“Youleavethisland？“shesaid。“Thatmeansthatyouleaveme，wholoveyou，togoforthastheWandererwent——followingadreamtotheSouth。Well，itisbestthatyoushouldgo，forwhatevertheyhavepromisedyoubutnow，itissurethatthepriestswillkillyou，evenifyouescapethevengeanceofthegod。“Andshelookedaskanceattheshatteredstatuewhichhadsatinitsplaceforsomanygenerationsthatnoneknewwhohadsetitthere，orwhen。
　　“Ihavekilledthegod，“Ianswered，pointingtothecrushedviper。
　　“Notquite，Olaf，for，see，itstailstillmoves。“
　　Thenshewent，leavingmealone。IsatmyselfdownbythemurderedSteinar，andstaredathim。Couldhebereallydead，Iwondered，ordidheliveonelsewhere？MyfaithhadtaughtmeofaplacecalledValhallawherebravemenwent，butinthatfaithanditsgodsI
　　believednomore。ThisValhallawasbutachild’stale，inventedbyabloody-mindedfolkwholovedslaughter。WhereverSteinarandtheotherswere，itwasnotinValhalla。Then，perhaps，theysleptlikethebeastsdoafterthesehavebeenbutchered。Perhapsdeathwastheendofall。Itmightbeso，andyetIdidnotbelieveit。TherewereothergodsbesidesOdinandhiscompany，forwhatwerethosewhichwehadfoundintheWanderer’stomb？Ilongedtoknow。
　　Yes，Iwouldgosouth，astheWandererwent，andsearchforthem。
　　PerhapsthereintheSouthIshouldlearnthesecrettruth——andotherthings。
　　Igrewwearyofthesethoughtsofgodswhocouldnotbefound，orwho，iffound，werebutdevils。Mymindwentbacktomychildhood’sdays，whenSteinarandIplayedtogetheronthemeads，beforeanywomanhadcometowreckourlives。Irememberedhowweusedtoplayuntilwewereweary，andhowatnightsIwouldtellhimtalesthatIhadlearnedorwoven，untilatlengthwesanktosleep，ourarmsabouteachother’snecks。Myheartgrewfullofsorrowthatintheendbrokefrommyeyesintears。Yes，IweptoverSteinar，mybrotherSteinar，andkissedhiscoldandgorylips。
　　Theeveninggathered，thetwilightgrew，and，onebyone，thestarssprangoutinthequietsky，tillthemoonappearedandgatheredalltheirradiancetoherself。Iheardthesoundofawoman’sdress，andlookedup，thinkingtoseeFreydisa。ButthiswomanwasnotFreydisa；
　　itwasIduna！Yes，Iduna’sself！
　　Irosetomyfeetandstoodstill。Shealsostoodstill，onthefarthersideofthestoneofsacrificewhereonthatwhichhadbeenSteinarwasstretchedbetweenus。Thencameastruggleofsilence，inwhichshewonatlast。
　　“Haveyoucometosavehim？“Iasked。“Ifso，itistoolate。Woman，beholdyourwork。“
　　Sheshookherbeautifulheadandanswered，almostinawhisper:
　　“Nay，Olaf，Iamcometobegaboonofyou:thatyouwillslayme，hereandnow。“
　　“AmIabutcher——orapriest？“Imuttered。
　　“Oh，slayme，slayme，Olaf！“shewenton，throwingherselfuponherkneesbeforeme，andrendingopenherbluerobethatheryoungbreastmighttakethesword。“Thus，perchance，I，wholovelife，maypaysomeofthepriceofsin，who，ifIslewmyself，wouldbutmultiplythedebt，whichintruthIdarenotdo。“
　　StillIshookmyhead，andoncemoreshespoke:
　　“Olaf，inthiswayorinthatdoubtlessmyendwillfindme，for，ifyourefusethisoffice，thereareothersofsternerstuff。TheknifethatsmoteSteinarisnotblunted。Yet，beforeIdie，whoamcomeherebuttodie，Iprayyouhearthetruth，thatmymemorymaybesomewhatlessviletoyouintheafteryears。Olaf，youthinkmethefalsestofthefalse，yetIamnotaltogetherso。Harkyounow！AtthetimethatSteinarsoughtme，somemadnesstookhim。Sosoonaswewerealonetogether，hisfirstwordswere:’Iambewitched。Iloveyou。’
　　“Olaf，I’llnotdenythathisworshipstirredmyblood，forhewasgoodly——well，anddifferenttoyou，withyourdreamingeyesandthoughtsthataretoodeepforme。Andyet，bymybreath，IswearthatImeantnoharm。Whenwerodetogethertotheship，itwasmypurposetoreturnuponthemorrowandbemadeyourwife。Butthereupontheshipmyfathercompelledme。ItwashisfancythatIshouldbreakwithyouandbewedtoSteinar，whohadbecomesogreatalordandwhopleasedhimbetterthanyoudid，Olaf。And，asforSteinar——why，haveInottoldyouthathewasmadforme？“
　　“Steinar’stalewasotherwise，Iduna。Hesaidthatyouwentfirst，andthathefollowed。“
　　“Werethosehiswords，Olaf？For，ifso，howcanIgivethedeadthelie，andonewhodiedthroughme？Itseemsunholy。YetinthismatterSteinarhadnoreasonlefttohimand，whetheryoubelievemeorno，I
　　tellthetruth。Oh！hearmeout，forwhoknowswhentheywillcometotakeme，whohavewalkedintothisnestoffoesthatImaybetaken？
　　PrayasIwould，theshipwasrunout，andwesailedforLesso。There，inmyfather’shall，uponmyknees，Ientreatedhimtoholdhishand。
　　Itoldhimwhatwastrue:that，ofyoutwain，itwasyouIloved，notSteinar。Itoldhimthatifheforcedthismarriage，warwouldcomeofitthatmightmeanallourdeaths。Butthesethingsmovedhimnothing。
　　ThenItoldhimthatsuchadeedofshamewouldmeanthelossofSteinar’slordship，sothatbyithewouldgainnoprofit。Atlasthelistened，forthistouchedhimnear。Youknowtherest。Thorvald，yourfather，andRagnar，whoeverhatedme，pressedonthewardespiteallourofferingsofpeace。Sotheshipsmet，andHelahadherfill。“
　　“Aye，Iduna，whateverelseisfalse，thisistrue，thatHelahadherfill。“
　　“Olaf，Ihavebutonethingmoretosay。Itisthis:Onlyoncedidthosedeadlipstouchmine，andthenitwasagainstmywill。Aye，althoughitisshameful，youmustlearnthetruth。Myfatherheldme，Olaf，whileItookthebetrothalkiss，becauseImust。But，asyouknow，therewasnomarriage。“
　　“Aye，Iknowthat，“Isaid，“becauseSteinartoldmeso。“
　　“And，saveforthatonekiss，Olaf，Iamstillthemaidwhomonceyoulovedsowell。“
　　NowIstaredather。CouldthiswomanliesoblacklyoverdeadSteinar’scorpse？Whenallwassaidanddone，wasitnotpossiblethatshespokethetruth，andthatwehadbeenbutplaythingsinthehandsofanevilFate？Saveforsometriflingerror，whichmightbeforgiventoonewho，asshesaid，lovedtheworshipthatwasherbeauty’sdue，whatifshewereinnocent，afterall？
　　Perhapsmyfaceshowedthethoughtsthatwerepassingthroughmymind。
　　Attheleast，shewhoknewmewellfoundskilltoreadthem。Shecrepttowardsme，stillonherknees；shecastherarmsaboutme，and，restingherweightuponme，drewherselftoherfeet。
　　“Olaf，“shewhispered，“Iloveyou，Iloveyouwell，asIhavealwaysdone，thoughImayhaveerredalittle，aswomenwaywardandstillunwedareapttodo。Olaf，theytoldmeyonderhowyouhadmatchedyourselfagainstthegod，withhispriestsforjudges，andsmittenhim，andIthoughtthisthegreatestdeedthateverIhaveknown。I
　　usedtothinkyousomethingofaweakling，Olaf，notinyourbodybutinyourmind，onelostinmusicandinrunes，whofearedtoputthingstothetouchofwar；butyouhaveshownmeotherwise。Youslewthebear；youovercameSteinar，whowassomuchstrongerthanyouare，inthebattleoftheships；andnowyouhavebeardedOdin，theAll-
　　father。Look，hisheadliesthere，hewnoffbyyouforthesakeofonewho，afterall，haddoneyouwrong。Olaf，suchadeedasthattouchesawoman’sheart，andhewhodoesitisthemanshewouldwishtolieuponherbreastandbeherlord。Olaf，allthisevilpastmayyetbeforgotten。Wemightgoandliveelsewhereforawhile，oralways，forwithyourwisdomandmybeautyjoinedtogetherwhatcouldwenotconquer？Olaf，IloveyounowasIhaveneverlovedbefore，cannotyoulovemeagain？“
　　Herarmsclungaboutme；herbeautifulblueeyes，shimmeringwithmoonlittears，heldmyeyes，andmyheartmeltedbeneathherbreathaswintersnowsmeltinthewindsofspring。Shesaw，sheunderstood；shecastherselfuponme，shakingherlonghairoverbothofus，andseekingmylips。Almostshehadfoundthem，when，feelingsomethinghardbetweenmeandher，somethingthathurtme，Ilookeddown。Hercloakhadslippedorbeenthrownaside，andmyeyecaughttheglintofgoldandjewels。InaninstantIremembered——theWanderer’snecklaceandthedream——andwiththosememoriesmyheartfrozeagain。
　　“Nay，Iduna，“Isaid，“Ilovedyouwell；there’snomanwilleverloveyoumore，andyouareveryfair。Whetheryouspeaktruewordsorfalse，Idonotknow；itisbetweenyouandyourownspirit。ButthisIdoknow:thatbetwixtusrunstheriverofSteinar’sblood，aye，andthebloodofThorvald，myfather，ofThora，mymother，ofRagnar，mybrother，andofmanyanothermanwhoclungtous，andthatisastreamwhichIcannotcross。Findyouanotherhusband，IdunatheFair，sinceneverwillIcallyouwife。“
　　Sheloosedherarmsfromroundme，and，liftingthemagain，unclaspedtheWanderer’snecklacefromaboutherbreast。
　　“Thisitis，“shesaid，“whichhasbroughtalltheseevilsonme。Takeitbackagain，and，whenyoufindher，giveittothatoneforwhomitismeant，thatonewhomyoulovetruly，as，whateveryoumayhavethought，youneverhavelovedme。“
　　Thenshesankupontheground，andrestinghergoldenheadupondeadSteinar’sbreast，shewept。
　　IthinkitwasthenthatFreydisareturned；atleast，Irecallhertallformstandingnearthestoneofsacrifice，gazingatusboth，astrangesmileonherface。
　　“Haveyouwithstood？“shesaid。“Then，truly，youareinthewayofvictoryandhavelesstofearfromwomanthanIthought。Allthingsarereadyasyoucommanded，mylordOlaf，andthereremainsbuttosayfarewell，whichyouhadbestdoquickly，fortheyplotyourdeathyonder。“
　　“Freydisa，“Ianswered，“Igo，butperchanceIshallreturnagain。
　　Meanwhile，allIhaveisyours，withthischarge。Guardyouyonderwoman，andseehersafetoherhome，orwherevershewouldgo，andtoSteinarheregivehonourableburial。“
　　Thenthedarknessofoblivionfalls，andIremembernomoresavethewhitefaceofIduna，herbrowstainedwithSteinar’slife-blood，watchingmeasIwent。