And Halfred now told her, at her mute request, all about Dame Harthild, and the curse, and how all had happened.
When he had ended she murmured shuddering, "Much has been fulfilled! If yet more should be fulfilled, unhappy Halfred."
It seemed, however, that Thora was better.
And Halfred resolved at once to carry her upon deck, that she might breathe the fresh air, and again behold the beauty of sea and heaven.
And he had the deck carefully cleansed from all traces of the horrible fight, and ordered the sailors, the day before, to run into a coast which was bright with summer flowers, and commanded a whole mountain of flowers, as he said, to be piled upon the ship, for he would have her laid upon a hill of flowers.
And the men obeyed; and the whole deck was so thickly strewn with flowers that nowhere was a bit of wood visible.
And close by the mast rose a swelling couch of perfumed light wood-grass, and all the loveliest wood flowers, so high that it reached to Halfred's breast.
Over this he spread a rich white linen mantle, and laid the heavily breathing form upon it.
And again the moon was full, as on that night of the battle on the ship. But many storm-rent clouds were still driving across the heavens, and the sailing disk of the moon had not pierced through them.
And it was midsummer night. The first that Halfred had not spent by the black Heckla Stone in Iceland.