A Sea Queen's SailingWhistler, Charles W. (Charles Watts)
History
A Sea Queen's Sailing
Whistler, Charles W. (Charles Watts)
Norway -- History -- To 1030 -- Juvenile fiction; Vikings -- Juvenile fiction
"This is the second time you have saved my life," she said. "Nor
was there one to share the deed this time. You cannot bring in
Bertric and Dalfin now."
Which seemed to please her in a way which I will not try to fathom.
That sort of thing makes a man feel how little worth he is in
truth.
Then on that morning she must needs take me to see all the place
and the folk. My father's old ship lay in the fjord, ready to sail
to Eric, and she must hear how we escaped from her again. There
were more pleasant doings also, but I need not tell of them.
For now it seems to me that the story is done, if there must be
told one or two more things, seeing that Gerda had come home, and
all was well. I have no words to tell of the wedding that was
before Bertric must needs go back to Hakon, for none but a lady
could compass that. But I will say that it was a goodly gathering
thereat, for word went quickly round, and the good people came in
to grace it from far and wide. Bertric gave away the bride, as the
friend of Hakon, who was her guardian; and after the wedding in the
old Norse way, Phelim blessed us after the manner of the new faith
which he and his had taught us to love, though he might not do more
for us, as yet unbaptized.
Thereafter was feasting and rejoicing enough to please all, if the
notice had been short; and then Bertric must go his way, promising
to see us again as soon as might be. So we watched the ship pass
down the fjord and into the narrow seaward channel, and he waved to
us, and we to him, and the men cheered for Hakon, and so we turned
back to the new life of peace that lay before us.
There was not much fighting ere Hakon came to the throne in
earnest. Eric fled the land as man after man rose for his rival,
and at last took to the Viking path, and thereafter made friends
with Athelstane of England, and held Northumbria for him as
under-king. So he troubled Norway no more.
But for the spreading of the new faith Hakon would have had no man
against him; but therein he had unrest enough. Maybe it was to be
expected, as he went to work with too high a hand in that matter in
his zeal; for here we had no trouble. Phelim and Gerda won the folk
with ways and words of love, and before two years had passed all
were working to frame a church here with much pride in the
building, giving time and labour for naught but the honour of the
faith.
Hakon came to the consecrating of that church, and with him were
Bertric and Dalfin, and then those good friends of ours stood
sponsors for us at the first christenings that were therein.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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