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。