Six Sagas of Adventure (39 page)

Hrolf said, “You’re a promising man, and I certainly don’t care to kill you if you’ll follow me. But you don’t have trustworthy eyes.”

Hrolf let him stand up, and took him into his complete confidence and told him all about his journey. They went on their way. Vilhjalm’s horse was close by. Vilhjalm wouldn’t stand for walking while bearing armor and weapons, and he was a very showy person in his clothes and saddle-trappings. Vilhjalm always pointed the way as they traveled through Denmark.

CHAPTER XIII

One day, they saw a fine large house up ahead of them. Vilhjalm said, “We’ll get good lodging at this farm this evening, because my kinsman is in charge. His name is Olvir, and he’s a good farmer who keeps many servants.”

When they came to the farm, the farmer came out to meet them and welcomed Vilhjalm and his companion, asking who the large man might be. Vilhjalm said, “His name is Hrolf and he is my master. He’s big and strong, of good family, and a great champion.”

The farmer invited them in to drink. They were quite at ease. Vilhjalm would trust no one else but himself to serve Hrolf, and he praised him with every word. There was good ale and much cheer. As the evening went on, they kept drinking for a long time. When Hrolf got drunk, he wanted to go to sleep. A fine bed was prepared for him. He took off his clothes and lay in the bed and quickly fell asleep.  

But as the night was passing, Hrolf awoke—and not with pleasant dreams, because he was bound hand and foot and tied firmly to a pole. He had no clothes on and had been carried to the edge of a huge bonfire. There was his servant Vilhjalm standing over him, with the farmer and all the men of the household.

Vilhjalm said, “Now it so happens that I’ve overpowered you, Hrolf, and you must not have suspected that for a while. You have two choices. One is to be burned on this bonfire and never see the sun—or else you are to follow me to Russia and serve me in every way and call me your master and affirm the truth of everything that I say about myself. You are to do all the tasks laid before me, until the king agrees to betroth his sister Gyda to me. Then you shall be free from my service. You are never to take vengeance on me for this disgrace, nor on any of the men who are here. You shall take an oath to keep all the conditions which I have set out, or else you’ll burn in the flames right here.”

Hrolf said, “Since there’s a way for me to be freed from bondage to you, I would rather agree to it than lose my life, for I know that I’ll wouldn’t accomplish much of the jarl’s mission if I die here. I also want to stipulate that you say nothing about what I intend or who I am, or else all our agreement is void.”

Vilhjalm said that they would do so. Hrolf was now untied, and he swore an oath according to the customs at that time. Hrolf now served Vilhjalm and acted like a worthless man. They left Olvir, and Vilhjalm rode, but Hrolf walked in front of the horse. They traveled through Sweden and from there to Russia. There’s nothing said about what road they took, until they came to Novgorod. It was early in the winter, and King Eirek was residing in the town. They took lodgings, and then came before the king.

CHAPTER XIV

They arrived as the king was sitting at the table. They greeted the king, and he welcomed their greeting and asked what sort of men they were. Vilhjalm said, “I am called Vilhjalm, and this is my servant who’s come with me. He’s called Hrolf. I’m the son of a certain jarl from Frisia, and I’ve been exiled from there because I was cheated out of the earldom by the inhabitants themselves. I have come here because I have heard of your generosity and magnificence, and I would like to have winter lodgings here.”

The king said, “I won’t withhold food from you, but are you a man of great accomplishments?”

Vilhjalm said, “I know plenty of skills. The first is that I am so strong that my strength never fails. The second is that I am swifter than all beasts and four-legged animals.”

“That’s a fitting accomplishment for thieves,” said the king, “yet it often comes in handy.”

Vilhjalm said, “I’m not lacking in skill at archery and fencing, swimming and board-games and jousting, wisdom and eloquence. I lack nothing upon which a man may pride himself.”

“I can tell that you’re not lacking in audacity,” said the king. “Tell your skills, Hrolf, because I don’t trust him any less than you.”

Hrolf said, “I can’t tell them, lord, since there aren’t any.”

“Many things are shared unequally between you,” said the king, “if one has everything and the other has nothing. Take your seats in the middle of the lower bench.”

“It’s your decision, my lord,” said Vilhjalm, “but I’ve never had such a lowly seat before.”

They went to their seats. Sorkvir and Brynjolf weren’t there at that time; they had gone to Jotunheim with Grim Aegir. Vilhjalm and Hrolf were honored highly. Vilhjalm swaggered everywhere, but Hrolf was always taciturn and silent, never playing games with the other men. Vilhjalm put off demonstrating his skills, but the king was a great hunter and enjoyed pursuing animals with his household. Since coming to Russia, he was always left in peace, since most men were unwilling to invade his kingdom because of the champions who stayed with him, and especially because of the spells and sorcery of Grim Aegir.

CHAPTER XV

One day, King Eirek and his household went to the forest to hunt animals and shoot birds, as was his custom. They saw such a huge and lovely stag that no one thought he had ever seen a more handsome beast. Most thought that it had to be a tame animal, because its horns were carved all over, with gold inlaid in the carvings, and a silver bar was set between the horns, with two gold rings hanging from it. Around its neck lay a silver cord, and hanging down from that was a silver bell, which rang out loudly whenever the stag stirred itself and dashed.
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The king wanted to catch the stag and ordered all his hounds to be turned loose, and it was done. Every man leaped into the saddle and rode as best he could. They wanted to catch the stag, but it swiftly dashed away from the hounds, and they never got any closer. They chased it all day, and in the evening, after dark, they couldn’t tell what became of it. This went on for three days: they would find the stag but couldn’t manage to catch it.

That evening, when the king came to his feasting table and his men had taken their seats, he said, “I don’t think you’re showing us much ability, Vilhjalm, because you don’t engage in games or sports with the other men, and you don’t go to the forest with us.”

Vilhjalm said, “Competing with your men wouldn’t be much fun for me, my lord, because I can tell that no one here knows any kind of sports. And I always had other men bring me venison when I lived at home in my kingdom.”

The king said, “We have chased one stag for three days, and we can’t catch it. If you catch the stag and bring it to us alive with all its trappings, then I will give you my sister Gyda and a great kingdom, because I have never seen anything that I want more. You can easily do this if you’re as fleet-footed as you’ve said. But you must also accomplish two other tasks that I will set before you. Then I shall increase your honor in all respects, and win back the kingdom you once lost with my own forces. And if there is any other man in my household who can accomplish this, he shall have the same reward.”

Then Vilhjalm said, “No one can do this except for me, so you must have meant for me to do it. And I’ll accomplish it, or else lie dead.”

They clasped hands to seal the bargain, as was the custom. Hrolf paid no attention. Then men went to sleep and took their rest. Hrolf served Vilhjalm in every way, as was said before.

Early in the morning, Vilhjalm and Hrolf got up and prepared to search for the stag. They went into the forest and soon saw where the stag had gone. Vilhjalm began to run as fast as a bird flies. The stag dashed all the faster. Hrolf lumbered after Vilhjalm, and he thought that Vilhjalm was swift at the beginning of the race. They ran for so long that Hrolf always came to the next hill and found Vilhjalm farther ahead—until Vilhjalm threw himself down and said, “It’s no good running yourself to death to win a woman, wealth, or a kingdom.”

At that moment, Hrolf came up to Vilhjalm and asked why he let the beast get away. Vilhjalm said, “I could easily run longer if I wanted. But I think that you should catch the animal and do all the work for me, according to our agreement—if you’re man enough.”

Hrolf didn’t answer. He rushed forward after the animal and chased it for a long time, until he drew nearer to it because the stag had grown quite exhausted.

At last they came out into a glade. By then the day was over. In the middle of the glade there stood a hill, both wide and high. The glade was lovely and covered all over with thick grass. And when Hrolf came forward up to the hill, it opened up, and he walked all around it. A woman came out, wearing a dark blue mantle
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and holding up a torch. She said, “You’ve got a poor job, Hrolf. You’re the slave of a slave, and you have to steal another’s livestock, because I own this animal that you want to catch. You will never get it unless I allow it.
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Now I shall give you a chance to catch the animal. You must come into the hill with me. I have a daughter, and a spell has been laid on her so that she cannot give birth to the child she’s pregnant with, unless a human being lays his hands on her.
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She has now lain on the floor for nineteen days and cannot give birth. I sent the stag into your sight because I knew that you would all want to catch it and would chase it here. I trust that you have the stoutest heart to come into the hill with me. But the king will get no benefit from the stag, even if it’s brought to him.”

Hrolf said, “I’ll do it. I’ll go into the hill with you, if I can have the stag to bring to the king. I don’t care what happens to it afterwards.”

The elf-woman was glad to hear that, and they went into the hill. Inside, there was a home, splendid and beautiful to see, and many wondrous things appeared to him. He came to where the woman was lying, and she was doing poorly. But no sooner had Hrolf laid his hands on her than she gave birth quickly. They thanked him with fair words and wished him good fortune.

The elf-woman said, “No reward for you could equal the gift of my daughter’s health. But here is a gold ring which I will give you. You will need this when you go to Hreggvid’s mound. If you wear it on your hand, you can never get lost, by night or day, on sea or land, in any darkness that you are in, and you will succeed in all the struggles that lie before you. But you must never trust Vilhjalm once you part from him, because he’d gladly see you dead.”

Hrolf thanked her, and they came out of the hill. She touched the stag, and Hrolf laid it on his back and found it exceptionally beautiful. Each wished the other well. Hrolf headed homewards until he found Vilhjalm, who welcomed Hrolf warmly and ordered him to carry the stag home to the fortress. Hrolf did so, but he never told Vilhjalm how he had caught the animal.

They reached the fortress late in the evening, when the king was sitting at the table. Vilhjalm said, “Now we shall go into the hall. I’ll carry the animal before the king. You are to confirm my story so that the king believes what I say.”

Vilhjalm took the animal and put it on his back, and he fell to his knees. Still, he managed to bring the beast into the hall before the king, and he flung it on the floor. He was breathing very hard, and he said, “Now I think I am entitled to be betrothed to your sister. The stag has been brought here, and not many who could manage a deed such as I’ve done would offer to become your brother-in-law.”

The king said, “I suspect that you didn’t catch the stag. You’ll have to do more bold deeds before you get her.”

“There’s no need for you to question my courage, because I’m superior to most men. My lad Hrolf knows that he was far off when I captured the stag.”

Hrolf said, “Not only was I of no help to Vilhjalm, but he didn’t spare himself in any way.”

Vilhjalm said, “I want to do everything myself because I want to claim the reward myself. What more tasks will you set before me? Because I’m ready to accomplish them.”

The king said, “Now you must go to Hreggvid’s mound and seek the arms of King Hreggvid. That’s not a great test.”

Vilhjalm said, “Now you want me dead, because no one who has gone there has come back.”

“I certainly want you to come back,” said the king, “but it’s true that no one whom I have sent there has returned. I very much want to have those treasures back that were brought into the mound. And I shall only give my sister to a man who excels over other men.”

Vilhjalm said, “I’ll do it, for I don’t think it takes effort to rob dead men to win a girl.” Vilhjalm went now to his seat, and with that said, they parted.

CHAPTER XVI

After a few days, Hrolf tapped Vilhjalm on the legs one night and said, “It’s time to win the maiden’s hand and go to the mound.”

Vilhjalm stood up quickly. Hrolf was dressed, wearing Vefreyja’s Gift and holding the spear Atli’s Gift, but Vilhjalm wore full armor. He rode, but Hrolf walked in front of his horse. They traveled on in this way until they came to a forest, and they found an ancient footpath. But when they had gone a short way, such a howling gale blew up against them, with snowstorms and frost, that Vilhjalm couldn’t stay on horseback. Then Hrolf led the horse, and Vilhjalm walked behind it for a while, until the blizzard grew so strong that the horse couldn’t walk. Hrolf dragged it flat behind him, steadying himself with the spear. He looked back and saw that Vilhjalm had disappeared, and the horse had been dead for a long time. He left the horse there and went forward on the path. The blizzard was so strong that oak-trees were snapping from their stumps and falling from a great height. They often struck Hrolf with severe blows which would have brought death to most men, and there was such lightning and thunder that he thought he would have been killed if the cloak had not protected him. This went on all night until dawn. Towards daybreak, such a terrible stench came at him that he would have choked if the face-mask hadn’t saved him. Hrolf realized that the blizzard must have killed the king’s men, and that it must be a storm sent by magic. He thought that he had never faced such a trial.

But when the day was brightest, the blizzard abated and the weather calmed, and the stench disappeared. Hrolf saw a mound as high as a mountain, and a tall stockade ringing it. He gripped one of the posts with his hand and vaulted over the stockade. Then he walked up onto the mound, feeling that it would be very difficult to break into. When he looked around, he saw a very tall man in royal vestments on the north side of the mound. Hrolf went up to him and greeted him as befitted a king and asked him his name.

He said, “I am Hreggvid, and I live inside this mound with my champions. You’re welcome here. You must know, Hrolf, that I don’t control these blizzards and stenches or other strange happenings, and I haven’t killed anyone. Sorkvir and Grim Aegir are the cause of all of these, and they have caused the deaths of the king’s men. Still, their wisdom sometimes falls short when they need it most. If they knew that you were here, they would want you dead. I went to Jarl Thorgnyr in the likeness of a swallow, with a hair from my daughter Ingigerd, because I knew that you of all the jarl’s men would search for her and you alone were the man to free her, if luck is with you. I give you permission to enjoy her in the best way if you will joust against Sorkvir, for you lack neither boldness nor bravery. But Grim Aegir has promised Sorkvir that no one shall overcome him except for the man who bears my armor. That’s why this mound is made to be unbreakable, and why there are barriers to entry—because he thought that no one should be able to get the armor. Now I shall get you everything that you want from the mound. I will give you two sets of armor, identical to each other except for the quality. You shall give the king the worse set. You must not let anyone see the other set until you need it, and you must take great care of the sword, because you’ll seldom see another one like it.
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My daughter Ingigerd is guarding all my jousting weapons and the horse Dulcifal, who’s unlike most other horses in many respects. You must ride him when you fight Sorkvir, and you’re certain to win victory if he lets you catch him. The lance and the shield will also keep their nature. You must not trust Vilhjalm even when you are out of his service, because he will betray you if he can. You’ll want to keep your oath, but it’s better if he’s put to death sooner rather than later, because he will put you in danger.”