The Story of Rolf and the Viking's Bow

by Allen French

  CHAPTER XXI

  HOW ROLF WON THE VIKING'S BOW

  Grani sent men to the viking's mound, and they fetched home all theprecious things which were there, whether gold, silver, cloths orweapons. Among these last was the viking's bill. That was a notableweapon, having a curving blade with a hook springing from its back,and set like a great spearhead upon a pole as high as a man'sshoulder. Grani kept all weapons; but he gave Rolf and Frodi things tothe value of some hundreds in silver, and begged that they shouldremain with him in the hall of Ar the Peacock. Yet Rolf bore himselfas if he expected more from Grani than gold and silver, and said hecould not stay in the hall. Grani complained of that to Ar.

  Ar asked: "Knowest thou not what he will have of thee?"

  Said Grani, "The bow, belike."

  "Not so," answered Ar.

  "Well," Grani said, "I will make amends to him by pressing him againto live here with us."

  "Thou shalt never succeed with him in that," replied Ar, "until thouhast said those words which will make him forget that he was once athrall in this place. But this I beg thee, drive him not away fromHawksness; for war with the Scots is threatened in the spring, and allfighting-men will be of value."

  So Grani did not press Rolf to stay in the hall, and he asked: "Wherewill ye live?"

  "We go," answered Rolf, "to stay a while with that shipmaster who hasbeen living here."

  But when they searched after Kiartan, it was told that he had gonewith his ship with great suddenness when he learned that Rolf andFrodi were set free. Yet in his haste he had left merchandise, and hadoutstanding credits; so Rolf took Kiartan's lodgings, and said hewould wait his return. Then winter came on, and the place was snowedand frozen up, so that men had nothing to do save to hold sports onthe ice, or to sit long of evenings in the hall, talking of manythings. But now all was different from before, and Rolf and Grani cameseldom together.

  One time when all were at games on the ice, Grani sent for his bow,and it was brought out to him. Men took it and handled it, admiring itmuch. "Let us see," said Grani, "what shooting we can do with it." Hetried to string the bow.

  But it was with him as it had been with Rolf and the bow of Grettir:it would not bend for him, but was almost as stiff as a spear shaft.He got red in the face, first with trying and then with anger; at lasthe gave over and said that others should try. But though the strongestof the Orkneyingers did their best, they could do no better thanGrani. Thereat he felt better, and offered the bow to Frodi.

  Frodi held it in his hands, and turned it this way and that. "Break itI might," quoth he, "but string it never." He offered the bow to Rolf,saying: "Do thou try it, for I have seen thee do with skill whatothers have failed to do with force."

  But Rolf would not try to string the bow. So Grani sent it back to thehall, and let bring the viking's bill, which had lain by his side inthe ship. But when it was brought, it proved too heavy for any of theOrkneyingers to wield.

  Then said Grani: "I will give the bill as a present to Ghost-Frodi."

  "Why callest thou me that?" asked Frodi.

  Grani only said, "Why should I not call thee so?" and he pressed thebill on Frodi, who drew back.

  "I know nothing of weapons," said he. Then all the Orkneyingersshouted to see the strongest man drawing away from the bill; and whenGrani made him take it, they laughed the more, for he handled it, saidall, as if it were the smithy broom. They called him Ghost-Frodi afterthat, thinking it fine that he who could master a spirit could nothandle a weapon.

  Now in that winter Ar was continually sick with little fevers, and hewould not let Grani stir far from his side. One day a messenger fromEarl Brusi came to say that Ar should keep a watch for Vemund thePitiless, who had been driven from the north, and had gone toward thesouth. Now no one needed to be told who Vemund was.

  For he was the worst of all vikings who had ravaged in the Orkneys,since he not only took tribute, but burnt towns and slaughtered peoplewantonly. A baresark he was, with the strength of seven men, and sodefended by magic that on him no steel might bite. Only twenty men hadhe with him, but they had the power of fifty, being baresarks all,outlawed and reckless of life. They had first done great damage inNorway, but were driven thence to the Shetland Isles, and thence tothe northern Orkneys, but now were coming further south. Rewards andfame were sure to the men who could overcome those baresarks.

  Grani begged of Ar that he might go in the war-ship in search of them;but Ar said no to that. Ar gave orders that Sweyn should keep the shipin readiness; men slept near the boat-stand, ready to launch her dayor night.

  One night in a storm, fire was seen on that island which is offHawksness, where dwell only fisher-folk; the cottages were seen toburn to the ground, but the sea was high, and no one crossed over. Inthe morning a ten-oared boat left that little island, and went awayeastward; that was a venturesome thing in a storm, and by that deedthat was known for the boat of Vemund the Pitiless. Then Sweyn letlaunch the war-ship, and with all his men went after the baresarks.Rolf made no offer to go, and Grani watched the chase from the shore,angry that he must stay. The two ships drove away out of sight, and noone could say that the larger gained upon the smaller. Nothing morewas seen of them all that day.

  But in the night the baresarks gave Sweyn the slip; they came straightback as they had gone, but Sweyn went on, first east, then south,searching the coast. Vemund's ship came to Hawksness; and in themorning, behold, there it was off the landing, and the baresarks werejust rowing it to shore. The fisher-folk left their cottages and ranto the hall, and all took hasty counsel. But when word was brought toAr of the baresarks, first he became red in the face, and then he lostpower of speech, and there was no leader save Grani.

  Grani said: "This is no place for us to stay, for the baresarks willburn us alive. Take Ar and the women and children into the stonechurch, and let us men go also thither and defend it." Then that wasdone; and when they reached the church, going hastily and in a body sothat none should be left behind, they found Rolf and Frodi sitting atthe door, with their weapons.

  Then all went within the church, but Rolf and Frodi stayed outside."Come ye not inside?" asked Grani.

  "All those riches which Ar has in his hall," responded Rolf, "arethose to be burned or lost?"

  Then Grani said he would go back again, and called for men to helpdefend the hall. Only nine came. But those, with Rolf and Frodi, wentback to the hall; both the hall and the church were barred against thebaresarks. Those outlaws came up into the place; a strange crew theywere, wearing no armor but skins of beasts, and wild to look on. Theyburned some huts, but the church and the hall they might not force.Then, because they feared Sweyn's return, and so dared not to losetime, they knew not what to do. Men shot at them from the hall and thechurch; so the baresarks went back again to the shore, and tookcounsel together.

  Now all the time in the hall Frodi had walked up and down, lookingvery white and knocking his bill against everything, as if he wereafraid. So when the outlaws went away, Grani scoffed at him.

  "What dost thou with that bill," asked Grani, "if thou canst not standup like a man, and be ready for what comes?"

  "Truly," answered Frodi, "I feel strange inwardly, and my hands arecold. Yet what dost thou with that bow, which is so handsome that mannever saw finer, yet which no one in these islands has yet strung?"

  Then Grani took the quiver from his shoulders and laid down the bow."I am justly rebuked," said he. He took a lighter bow. "Now wilt thoutake a smaller weapon?"

  "No man can say," answered Frodi, "what he will do in time of trial.But I will keep the bill."

  Now some voice was heard without, calling; they listened to what wassaid. That was a messenger from Vemund, who made this offer: achampion should be sent out by the Orkneyingers, to meet Vemund, andwhichever champion should fall, his side should yield itself into theother's hands. But if the Orkneyingers refused, fire should be set tothe hall and also to the roof of the church. And that was the same asoffering them one sma
ll chance for their lives.

  Grani asked: "What man will go out against Vemund?"

  No one offered. Then Grani said: "He who goes against the baresarkwill die swiftest, therefore I am willing to go myself."

  All the Orkneyingers cried out against that, saying they should dietogether within the hall; it might be Sweyn would come in time to savethem.

  Then Rolf spoke and said: "No man in this place, not even Frodi ourstrongest, will have any chance against Vemund, so long as we fightwith steel weapons. For I have heard the ways of such men to be these:before fighting they look upon the weapons of the other champion, andwhen they look, by witchcraft they make steel or iron powerlessagainst them. Such a man is Vemund named. Yet if thou, Grani, wiltgive me what I desire, I will find a way to slay him."

  "Anything I have," answered Grani, "is thine."

  "Give me then," said Rolf, "the bow and arrows of the viking."

  Then Grani gave him the bow and the quiver, and Rolf cried to themessenger to say to Vemund that in half an hour one would meet himwith the bow. At that great laughter rose among the outlaws, and thosein the hall and in the church felt no confidence in Rolf.

  But he said to Frodi, "Go to the forge and heat it." And he said toGrani, "Bring me here some silver." Then when the forge was heated andthe silver was brought, Rolf said to Frodi:

  "Make me now three silver arrowheads, the best thou canst, after thepattern of these here in the quiver." So Frodi made the arrow-headsquickly and with great skill, so that no one could have told themapart from the arrow-heads of iron, for they were black from the fire.And Rolf first set a dish of whale-oil to heat by the forge, and thentook the heads from three of the arrows. When the new arrow-heads weremade, Rolf bound them with sinews upon the shafts.

  A man said: "But what wilt thou do with the arrows if thou canst notstring the bow?"

  Rolf answered nothing. He took the whale-oil and oiled those threearrows. Then he heated the oil hotter, and began to rub it on the bow.First he oiled the string and rubbed it long; then he oiled the wood.And the wood became darker with the oil, and took a finer polish;fresher it seemed, gleaming in the light of the forge. Rolf rubbed formany minutes, and the bow became ever darker; he held it then over theforge, turning it in every way, and it took to itself the fire of thecoals. Then Rolf oiled the string once more, heating it as well; andat last they saw he meant to string the bow. Against his foot he setit, and bent it, and slipped the string up to the notch; it seemed asif a child could have done the deed, and the men burst out with ashout.

  Then Rolf took one of the old arrows and set it on the string; he drewthe bow and shot the arrow along the hall. No one could see that itdropped in its flight; but it struck an oaken beam by the high seat,and when men came to measure it afterward, the arrow had entered theoak by the breadth of a palm.

  Men spoke afterward of the sweet twang of that bow, like as if it werean harp.

  Then the Orkneyingers went out of the hall with much shouting, andstood upon a knoll which was between the hall and the church. Thebaresarks came near, and Vemund stood out before them; he was a hugeman, very hairy, with a great beard. He asked who was to come againsthim.

  "I," answered Rolf.

  Vemund laughed, and the other baresarks also, calling Rolf a boy. "Letme see thy weapons," said Vemund. Rolf showed him his quiver, and thebaresark touched the point of each arrow with his finger. "Wilt thoulook upon my weapons?" asked Vemund.

  Rolf said he would not. "Now," said he, "withdraw thy men to thebeach, and let us begin."

  "Thou art eager for death," said Vemund with a grin. "I will do asthou sayest, and then will come at thee. Thou mayest shoot as soon asthou wilt."

  Vemund withdrew his men to the beach, and the Orkneyingers went asidefrom the knoll. Frodi wept before he left Rolf, commending him to God.Then Rolf took those three arrows with silver points, and stuck themin the ground by his feet.

  By then Vemund was ready to return; he bore no shield nor armor; hethrew down his bow, and shouted that this should be between whateverweapons each man chose. Then with sword in hand he began to walk tothe knoll. Rolf took an arrow from his quiver and laid it on thestring.

  When Vemund was nearer, Rolf drew the bow; no bow had ever drawnharder, yet none had been so lively in his hand. The arrow sped;Vemund turned not aside, but when the shaft struck on his breast thewood flew to splinters, and the point fell down. All the Orkneymencried out in fear, but the baresarks shouted. Rolf took a second arrowand waited awhile.

  Then he shot again, and the arrow struck Vemund on the throat; itturned aside, and flew sliddering away. Some of the Orkneymen withdrewto the door of the church, crying that they should be let in. But theoutlaws began to come forward.

  Then Rolf drew one of those arrows from the ground, and wiped thepoint, and made ready.

  When Vemund was twenty paces away Rolf shot for the third time. Thearrow went in a level flight, and struck Vemund on the breast; thereit sunk to the feathers. Those baresarks, coming behind, saw a foot ofthe shaft stand out from Vemund's back.

  Then Vemund brandished his sword and ran at Rolf; Rolf took the secondarrow and sent it at him. In the eye it struck him, and pierced to thebrain; down fell the baresark, and died before he reached the ground.

  Rolf took the third arrow and put it in his quiver.

  Then the Orkneyingers came running from the church with their weapons,and all rushed at the outlaws. Grani shouted that the baresarks shouldlay down their arms; but they, fearing death, drew into a circle andwould not yield. They began to cast spears at the Orkneyingers.

  "Shoot arrows at them," said Grani to Rolf.

  "I have done my share," quoth he.

  Then the Orkneyingers ran round that circle of outlaws, and did theirbest to pry into it; but they got only wounds. The baresarks began togrit their teeth and work themselves to anger as if they had beenwolves; that was their way in battle. Frodi went nearer to look atthat sight.

  Then one baresark shot a spear at Frodi, and cut his shoulder so thatit bled. At that Frodi turned red, and took his bill, and went at thatman. The baresark swung his sword, but Frodi caught it with the billand spun it aloft; then he hooked at the man with the back of thebill, and caught him by the neck, and pulled him down grovelling. AnOrkneyman pierced the outlaw as he lay.

  So the circle of the baresarks was broken, but they sought to drawagain together. Then Frodi took his bill, and made at the two men toright and left of the opening; one he caught with the point of thebill, and pitched him sideways; that man fell on the circle at anotherplace and broke it there. Next Frodi pitched the other baresark cleanacross the circle against the men at the other side; two fell at once.

  Then Grani shouted and rushed within the ring, and all theOrkneyingers fell on the baresarks at every point. Some were slainright there; some broke away and were chased about; one by one theydied among the huts and the frames for drying fish.

  Frodi, when he had done that much, stood by Rolf and struck no more.When the fighting was finished the Orkneyingers looked to their hurts,and it was found that no one was badly wounded. All said that thedeath of Vemund the Pitiless was not so bad by half as the living ofhim.

  Now Grani was very happy and talkative, and he praised his men much;but he seemed constrained before Rolf, and spoke to Frodi. "And thousaidst thou couldst not use the bill!"

  Frodi answered, "So I thought, but it is no different from handling apitchfork."

  Grani whooped with laughter, and would tell that saying to others.Frodi beseeched him: "Cease thy talking, lest men give me a newnickname."

  But Grani told Frodi's words in the presence of many, and all criedthat Frodi should be called Pitchfork Frodi. He grumbled to Rolfthereat.

  "Better be glad," said Rolf, "that nothing worse has come to thee thana sore shoulder and a new name."

  Now Sweyn came sailing back, angered that he had been tricked, butmuch afraid of what might have happened at Hawksness in his absence.As for Ar the Peacock, he lay
without speech until the morrow, when hecame to himself; but he was a broken man ever after that shock.

  Grani took the spoil from the baresark ship, and divided it into fiveparts. Two parts he gave to those fishers whose houses the baresarkshad burned; one part he divided among those who had wounds; the resthe sent to the lodging of Rolf and Frodi. Grani took nothing forhimself, nor did he go with the treasure to Rolf; and men said amongthemselves that, during all these doings, Rolf and Grani had spoken toeach other only when they must.

  From that time the viking's bow was Rolf's own. Those two arrows whichhad slain the baresark were hung up in the church; but Rolf took thethird arrow with the silver point, and bound it in the quiver with asilken thread.