He lifted his eyes to the image of Balder. “Thou shining god, frown not so darkly on me!” Then, perceiving the arm-ring he had given to Ingeborg, his anger blazed up fiercer than before.
“Nay—by thy leave,” he cried; “that ring came not in lawful fashion on thy arm! Not for thee did Vaunlund forge its wonders; and he who is its master claims his own.”
He pulled at the ring, but it seemed grown fast to Balder’s arm. Putting forth all his strength, at last he tore it loose; but therewith down crashed the image of the god into the fire below. Higher and higher leaped the flames, till beam and rafter kindled. Horror-stricken, Frithiof stood for a moment motionless; then turning to the door, he shouted:
“Open, Björn! Let all depart! The feast is over. The temple blazes; bring water! Hasten, all, to quench the flames!”
Quickly a chain of men to the sea is formed. From hand to hand the buckets fly, while high up among the rafters stands Frithiof, calm amid the mounting flames, and directs his comrades. But vain are all their efforts. The golden plates of the roof melt and drop down into the fiery sands.
“All is lost!” shout the people. “See the red fire-cock, how he stands upon the roof-tree and ever wider spreads his glowing wings!”
A strong wind arose and whirled the flaming brands into the treetops, dry from the summer heats. Raging from branch to branch it leaped, and soon the whole grove was one sea of fire. When morning broke, Balder’s Grove and Temple lay in ashes, while Frithiof sat within his dragon ship and wept.
Chapter XIV
Frithiof in Exile
As “Ellida” passed the strand, Frithiof gazed from the deck with gloomy brow upon the scene of conflagration, from which the thick smoke still ascended, and anguish filled his breast.
“Woe, woe is me!” he cried to himself; “in accusation rises yonder smoke to Odin’s halls! Banished was I by Helge but for a brief space; now must I forever leave my native land. Be thou, O sea, from hence my country. On thy blue billows will I make my home. Framnäs no longer is my dwelling; thou, swift ‘Ellida,’ shalt be now my house. My bride, too, art thou in thy black garb, since she in lily robes is lost to me forever. Free dost thou roll, O mighty ocean! No tyrant’s will can ever do thee wrong; the only King thou callest master is he who looks upon thee calmly when thy white breast heaves in wildest fury, and thunder peals are swallowed in thy voice. No grave-mound e’er shall rise above me; thy tossing waves shall cover deep my bones.”