Now the cold blasts of the northern mountains had wholly stript the beech-trees of their leaves. Over hill and dale, winter had spread his stiff glittering garment of snow and frost; only on the high rocks the frightful pine-forests of Finland, in their mournful dark-green, were flourishing as before. Our two knights, however, in their winter-camp, continued active and cheerful. Whether they rode out for amusement to the chase, through the now-faded forest, or in quest of more serious adventures, when the pagan hordes began to shew themselves on the frontier,--or when they returned home, weary at night, to their wooden cottage, which now served them for a fortress, and sat by the blazing hearth over their brimming horns of mead, and talking of past encounters,--they were always contented, and felt no lack of pastime. They were indeed conscious, that they were acting as faithful guardians, for the protection both of Norway and Sweden; and after those days, when they had been engaged in arduous conflicts, when the snow around them had often been stained with blood,--and after the long evenings spent at their wild cabin among the rocks, the visits which they duly made at the watch-tower of the mysterious Druda, were to them like sudden gleams of sunlight on a dark wintry landscape. Even Sir Arinbiorn had now regained his confidence, and felt himself as if at home in the Druda’s castle. Many times she entertained them with wondrous stories, ballads, and riddles, such as they had never before heard; and even when she remained silent, their spirits were not on that account depressed; but, on the contrary, they felt a mild submissive patience settle on their hearts. Only at one circumstance the youths were somewhat discontented, namely, because they had never beheld their kind hostess without her long green veil; and though her light-brown eyes indeed shone through that covering, and even every gesture announced the kindness and composure that reigned in her mind, yet her other features were always lost as if in a dense autumnal cloud. Otto ventured once to express his wonder at this, and to beg that she would lay aside her veil; but she only answered calmly and resolutely, “Oh no! that may not be thought of;” and he durst not speak any farther.