"Merrily I
walked the waves, and oh, merry was the cry of Eric's folk when Ran
caught them in her net! Be thyself, again, Blood-sister--be fair as thou
art foul; then arise, wake Atli thy lord, and go down to the sea's lip
by the southern cliffs and see what thou shalt find. We shall meet no
more till all this game is played and another game is set," and the
shape of Swanhild crouched upon the floor before the hag-headed toad
muttering "Pass! pass!"
Then Swanhild felt her flesh come back to her, and as it grew upon her
so the shape of the Death-headed toad faded away.
"Farewell, Blood-sister!" piped a voice; "make merry as thou mayest, but
merrier shall be our nights when thou hast gone a-sailing with Eric on
the sea. Farewell! farewell! _Were-wolf_ thou didst call me once, and
as a wolf I came. _Rat_ thou didst call me once, and as a rat I came.
_Toad_ didst thou call me once, and as a toad I came. Say, at the last,
what wilt thou call me and in what shape shall I come, Blood-sister?
Till then farewell!"
And all was gone and all was still.
XVII
HOW ASMUND THE PRIEST WEDDED UNNA, THOROD'S DAUGHTER
Now the story goes back to Iceland.
When Brighteyes was gone, for a while Gudruda the Fair moved sadly about
the stead, like one new-widowed. Then came tidings. Men told how Ospakar
Blacktooth had waylaid Eric on the seas with two long ships, dragons of
war, and how Eric had given him battle and sunk one dragon with great
loss to Ospakar.
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