Читать книгу The Story Of Frithiof The Bold - Unknown - Страница 4

Straightway whenas the kings were gone away Frithiof took his raiment of state and set the goodly gold ring on his arm; then went the foster-brethren down to the sea and launched Ellidi. Then said Biorn: “Whither away, foster-brother?”

“To Baldur’s Meads,” said Frithiof, “to be glad with Ingibiorg.”,

Biorn said: “A thing unmeet to do, to make the gods wroth with us.”

“Well, it shall be risked this time,” said Frithiof; “and withal, more to me is Ingibiorg’s grace than Baldur’s grame.”

Therewith they rowed over the firth, and went up to Baldur’s Meads and to Ingibiorg’s bower, and there she sat with eight maidens, and the new comers were eight also.

But when they came there, lo, all the place was hung with cloth of pall and precious webs.

Then Ingibiorg arose and said:

“Why art thou so overbold, Frithiof, that thou art come here without the leave of my brethren to make the gods angry with thee?”

Frithiof says: “Howsoever that may be, I hold thy love of more account than the gods’ hate.”

Ingibiorg answered: “Welcome art thou here, thou and thy men!”

Then she made place for him to sit beside her, and drank to him in the best of wine; and thus they sat and were merry together.

Then beheld Ingibiorg the goodly ring on his arm, and asked him if that precious thing were his own.

Frithiof said Yea, and she praised the ring much. Then Frithiof said:

“I will give thee the ring if thou wilt promise to give it to no one, but to send it to me when thou no longer shalt have will to keep it: and hereon shall we plight troth each to other.”

So with this troth-plighting they exchanged rings.

Frithiof was oft at Baldur’s Meads a-night time, and every day between whiles would he go thither to be glad with Ingibiorg.