Steinarstaredatmeandaskedinathickvoice:
“Wasitwithyou，Olaf，thatIfellintothesea？“
“Evenso，Steinar。“
“Iknewitnotinthedarkness，Olaf。IfIhadknown，neverwouldI
haveliftedswordagainstyou。“
“Whatdidthatmatter，Steinar，whenyouhadalreadypiercedmyheart，thoughnotwithasword？“
AtthesewordsSteinarmoanedaloud，thensaid:
“Forthesecondtimeyouhavesavedmylife。“
“Aye，Steinar；butwhoknowswhetherIcandosoforathirdtime？Yettakecomfort，forifImayIwill，forthusshallIbebestavenged。“
“Awhitevengeance，“saidSteinar。“Oh，thisisnottobeborne。“Anddrawingaknifeheworeathisgirdle，hestrovetokillhimself。
ButI，whowaswatching，snatcheditaway，thengaveanorder。
“Bindthismanandkeephimsafe。Alsobringhimdrinkandacloaktocoverhim。“
“Bestkillthedog，“grumbledthecaptain，towhomIspoke。
“Ikillthatonewholaysafingeronhim，“Ireplied。
Someonewhisperedintothecaptain’sear，whereonhenoddedandlaughedsavagely。
“Ah！“heexclaimed，“Iamathickhead。IhadforgottenOdinandhissacrifice。Yes，yes，we’llkeepthetraitorsafe。“
SotheyboundSteinartooneofthebenchesandgavehimaleandcoveredhimwithablood-stainedcloaktakenfromadeadman。
Ialsodrankofthealeanddrewacloakaboutme，fortheairwaskeen。ThenIsaid，“Letusgototheothershipsandseewhathaschancedthere。“
TheygotouttheoarsandrowedtoRagnar’svessel，wherewesawmenstirring。
“Howwentitwithyou？“Iaskedofonewhostoodupontheprow。
“Notsoill，Olaf，“heanswered。“Wewon，andbutnow，withthenewlight，havefinishedthegame。Theyareallquietyonder，“headded，noddingatthevesselofAthalbrand，towhichtheywerestillgrappled。
“WhereisRagnar？“Iasked。
“Comeonboardandsee，“answeredtheman。
AplankwasthrustoutandIranacrossit，feargrippingatmyheart。
RestingagainstthemastsatRagnar，dying。
“Goodmorrowtoyou，Olaf，“hegasped。“Iamgladyoulive，thattheremaybeonelefttositatAar。“
“Whatdoyoumean，mybrother？“
“Imean，Olaf，thatourfather，Thorvald，isdead。Theycalledittousfromyonder。“Andhepointedwithhisredswordtoourfather’sship，thatlaysidebysidewithoneofAthalbrand’s。“Athalbrandisdead，forIslewhim，anderethesuniswellclearoftheseaIalsoshallbedead。Oh，weepnot，Olaf；wehavewonagreatfight，andI
traveltoValhallawithagloriouscompanyoffriendsandfoes，theretoawaityou。IsaythathadIlivedtobeold，nevercouldIhavefoundabetterdeath，whothenatlastmighthavediedlikeacow。GettheshipstoFladstrand，Olaf，andgathermorementoputallLessotothesword。Giveusgoodburial，Olaf，andbuildagreatmoundoverus，thatwemaystandthereonatmoonriseandmockthemenofLessoastheyrowpast，tillValhallaisfullandtheworlddies。IsSteinardead？TellmethatSteinarisdead，forthenI’llspeakwithhimpresently。“
“No，Ragnar，IhavetakenSteinarcaptive。“
“Captive！Whycaptive？Oh，Iunderstand；thathemaylieonOdin’saltar。Friends，sweartomethatSteinarshalllieonOdin’saltar，Steinar，thebride-thief，Seinerthetraitor。Swearit，forIdonottrustthisbrotherofmine，whohaswoman’smilkinhisbreasts。ByThor，hemightsparehimifhehadhisway。Swearit，orI’llhauntyourbedso’nightsandbringtheotherheroeswithme。Swiftnow，whilemyearsareopen。“
Thenfrombothshipsrosethecryof“Weswear！Fearnot，Ragnar，weswear。“
“That’swell，“saidRagnar。“Kissmenow，Olaf。Oh！whatisitthatI
seeinyoureyes？Anewlight，astrangelight！Olaf，youarenotoneofus。Thistimeisnotyourtime，northisplaceyourplace。Youtraveltotheendbyanotherroad。Well，whoknows？Atthatendwemaymeetagain。AtleastIloveyou。“
Thenheburstintoawildwarsongofbloodandvengeance，andsosingingsankdownanddied。
Afterwards，withmuchlabour，Iandthemenwhowereleftropedtogetherourvessels，andtothemthosethatwehadcaptured，andwhenafavouringwindarose，sailedbackforFladstrand。Hereamultitudeawaitedus，forafishing-boathadbroughttidingsofthegreatseabattle。Ofthehundredandfiftymenwhohadsailedinmyfather，Thorvald’s，shipssixtyweredeadandmanyotherswounded，someofthemtodeath。Athalbrand’speoplehadfaredevenworse，sincethoseofThorvaldhadslaintheirwounded，onlyoneofhisvesselshavingescapedbacktoLesso，theretotellthepeopleofthatislandandIdunaallthathadhappened。Nowitwasalandofwidowsandorphans，sothatnomanneedgowooingthereforlong，andofAarandthecountryroundthesamesongwassung。Indeed，forgenerationsthefolkofthosepartsmusthavetoldofthebattleofLesso，whenthechiefs，ThorvaldandAthalbrand，sleweachotherupontheseasatnightbecauseofaquarrelaboutawomanwhowasknownasIdunatheFair。
OnthesandsofFladstrandmymother，theladyThora，waitedwiththeothers，forshehadmovedthitherbeforethesailingoftheships。
Whenmine，thefirstofthem，wasbeached，Ileaptfromit，andrunningtoher，kneltdownandkissedherhand。
“Iseeyou，mysonOlaf，“shesaid，“butwhereareyourfatherandbrother？“
“Yonder，mother，“Ianswered，pointingtotheships，andcouldsaynomore。
“Thenwhydotheytarry，myson？“
“Alas！mother，becausetheysleepandwillneverwakeagain。“
NowThorawailedaloudandfelldownsenseless。Threedayslatershedied，forherheart，whichwasweak，couldnotbearthiswoe。Onceonlydidshespeakbeforeshedied，andthenitwastoblessmeandpraythatwemightmeetagain，andtocurseIduna。FolknotedthatofSteinarshesaidnothing，eithergoodorill，althoughsheknewthathelivedandwasaprisoner。
ThusitcameaboutthatI，Olaf，wasleftaloneintheworldandinheritedthelordshipofAaranditssubjectlands。Nooneremainedsavemydark-broweduncle，Leif，thepriestofOdin，Freydisa，thewisewoman，mynurse，andSteinar，mycaptivefoster-brother，whohadbeenthecauseofallthiswar。
ThedyingwordsofRagnarhadbeennoisedabroad。ThepriestofOdinhadlaidthembeforetheoracleofthegods，andthisoracledeclaredthattheymustbefulfilledwithoutchange。
Soallthefolkofthatlandmettogetheratmybidding——yes，eventhewomenandthechildren。FirstwelaidthedeadinthelargestofAthalbrand’sships，hispeopleandAthalbrandhimselfbeingsetundermost。ThenonthemwesetthedeadofThorvald，Thorvald，myfather，andhissonRagnar，mybrother，boundtothemastupontheirfeet。Thisdone，withgreatlabourwedraggedtheshipontohighground，andaboveitbuiltamightymoundofearth。Fortwentydayswetoiledatthetask，tillatlastitwasfinishedandthedeadwerehiddenbeneathitforever。Thenweseparatedtoourhomesandmournedawhile。
ButSteinarwascarriedtothetempleofOdinatAar，andtherekeptintheprisonofthetemple。
ItwastheeveoftheSpringFeastofOdin。ItcomesbacktomethatatthisfeastitwasthecustomtosacrificesomebeasttoOdinandtolayflowersandotherofferingsuponthealtarsofcertainothergodsthattheymightbepleasedtograntafruitfulseason。Onthisday，however，thesacrificewastobeofnobeast，butofaman——Steinarthetraitor。
ThatnightI，Olaf，bythehelpofFreydisa，thepriestessofthegod，wonentrancetothedungeonwhereSteinarlayawaitinghisdoom。Thiswasnoteasytodo。Indeed，IrememberthatitwasonlyafterIhadswornagreatoathtoLeifandtheotherprieststhatIwouldattemptnorescueofthevictim，noraidhimtoescapefromhisprison，thatI
wasadmittedthere，whilearmedmenstoodwithouttoseethatIdidnotbreakmyword。FormyloveofSteinarwasknown，andinthismatternonetrustedme。
Thatdungeonwasadreadfulplace。Iseeitnow。Inthefloorofthetemplewasatrap-door，which，whenlifted，revealedaflightofsteps。Atthefootofthesestepswasanothermassivedoorofoak，boltedandbarred。Itwasopenedandclosedbehindme，whofoundmyselfinadarksomedenbuiltofroughstone，towhichaircameonlythroughanopeningintheroof，sosmallthatnotevenachildcouldpassit。Inthefarcornerofthishole，boundtothewallbyanironchainfastenedroundhismiddle，Steinarlayuponabedofrushes，whileonastoolbesidehimstoodfoodandwater。WhenIentered，bearingalamp，Steinarsatupblinkinghiseyes，forthelight，feebleasitwas，hurtthem，andIsawthathisfacewaswhiteanddrawn，andthehandheheldtoshadehiseyeswaswasted。Ilookedathimandmyheartswelledwithpity，sothatIcouldnotspeak。
