CHAPTER II: SIGURD ERIKSON.
On the next morning, as the red sun rose above the mist capped hills ofRathsdale, Olaf was at work among his master's swine, cleaning out thestyes and filling them with new straw. As he worked he asked himselfwho the tall man could be who had spoken with him last night upon thebeach, and he began to regret that he had told so much, believing nowthat the stranger might be an enemy--perhaps even a spy of the wickedQueen Gunnhild, who had so often sought to add to her own security byclearing her path of all who had power to dispute her rights. Gunnhildwas a very wily woman, and it might well be that she had secretlydiscovered the abiding place of the young son of King Triggvi, and thatshe had sent this man into Esthonia to entrap him.
"Never again shall I be so free in telling my story to a stranger,"said Olaf to himself. "Thorgils was wise to counsel me to keep secretmy kinship with Triggvi Olafson. When I am a man, and can fight my ownbattles, then it will be time enough to lay claim to my father's realm;and it may be that if I remain in thraldom till that time no one willguess who I am. As a thrall, then, I must work, even though that workbe no better than the cleaning of my master's stables and pigstyes--Get back, you greedy grunter!"
This last command was addressed to a great bristly boar that brushedpast the boy and made its way to the bed of new straw. Olaf caught theanimal by its hind leg and struggled with it for a moment, until theboar was thrown heavily on its side, squealing and kicking furiously.Then three of the other pigs rushed forward, and one knocked againstthe lad with such force that he fell on his knees. This made him veryangry, and he rose quickly to his feet and wrestled with the pigs,driving them back with blows of his clenched hands. But the boar wasnot easily turned. It stood stubbornly glaring at him with its smallbloodshot eyes, then suddenly charged at him with a savage roar. Olafleapt up, but too slowly, for his left foot was caught by the boar'shigh back, and he rolled over in the mire. And now his wrath got thebetter of him, and he leapt at the boar with a wild cry, seizing itsears in his two hands. Then they struggled together for many minutes,now rolling over, now breaking asunder and again returning to thecharge. But at last Olaf gained the mastery, and his adversary laypanting and exhausted on the coveted straw. Olaf sat upon the animal'sside with his bare foot upon its snout. His arm was bleeding, and therewas a long scratch upon his cheek. But he did not heed his wounds, forhe had conquered.
As he sat thus a shadow moved across the yellow straw. He raised hiseyes, and beheld the faces of two men, who looked down upon him fromover the barrier of the pig sty. One of the men was his master, Reas.The other he quickly recognized as the tall man who had spoken with himlast night. Sigurd Erikson was seated on a beautiful white horse, andhe was arrayed as for a long journey.
"This is the boy you mean," said Reas, as Olaf rose and went on withhis work--"an ill favoured loon you will think him. But had I expectedyou I should have seen that he had been well washed and decentlyclothed. If you would have him for hard labour, however, he is at leaststrong, and I will warrant you that he is healthy, and has no bodilyfaults. It may be that he is a little wild and wilful, but you can tamehim, and a sound flogging will do him no harm, as I have ofttimesfound. What price do you offer for him, hersir?"
Olaf looked up in anxious surprise, wondering if in truth the strangerhad come to buy him, so that he might carry him off to the wicked QueenGunnhild.
"I will give you two silver marks for him," said Sigurd, "and that isthe value of a full grown man slave."
Reas demurred, looking at Olaf as if regretting that the lad was notmore presentable.
"No," he said at last. "You will not find such a thrall as he in everyday's march. If he were but a little cleaner you would see that he is avery pretty boy. Look at his eyes--keen as a young snake's! Why, nowoman's eyes are more beautiful! Look at his skin, there where hiskirtle is torn. Is it not fair? And he is skilled in many feats. My ownson Rekoni is not more clever than he. He can run for half a daywithout being wearied. He can climb the highest pine tree inRathsdale--as he did last seed time to harry a bluejay's nest; and noseamew can swim more lightly on the water."
"As to his climbing," said Sigurd, with a curious look in his blueeyes, "I do not doubt that he will some day climb much higher than youlist. But swimming is of little avail where there is no sea. And if heruns so well there is all the more danger of his running away. I thinkyou will be well paid if I give you two silver marks. But since you setso high a value on him for his beauty and his skill, then I give you inaddition this little ring of gold for your good wife's wearing. Whatsay you?"
"It is a bargain!" said Reas, eagerly grasping the ring that Sigurdtook from his belt pouch; "and you may take the lad at once."
Olaf drew back to the far corner of the pig sty. There was a frown onhis brow, and his blue eyes flashed in quick anger.
"I will not go!" he said firmly, and he made a rapid movement to leapover the barrier; but he forgot the wound in his arm, and the pain ofit made him so awkward that Reas caught him by his wrists and held himthere until Sigurd, springing from his horse, came and put an ironchain round the lad's neck. Then the two men forcibly drew him to thegate of the pig sty. So, when Reas had opened the gate, Sigurd, who wasa very powerful man, caught Olaf in his arms and carried him to thehorse's side, and, holding the end of the chain, mounted. Olafstruggled a little to free himself, but finding the chain secure abouthis neck, resolved to await a better chance of escape. Then Sigurd gaveReas the two silver marks in payment of his purchase, and urged hishorse to a quick walk, dragging Olaf behind him.
Very soon Reas and his straggling farmstead were hidden from sightbehind a clump of tall pine trees. Then Sigurd halted at the side of alittle stream.
"You have done well," he said to Olaf, "in thus coming away withseeming unwillingness. But do not suppose that I value you so lightlyas did your late master, who thinks, foolish man, that you are nobetter than many another bond slave whom he might buy in themarketplace. Had Reas exacted an hundred gold marks instead of twopaltry marks of silver, I should willingly have given him them."
"And why?" asked Olaf with a frown. "Is it that you think to take mewest to Norway, and cast me like a young goat among wolves? I hadthought when you so blandly spoke to me yesternight that you were a manof honour. Haply Queen Gunnhild would reward you well if you shoulddeliver me into her clutches. But this you shall never do!"
"Rash boy," said Sigurd as he stroked his horse's mane, "do you notrecognize a friend when you meet one? Or is friendship so strange toyou that you take all men to be your enemies?"
"Enmity comes so often in the guise of friendship," said Olaf, "that itis well to be wary. I had been wiser last night if I had refused tospeak with you."
"The time will soon come," said Sigurd, "when you will not be sorrythat you so spoke. But I will warn you that it may go very ill with youif you tell your story to all strangers as you told it to me."
Olaf was perplexed. He looked into the man's face and saw only kindnessthere, and yet there was something very suspicious in the stranger'seagerness to possess him.
"If you are indeed my friend," said the boy, "why do you keep thischain about my neck? Why do you drag me after you like a dog?"
"Because I am not willing that you should escape me," answered Sigurd."But if you will shake my hand and tell me that you will not run away,then I will take off your chain and you shall ride in front of me on myhorse. You are King Triggvi's son, and I know that, once spoken, yourword will be sacred."
Now, Olaf had never taken any man's hand since he swore fosterbrotherhood with Thorgils Thoralf son. He looked upon handshaking as amost solemn covenant, only to be made when great matters were at stake.Also, he had never yet told or acted a lie, or been false to anyone. Heanswered promptly:
"No, I will not take your hand. Neither will I give you my word that Ishall not escape from you very soon. You may keep the chain about myneck. It is more easily broken than my promise."
Sigurd looked at the lad and smiled.
"I think," he said, "that I would admire you even more if you were alittle cleaner. Here is a stream of water. Get in and wash yourself."
"I cannot take off my clothes without removing the chain," said Olaf,"and if the chain be removed I shall run away to where even your horsecannot follow me. But if you will give me one boon I will promise youthat I will wash myself clean and then come back to the chain."
"What is your boon?" asked Sigurd.
"It is," said Olaf, "that since I am now your lawful thrall, and mustgo with you wheresoever you wish, you will go to Biorn the merchant andbuy from him my foster brother Thorgils."
Sigurd leapt from his horse and at once unfastened the chain fromOlaf's neck, and even helped him to draw off his kirtle and woollensark. And when Olaf stood before him naked, Sigurd drew back amazed atthe pure fairness of his skin, the firmness of his well knittedmuscles, and the perfect beauty of his form.
In the stream near which they had halted there was a deep, clear poolof water, with a high cascade tumbling into it in creamy foam. Olaf ranlightly over the mossy boulders and plunged into the pool, as though heknew it well. Sigurd watched him rolling and splashing there inchildish delight. Sometimes the boy seemed lost in the brown depths ofthe water, but soon his white body would be seen gliding smoothly alongunder the surface, and then emerging amid the spray of the waterfall,where the shafts of sunlight made a rainbow arc. And at last Olaf cameout and ran swiftly backward and forward on the grassy level until hewas dry. Then returning to his new master he took up his woollen sark.But his kirtle was gone.
Sigurd said: "I have thrown it away, for it is not well that a king'sson should wear a garment that is sullied by the marks of slavery."
He took off from his own shoulders a riding cloak of scarlet cloth andadded, "Take this cloak and wear it. And when we reach the town I willbuy you more fitting clothes, with sandals for your feet, and a cap toshield your head from the sun."
Olaf blushed, and took the cloak and put it over him, saying nothing.Then he caught up an end of the chain and signed to his master tofasten it about his neck. Signed fastened it and then remounted hishorse.
They had gone a little distance seaward down the dale when they weremet by three armed horsemen, who seemed to have been waiting for them.Sigurd gave Olaf into their keeping, bidding them guard him well, andhimself rode on in advance. Soon from the top of a hill they came insight of the blue sea, and then the little town with its wooden hutsnestling at the foot of the cliffs.
When they entered the town, two of Sigurd's servants took Olaf withthem to the house of a certain merchant, where they gave him someroasted eggs and wheaten bread, and there they kept him until afternoontide, never speaking to him, but only watching him while theyplayed countless games of chess and drank many horns of ale.
Now Olaf, as he sat on the floor, chained to the door post, set towondering where his new master intended taking him to, and he couldthink of no likely destination but Norway. Why else should this manhave bought him but to deliver him to Gunnhild? So thereupon he beganto question how he could escape. And he determined in his mind veryquickly, that when they were on the sea he would free himself from hischain and jump overboard and swim to land. But then came the thoughtthat if he did this he would be quite alone in the world, and no onewould ever believe him if he told them that he was the son of TriggviOlafson, and perhaps he would again be taken into slavery. If Thorgilswere with him they might do very well together, because Thorgils wasfull of the world's wisdom, and could by his wit earn food and shelteruntil they were both old enough and skilled enough to join some vikingship and win renown and power. But if Thorgils was to be left behind inEsthonia then it would not be so easy. Nothing could be done withoutThorgils. So then Olaf thought it would be much wiser in him to try toescape at once, before he should be taken on board ship.
The chain was tight about his neck and it was fastened behind, so thathe could not loosen it without arousing the men's suspicions by thenoise it would make. He looked at the other end of it, and saw it wasso fastened that he might easily undo it. Little by little he creptnearer to the post as the men went on with their game. Before he coulddo more, however, there was the sound of horse's feet outside. The twomen sprang up from their seats. One of them went to the door andpresently returned with a bundle of clothes, which he threw down on thefloor, bidding Olaf dress himself. Olaf saw at once that the garmentswere of very fine woven cloth, and he wondered much. Even his oldmaster's son Rekoni had never worn such rich attire as this, and it waspassing strange that he, a bond slave, should be told to clothe himselfin such finery.
He was dressing himself--albeit with great trouble, for the things werestrange to him who had hitherto worn naught but a poor slave'skirtle--when a shrill horn was sounded from without. Then one of themen came and helped him to lace his sandals and to don his cloak, andhurried him out into the courtyard. Here were three horses waiting. Themen pointed to one of them, a shaggy brown pony, and told Olaf to mount.
"I cannot ride," said the boy.
"You will be able to ride long before you reach our journey's end,"returned the man. "And, lest you should be afraid of falling off, youwill be tied with strong ropes to the horse's back."
"I had rather walk," objected Olaf.
"Slaves must obey their masters," said the man; and he took hold of theboy to help him to mount. But Olaf drew quickly aside with a flash ofrebellion in his eyes.
Now at that moment a company of horsemen came in sight, led by SigurdErikson, and followed by many mules that were laden with bags of foodand merchandise. All the men were well armed with swords and spears,bows and arrows. The sight of so many horses at once showed Olaf thatthe journey, whatever its destination, was to be made by land. As theycame nearer and halted, his eyes quickly searched among the men forThorgils Thoralfson. Yes, there indeed was his foster brother, mountedon one of the pack mules, with the sunlight falling on his white kirtleand downbent head! Then Olaf grew calm, for his master had kept hispromise, and it mattered little where he was to be taken now thatThorgils was to be with him in his bondage. Sometime--not today,perhaps,--they would have a chance of speaking together and ofcontriving an escape.
Sigurd, seated on his beautiful white horse, looked like a kingsurrounded by his bodyguard. He watched Olaf springing on the pony'sback, and saw the men securing the boy with ropes. One of the men tookthe end of the chain, while the other held the pony's halter; and thus,with a mounted guard on each side of him, the young slave was led outthrough the gates.
Very soon the little town in which he had lived in bondage for sevenlong years, and the sea that he loved so well, were left far behind.Sigurd and his followers rode southward over the hills, and thenthrough long dreary dales, that were strewn with large boulder stonesthat made travelling very difficult. There was only a narrow horsetrack to guide them, and soon even this was lost in the rank herbage,and the land became a wild desolate waste without sign of humandwelling, but only the bare rugged hills, with here and there a threadof water streaming down them into the lower land. Olaf began to feelvery weary, and the jolting of the pony over the rough ground becamepainful to his untrained limbs. But at last the hot sun sank in a blazeof gold, and the first day's journey came to an end.
A halt was made within the shelter of a vast forest of pine trees, atthe side of a wide, deep stream. Here the horses and mules wereunburdened and allowed to wander, with dogs to watch them lest theystrayed too far. Some of the men then set to raising tents, othersgathered cones and dry twigs to build a fire, while two mounted guardover their master's moneybags. When all was ready, food and drink wereserved round to all alike.
At nightfall, Olaf and Thorgils, still chained, were put to sleep on abed of dry ferns. Near them was another slave, a young man who seemedto be of a foreign land. They watched him silently until he was asleep,then as they lay there with the stars shining down upon them throughthe dark tree branches, they questioned one the other concerning whathad happened to them th
at day. Olaf asked Thorgils if he had heard thename of their new master.
"No," answered Thorgils. "Nor can I guess why it is that he has boughtus. All that I know is that he is a Norseman, and that he is very rich."
"I can only think," said Olaf, "that he intends some treachery by us,and that he means to take us west over sea and deliver us into thehands of Gunnhild's sons."
"There is little cause to fear such a thing," said Thorgils. "To him weare but as any other slaves that he might buy in the marketplace, and Ithink he has only chosen us because we are of his own country. Had hediscovered that you were your father's son he might indeed design totake us to Norway. But that is not possible. There are none but our twoselves in all Esthonia who know that you are Olaf Triggvison, and thisman could not by any means have discovered it."
Olaf was silent for many moments, then at last he said:
"Thorgils, I cannot deceive you. This man knows full well whose son Iam, and it was I who told him."
Thorgils drew in his breath, as if he had received a blow.
"You told him?" he cried. "Oh, rash that you are! Have I not alwaysbidden you keep this secret close in your heart? What need was there totell your story to the first inquiring stranger who crossed your path?You are over ready with your tongue, and now, alas! our misfortunesmust only be greater than before."
"He spoke kindly to me," explained Olaf, "and I could not refuse toanswer him when he asked me how I came to be a bond slave. I littlethought that he was an enemy."
"You are unskilled in the knowledge of men, Ole," returned Thorgils."There is a look in his eyes that might soon have told you that thereis evil in his heart, and such smooth tongued men as he are not to betrusted. But there is one good thing that your thoughtlessness hasdone: it has brought us again under one master, so it will go ill if,working together, we cannot contrive to run away, and join some vikingship."
"That will not be easy if our new master should take us to an inlandplace," said Olaf. "None of his men have the marks of the sea uponthem; they are landmen."
Thorgils glanced up into the sky and searched for the polar star.
"We are journeying southward," he said presently.
"And what country lies to the south?" asked Olaf.
Thorgils could not tell. But he remembered that on a time somemerchants had come to the coast from a great city in the south calledMikligard--which was the Norseman's name for Constantinople,--and heguessed that that might be their journey's end.
Then Olaf crept nearer to their sleeping companion and wakened him.
"Tell me," he asked, "who is this man, our master, and whither is hetaking us?"
"I cannot tell," answered the youth. "It is but three days since thathe bought me, and I can ill understand the tongue these men speak, forI am not of this land. My home is far across the seas."
"In what realm?" asked Thorgils.
"In England."
"That must be far away indeed," said Olaf, "for never have I heard ofsuch a land."
"It is an island, out across the Western Sea," explained Thorgils;"often have I heard it named. In that same land it was that King ErikBloodaxe lived and died. Many vikings out of Norway have crossed theseas for the sake of the wealth they can win from the Angles. And if Iwere a viking it is to England I would steer my course."
"Gladly would I go with you," said the English youth; "ay, even now, ifwe could but escape. But it seems that we are journeying away from theseacoast, and there is little hope that we can win our way on board aship."
"There is hope enough if we do not delay our escape," returnedThorgils, looking out to where the campfires burned. He was silent formany minutes, then, laying his hand on the stranger's arm, he asked:
"What name have you?"
"Egbert," the lad replied.
"And how came it," inquired Thorgils, "that you were brought intoEsthonia?"
Egbert then told his story. He was born, he said, in Northumberland.His father, a wealthy armourer and silversmith, had been slain by oneof the Northmen who had made a great settlement in that part of thecountry, and his mother, whose name was Edith, had then wedded the manwho had made her a widow. The man was named Grim, and he was a warriorin the service of Erik Bloodaxe, the ruler in those parts. On the deathof King Erik, Grim and many of the Norsemen went back to Norway in thetrain of Queen Gunnhild and Erik's sons, and with him he took his wifeand young Egbert. Edith did not live to reach Norway, and Grim,unwilling to be burdened with her son, had sold Egbert into slavery.For ten years the boy had suffered in bondage under different masters,the last of whom--Klerkon Flatface--had brought him into Esthonia.
"My one wish during all these years," said Egbert, "has been to returnto England, where the people are Christian, and do not worship yourheathen gods. Many times I have tried to escape, but always withoutsuccess; for I have had no companions, and it is not easy for one soyoung as I am to make his way alone through foreign lands."
"What is your age?" Olaf inquired.
"Fifteen summers," answered Egbert.
Thorgils stood up and leaned his hand against the trunk of a tree,looking down at his two companions.
"I think," said he, "that it would be a very good thing if we threeshould run away from this new master of ours--now, while the darknesslasts,--and, keeping in company, try to get back to the coast. There wemight take possession of a small sailboat, and so make our way over seato the land of the Angles. What say you, Ole?"
Olaf was silent for a while. At last he said:
"It were much wiser in us to wait until we are old enough to fight ourway in the world."
"And you will not try to escape?" asked Thorgils.
"No," answered Olaf firmly. "We have a good master. Why should we leavehim?"
"It is because he has given you that fine cloak that you think himgood," returned Thorgils tauntingly; "but, believe me, he has hisprivate reasons for so bribing you. I can well guess what he means todo with you, and I tell you that you will surely rue it if you do notescape while we may; for, if men bear their true nature in their faces,then this man who has bought us has an evil heart."
"And what would it avail if we were to escape?" asked Olaf. "Boys as weare, we should be of little use in the world, I think."
"You are afraid!" cried Thorgils.
"Yes," echoed Egbert, "you are afraid." Then turning to Thorgils, headded: "But why should we urge the lad against his will? He is but achild, and would only be a burden to us. Let us leave him and go ourways without him."
"You are not of our folk, Egbert," returned Thorgils, flinging himselfdown upon the dry leaves, "and you do not know what the vow of fosterbrotherhood means. You ask me to do that which I would sooner die thando. Ole and I will never part until death parts us. And if eithershould be slain, then the other will avenge his death. If Ole wills toremain in slavery until he is old and gray, then I will always be hiscompanion in bondage. But to escape without him, that will I never do!"
Nothing more was said. The three boys, weary after their long journey,curled themselves up to sleep.
So soundly did young Olaf sleep, that at midnight, when a man's handsunbound the chain about his neck he was not awakened. Very cautiouslythe man took him up in his strong arms, and carried him away among thedark shadows of the trees to a part of the forest far removed from thecampfires. And at last he laid the lad down on a bed of dry reeds andmoss at the side of the stream, where the bright moon, shining throughan open glade, shed its light upon his fair round face and his shortgold hair. There the man stood over him, watching him as he dreamed hischildish dreams. Then he knelt down and gently drew aside the lad'scloak and opened the front of his kirtle, so that the moonlight fellupon the white skin of his throat and breast.
Suddenly Olaf awoke and saw the dark figure bending over him.
"Thorgils, Thorgils!" he cried in alarm.
"Be silent!" commanded Sigurd Erikson, gripping the boy's arm. "No harmwill come to you."
Olaf struggled to his feet
and was about to take to flight, but hismaster's firm grip held him.
"Silly child!" muttered Sigurd. "Why do you fear me? Have I not alreadytold you that I am your friend?"
"I do not trust your friendship," answered Olaf angrily, rememberingThorgil's warning. "And now I believe that you have brought me hereonly that you may secretly put me to death."
"I have brought you here for your own good, my child," said Sigurdsoftly; "and I give you my solemn word that no man, whosoever he be,shall do you any injury while I live to be your protector. Be silent,and listen to me."
Olaf grew calmer.
"Yester eve," said Sigurd, "when you told me that you were the son ofKing Triggvi Olafson, I could not easily believe your tale. But whenyou spoke your mother's name and told me that she was from Ofrestead,in the Uplands of Norway, then I knew very well that you were tellingme the truth. I looked into your eyes and I saw that they were the eyesof Queen Astrid--the fairest woman in all the Northland. In your verywords I thought I could hear the music of Queen Astrid's voice--"
"Can it be that my mother is known to you?" cried Olaf eagerly. "Can itbe that you can take me to where she lives?"
"Well do I know her," answered Sigurd. "But, alas! it is many summerssince I saw her last, nor had I heard any tidings of her for a long,long while, until you told me that she had taken flight from Norway.Tell me now, what is the name of him whose succour she wished to seekin Gardarike?"
"Her brother's name," said Olaf, "is Sigurd Erikson."
"I am that same brother," smiled Sigurd, taking the boy by the hand;"and it is because I am your uncle that I now take you with me intoHolmgard." He drew Olaf nearer to him and put his arm about his neck."And you shall live with me as my own dear foster son," he added, "andI will take care of you and teach you all that a king's son shouldknow, so that in the time to come you may be well fitted to claim yourdead father's realm. But it is not without great risk that I do thisthing, for I well know that there are many men in Norway who wouldgladly hear of your death. Now, if Gunnhild's sons should learn thatyou are living in Holmgard they would offer a rich reward to the manwho should compass your end. You will be wise, therefore, if youbreathe no word of your kinship with Triggvi Olafson. Also, you mustbetray to no man, not even to your foster brother Thorgils, that I amyour uncle, or that I know your name and kin; for it is a law heldsacred in Gardarike that no one of royal birth shall abide in the landwithout the sanction of King Valdemar. If it be known that I amwilfully breaking that law, then both you and I will fall into thesorest trouble."
Amazed at hearing all this, and at learning that the man he had takenfor a secret enemy was none other than his own uncle, Olaf wasspeechless. He silently put his hand into Sigurd's great palm, and lethimself be led back to the place where Thorgils and Egbert still laysound asleep.
Olaf the Glorious: A Story of the Viking Age Page 2
