoicediedaway，andwasfollowedbyasilencesodeepthatatlengthIcouldbearitnomore。
“Askofthewar，“Isaid，“andofwhatshallhappen。“
“Itistoolate，“answeredthevoiceofFreydisa。“Isoughttoknowofyou，Olaf，andyoualone，andnowthespirithasleftme。“
Thencameanotherlongsilence，afterwhichFreydisasighedthriceandawoke。Wewentoutofthetemple，Ibearingthelampandsherestingonmyarm。NearthedoorIturnedandlookedback，anditseemedtomethattheimageofthegodglareduponmewrathfully。
“Whathaschanced？“askedFreydisawhenwestoodbeneaththelightofthefriendlystars。“Iknownothing；mymindisablackness。“
Itoldherwordforword。WhenIhadfinishedshesaid，“GivemetheWanderer’ssword。“
Igaveittoher，andshehelditagainsttheskybythenakedblade。
“Thehiltisacross，“shesaid；“buthowcanamanworshipacrossandpreachitandconquerthereby？Icannotinterpretthisrede，yetI
donotdoubtbutthatitshallallcometrue，andthatyou，Olaf，andIaredoomedtobejoinedinthesamefate，whateveritmaybe，andwithussomeotherwhohaswrongedyou，Steinarperchance，orIdunaherself。Well，ofthisatleastIamglad，forifIhavelovedthefather，IthinkthatIlovethesonstillmore，thoughotherwise。“
And，leaningforward，shekissedmesolemnlyuponthebrow。
AfterFreydisaandIhadsoughttheoracleofOdin，threelongshipsofwarsailedbythelightofthemoonfromFladstrandforAthalbrand’sIsleofLesso。Idonotknowwhenwesailed，butinmymindIcanstillseethoseshipscreepingouttosea。IncommandofthefirstwasThorvald，myfather；ofthesecond，Ragnar，mybrother；
andofthethirdmyself，Olaf；andoneachoftheseshipswerefiftymen，allofthemstoutfighters。
ThepartingwithThora，mymother，hadbeensad，forherheartforebodedillofthiswar，andherfacecouldnothidewhatherhearttoldher。Indeed，sheweptbitterly，andcursedthenameofIdunatheFair，whohadbroughtthistroubleonherHouse。Freydisawassadalso。Yet，watchingheropportunity，sheglideduptomejustbeforeI
embarkedandwhisperedtome，“Beofgoodcheer，foryouwillreturn，whoeverisleftbehind。“
“Itwillgivemelittlecomforttoreturnifcertainothersareleftbehind，“Ianswered。“Oh，thatthefolkhadhearkenedtomeandmadepeace！“
“Toolatetotalkofthatnow，“saidFreydisa，andweparted。
Thiswasourplan:TosailforLessobythemoonlight，andwhenthemoonwentdowntocreepsilentlytowardstheshoresoftheisland。
Then，justatthefirstbreakofdawn，weproposedtobeachtheshipsonasandystrandweknew，andrushtoattackAthalbrand’shall，whichwehopedtocarrybeforemenwerewellawake。Itwasaboldschemeandonefullofdangers，yetwetrustedthatitsveryboldnesswouldcauseittosucceed，especiallyaswehadputitaboutthat，owingtotheunreadinessofourships，noattackwouldbemadeuntilthecomingofthenextmoon。
Doubtlessallmighthavegonewellwithusbutforastrangechance。
Asithappened，Athalbrand，abraveandskilfulcaptain，whofromhisyouthhadseenmuchwarbyseaandland，hadadesignofhisownwhichbroughtourstonothing。ItwasthatheandhispeopleshouldsailtoFladstrand，burntheshipsofThorvald，myfather，thatheknewwerefittingoutuponthebeach，whichhehopedtofindunguarded，oratmostonlywatchedbyafewmen，andthenreturntoLessobeforehecouldbefallenupon。Byillluckhehadchosenthisverynightforhisenterprise。Soitcameaboutthatjustasthemoonwassinkingourwatchmencaughtsightoffourotherships，whichbytheshieldsthathungovertheirbulwarkstheyknewmustbevesselsofwar，glidingtowardsthemoverthequietsea。
“Athalbrandcomestomeetus！“criedone，andinaminuteeverymanwaslookingtohisarms。Therewasnotimeforplans，sinceinthatlowlightandmistthevesselswerealmostbowtobowbeforewesaweachother。Myfather’sshipraninbetweentwoofAthalbrand’sthatweresailingabreast，whilemineandthatofRagnarfoundthemselvesalmostalongsideoftheothers。Onbothsidesthesailswereletdown，fornonehadanythoughtofflight。Somerushedtotheoarsandgotenoughofthemouttoworktheships。Othersrantothegrapplingirons，andtherestbegantoshootwiththeirbows。Beforeonecouldcounttwohundredfromthetimeofsighting，thewarcryof“/Valhalla！Valhalla！VictoryorValhalla！/“brokeuponthesilenceofthenightandthebattlehadbegun。
Itwasaveryfiercebattle，andonethatthegatheringdarknessmademoregrim。Eachshipfoughtwithoutheedtotheothers，forasthefraywentontheydriftedapart，grappledtotheirfoes。Myfather，Thorvald’s，vesselfaredtheworst，sinceithadanenemyoneitherbulwark。Heboardedoneandclearedit，losingmanymen。Thenthecrewoftheotherrushedontohimasheregainedhisownship。Theendofitwasthatmyfatherandallhisfolkwerekilled，butonlyaftertheyhadslainthemostoftheirfoes，fortheydiedfightingverybravely。
BetweenRagnar’sshipandthatofAthalbrandhimselfthefraywasmoreeven。RagnarboardedAthalbrandandwasdrivenback。AthalbrandboardedRagnarandwasdrivenback。ThenforthesecondtimeRagnarboardedAthalbrandwiththosemenwhowerelefttohim。InthenarrowwaistofAthalbrand’sshipamightybattlewasfought，andhereatlastRagnarandAthalbrandfoundthemselvesfacetoface。
Theyhackedateachotherwiththeiraxes，tillatlengthRagnar，withafearfulblow，droveinAthalbrand’shelmetandclovehisskullintwo，sothathedied。Butevenashefell，aman，itmayhavebeenfriendorfoe，forthemoonwassinkingandthedarknessgrewdense，thrustaspearintoRagnar’sback，andhewascarried，dying，tohisownvesselbythosewhoremainedtohim。
Thenthatfightceased，forallAthalbrand’speopleweredeadorwoundedtothedeath。Meanwhile，ontheright，IwasfightingtheshipthatwascommandedbySteinar，foritwasfatedthatwetwoshouldbethrowntogether。Herealsothestrugglewasdesperate。Steinarandhiscompanyboardedattheprow，butIandmymen，chargingupbothboards，drovethembackagain。InthatchargeitistruethatI，Olaf，fightingmadly，aswasmywontwhenroused，killedthreeoftheLessofolkwiththeWanderer’ssword。StillIseethemfallingonebyone。
Followedbysixofmypeople，IsprangontotheraisedprowofSteinar’sship。Justthenthegrapnelsparted，andtherewewereleft，defendingourselvesasbestwecould。Mymatesgottheiroarsandoncemorebroughtourboatalongside。Grappletheycouldnot，becausetheironswerelost。Therefore，inobediencetotheorderwhichIshoutedtothemfromthehighprowoftheenemy’sship，theybegantohurltheirballaststonesintoher，andthusstoveoutherbottom，sothatintheendshefilledandsank。
Evenwhileshewasdownthefraywenton。Nearlyallmypeopleweredown；indeedbuttworemainedtomewhenSteinar，notknowingwhoI
was，rushedupand，havinglosthissword，grippedmeroundthemiddle。Wewrestled，butSteinar，whowasthestronger，forcedmebacktothebulwarksandsooverboard。Intotheseawewenttogetherjustastheshipsank，drawingusdownafterher。WhenweroseSteinarwassenseless，butstillclingingtomeasIcaughtaropethatwasthrowntomewithmyrighthand，towhichtheWanderer’sswordwashangingbyaleathernloop。
TheendofitwasthatIandthesenselessSteinarwerebothdrawnbacktomyownshipjustasthedarknessclosedin。
Anhourlatercamethedawn，showingasadsight。Myfather，Thorvald’s，shipandoneofAthalbrand’slayhelpless，forall，ornearlyall，theircrewsweredead，whiletheotherhaddriftedoffandwasnowhalfamileaway。
Ragnar’sshipwasstillgrappledtoitsfoe。Myownwasperhapsinthebestcase，forhereovertwentymenwereleftunhurt，andanothertenwhosewoundswerelight。Therestweredeadordying。
Isatonabenchinthewaistoftheship，andatmyfeetlaythemanwhohadbeendraggedfromtheseawithme。Ithoughtthatthismanwasdeadtillthefirstredraysofdawnlituponhisface，whereonhesatup，andIsawthathewasSteinar。
“Thuswemeetagain，mybrother，“Isaidinaquietvoice。“Well，Steinar，lookuponyourwork。“AndIpointedtothedeadanddyingandtotheshipsaround，whencecamethesoundofgroans。
