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。