VII
Leif had not sailed long before a great quiet came over him. Alone with the sea, and his own master! No one to obey! No one to consider! That was something to his taste, and under such circumstances there was no room in his heart for care and longing. Successive days awoke him, each with its own voice. Hungry in soul and body he crept each morning out of his sleeping-bag.
It suited his plans to sail to the British Isles; accordingly he was on his way thither. Otherwise he might have sailed to the land far toward the west which a beggar had once told him of. The only objection was that, according to the narrator, there were no people to trade with there and no one to pillage. He was out on a trading and Viking expedition. Besides, it was an absurd country, so entirely without inhabitants. If ever he had time and opportunity he might still wish to take a closer view of it. “Iceland,” the beggar had called it, and had prophesied that he should some day see it. He wished to be certain about it, but it lay so far out of the way that he could not well include it in his voyage that summer.
If he did, he ran the risk of being obliged to spend the winter there. And he could not endure the idea of a whole winter without Helga. But he emphasized the fact to himself that if he now let Iceland alone, it was an act of his own free will.
The land out there in the west would not run away, so whether one went there a summer earlier or later was a point of minor importance. Leif, now voyaging alone, came to be quite intimate with the sea. He enjoyed standing at the helm and feeling the ship under his hand. He liked best sailing with all sails spread, and cutting his way through the water as it foamed. It was to him a great delight to sail in such a way that even old and experienced Vikings opened watchful eyes. He tortured his dragon-ship till it seemed to him the sea held its breath, ready to close its foaming jaws round its prey. When he thus kept his ship rocking right on the edge of destruction, clutching the quivering tiller fast in his thin hand, his heart felt light in his breast. He felt himself like a ruler over the sea.
The old Vikings watched Leif closely, and found that they had in him a guide after their own heart. They winked admiringly at each other when he sailed his maddest. His reckless courage filled them with expectation. They showed great willingness in obeying his wishes and orders. His young voice sounded sharply and pleasantly in their ears.
They took Leif’s measure secretly and thoroughly approved of him. Though he was not so strong in body as warriors generally were, yet men with such restless eyes were rare. And the strength he had lay in hard lumps of muscle in the right places. When he greeted or thanked a man he clutched his hand as with an iron claw.
The Vikings found that they had reason to expect an eventful summer with much amusement and many dangers. They thought without regret that some of them might find their way to Odin before this Viking expedition was over. They had not much objection to sitting round the golden-bristled boar, though it should be this very winter.
Meanwhile, Leif had formed a fixed idea that he would show Ingolf he could trade and get on in foreign lands on his own account. Accordingly, when he got there, he showed a caution which was not really according to his own mind, and which the Vikings had not expected. He traded with great foresight, bought chiefly corn and other necessary commodities, including wine and honey. He was also, in pursuance of his promise to Ingolf, cautious with regard to engaging in battle.
His men had expected great things in the direction of depredations on the coast, and were to a certain extent disappointed.
Leif had comparatively few men, and he did not engage in unequal warfare. In order, however, to get some booty, he practised unexpected attacks with quite a few picked men. With five or six followers he would row ashore in a boat in out-of-the-way spots. If they succeeded in getting on shore unobserved they began to steal forward by remote paths and through deep and dark woods. These were occasions of incredible excitement and secret joy.
It was possible for days and nights to pass without so small a force. And when they had at last found a their finding a place adapted for making an attack with place, a considerable time might pass in watching for an opportunity. But when their well-prepared attack at length took place, it was overwhelming and irresistible. Even old and experienced Vikings had to acknowledge that they had never before taken part in such bold and exciting expeditions. And they loved Leif for the happiness he provided them in their old age. There was constant emulation among Leif’s men to get leave to accompany him on these forays. But Leif showed an immovable firmness and foresight in choosing his companions. It was counted a great honour to be among those chosen.
The summer passed in sailing to and fro along the coasts of England and Ireland.
Leif diligently avoided collisions with other Vikings. There were, as a rule, many following him, and he never could be secure from an attack. It was therefore best to exhibit suitable caution. For the rest, he slept peacefully in his bearskin bag at night. Should it happen that he was involved in a fight without his own fault, he had nothing to do with that. In many places where he came, he found that Haersten and Holmsten had been just before him with their six ships. Leif took no real trouble to overtake them. He remembered his promise to Ingolf, and had resolved to put his trust in chance. Chance had before shown him considerable kindness. But when, towards the close of summer, he directed his course homewards, chance had not yet come to his help. It was therefore with a certain disappointment in his mind that he turned homeward from his summer expedition. It was indeed no small disappointment to him that fate had not allowed him to meet Atle’s sons.
Olmod the Old, who, as has been related, was voyaging with a fleet of five ships, made inquiries about his kinsman, Leif, wherever he went. In many places Leif had been just before him, but had sailed again no one knew whither.
Olmod the Old was continually on his scent, and sailed, so to speak, in his wake the whole summer, though without any success in overtaking him. He vowed offerings and gifts to Odin if he would help him to find his kinsman. But Odin seemed to have turned his eyes from him.
Olmod kept himself likewise informed concerning the voyage of Atle’s sons. From their movements he could not ascertain whether they intended evil against Leif or not. It did not really look as if they were following him. Perhaps they did not know what direction he was taking, but Olmod considered it best to be on the watch.
Late in the summer, Olmod lost every trace of Leif. But as a compensation he so nearly succeeded in overtaking Atle’s sons that he at last caught a glimpse of their ships making out to sea on their way home. It seemed to Olmod that they were sailing rather early. Were they thinking of concealing themselves among the rocks and islands off the coast and giving Leif a warm reception when he turned home? Olmod the Old was from his own experience not unacquainted with stratagems. He kept a sharp eye on Atle’s sons.
For some time he kept his ships hidden in a creek near the ordinary route in order to catch Leif, if possible. At last he could wait no longer. Leif, he thought, must have turned homeward by some other way, and as good sailing weather just then set in, he directed his course towards Norway. He had come to the conclusion that the safest thing was to try to find Atle’s sons, or at any rate to get news of them. If he found that they had sailed the direct way home, there was scarcely anything to fear from them that autumn.
On a dark and stormy autumn day, with clouds driving across the sky and a tossing sea, Leif came sailing past Hisargavl. He was sailing along, thinking of his disappointment, when he suddenly found himself surrounded by ships bearing down upon him with their battle-ensigns hoisted. For the sake of his promise, Leif counted the ships; they were six in number. He looked closer at them, and recognized them as those of Atle’s sons. Then Leif felt a great contentment fill his mind. Here at last came his friends, the sons of Atle. And luckily all chance of flight was excluded. It would have been vexatious if he had had to break his word, but now it was all right. For Ingolf could not expect of him that he should surrender unconditionally in order to avoid battle with Atle’s sons. He gathered his ships together and commanded them to lower sail; quickly he had boards for defence fixed on the quarter-deck, and cleared the ships for action. He went about and became gradually agitated with excitement and happy expectation. At last—at last the opportunity had come for seriously exchanging blows with Holmsten. One of them should in any case be a guest of Odin that evening. How he was to manage with his three ships against the six of Atle’s sons did not worry Leif much.
While he issued his orders, he had only eyes for Holmsten’s dragon-ship. There Holmsten came, also in a state of excitement. Now the long boat-hooks could reach the gunwale on Holmsten’s ship. “Pull hard, men!” Leif had a great longing to salute Holmsten. The first spear whistled through the air. From both sides it was greeted with cheerful battle cries and gay laughter.
At length the two dragon-ships lay side by side, rocking violently upon the grey sea. Blows and shouts were exchanged above the high quarter-deck boards. Leif pushed his men roughly to one side. He had set eyes on Holmsten. A spear whistled past his ear, and he heard Holmsten laugh and shout: “There is a spear in place of the one you sank here last autumn.”
Leif twisted himself to one side, seized the spear, aimed at Holmsten, and sent it back. “I have enough weapons, friend Holmsten! I will test the ax you once gave me on your own skull.” Holmsten avoided the spear at the last moment by a leap to one side.
Now Leif was close to the gunwale. The fight went on energetically on both sides of him. The ships reeled violently and crashed noisily against each other. Salt spray concealed now and then the hot faces. Leif held his ax raised and shook it towards Holmsten. “Now, when I cleave your head before long, it will not be through carelessness! Remember that, Holmsten.”
Holmsten laughed derisively. He could not properly reach Leif because of his men. “It will double my joy, friend Leif, to know you are lying cold at the bottom of the sea, by the side of your spear, while your friend Helga makes me comfortable.”
Leif leaped up on the quarter-deck boards, swinging his ax high over his head, but was forced back. He tried again and again, but was met by a wall of weapons. One of Atle’s sons’ other ships hooked itself fast on to the other side of the dragon-ship. The battle raged furiously along both gunwales.
During an involuntary pause in the battle, Leif found time to look round him a little. One of his ships was already overpowered, and the other surrounded by three of the enemy’s smaller ships; his own was so hard pressed that it was obviously only a question of how long he could hold out.
Leif saw clearly how untenable his position was. He did not envy Atle’s sons their victory. He called those who had followed him on many bold expeditions to him, and said in a choked voice: “If we are going to Valhalla, friends, let us take Holmsten with us, and as many of his men as we can!”
So he stormed the gunwale, followed by his best men, and succeeded in obtaining a foothold on Holmsten’s dragon-ship. And now Leif was at his ease. Generously he dealt out blows and thrusts, and devoted himself energetically to the battle. He saw his men falling round him, and he himself had several wounds which he had not time to think about. He was not afraid of death, but meant to take Holmsten with him.
While Leif stood there, and dealt doughty blows around him in order to get at Holmsten, there came in sight a fleet of five ships by Hisargavl. The five ships were sailing swiftly, and the water foamed round their bows as they approached. At last Olmod the Old was about to overtake Leif. And he had bestirred himself, as it appeared. He gave himself no time to survey the situation, but drove his ships right in among the combatants. In his green cloak, with a golden helmet on his head, he stood in a dignified attitude by the mast and issued his orders.
“It looks as if you wanted a little help, Cousin Leif!” he shouted in the joy of battle. All other talking he left to his weapons.
Haersten saw quickly that his position was untenable, and gave orders for flight. But it was by no means so easy to get away in a moment. Holmsten’s ship soon lay wedged in between those of Leif and Olmod the Old. Leif made use of the confusion which ensued among Holmsten’s men at suddenly finding enemies on both sides, and made his way close up to Holmsten. When Holmsten saw him coming, he prepared to receive him in his cool and quiet way. But now Leif had become quite wild. When it seemed that he could not get forward quickly enough, he flung his ax at Holmsten’s face. Holmsten dropped his weapons, threw up his arms, reeled, and fell.
Leif’s joy at seeing Holmsten fall was so great that he forgot to be on his guard. One of his men pushed a shield in front of him just in time. The shield was cloven by the blow of an ax, intended for Leif. But Leif was not to die that day. Now he was himself again, picked up his ax, and continued the attack. After Holmsten’s fall the opposition was soon broken.
A couple of Olmod’s ships had recovered the ship Atle’s sons had won from Leif. Olmod secured for himself Holmsten’s ship as a reward for his trouble, and in order to be able to provide offerings and gifts to Odin. The remainder of Atle’s sons’ ships escaped in disorder.
Olmod came across Leif where he was sitting and binding up his wounds.
“You are bleeding much, cousin, and can be glad that you still have blood to bleed.”
“That I owe to you, Cousin Olmod. What lucky wind was that which blew you here, just when you were most needed?”
“Ask, rather, what freak was it of Odin’s that he did not let me overtake you before. I came to Dalsfjord the day after you sailed, and have pursued you in vain all the summer.”
Leif looked up hastily. A sudden fear shot through him.
“What did you want me for?”
“That you have seen.”
Leif was quiet again. “Nothing more?” he asked.
“Don’t you think I had cause enough? Did you expect me to follow your tedious tracks, the whole summer, merely to bring you a greeting from Helga?”
Leif rose and drew a bracelet off his arm. It was for Olmod. He brought forth his most valuable things, resolved to give Olmod all the best he had. Objections were useless. When Leif gave, he gave what he had, and kept nothing back till he had no more.
“Finally, don’t think that by killing Holmsten and putting Haersten to flight you have finished with Atle’s sons,” Olmod said warningly. “I think, Cousin Leif, you had better come home and spend the winter with me.”
Leif thanked him warmly for the invitation. “It is such a short way home to the fjords that I don’t care about making a circuit. But What if you came home with me and remained with us for the winter, Cousin Olmod?”
But Olmod declined. A whole winter in one and the same place did not tempt him at all. “You brothers have enough friends round you, but be careful, cousin. I should be surprised if Haersten let the grass grow over the matter he has to settle with you. I am glad that this time I could be a little use to you, Leif. You have rewarded my help, as one might expect from you, spendthrift that you are! May good fortune follow you wherever you go.”
Olmod and Leif parted with great friendliness, and each sailed to his own home.