“Child’s talk!” said Skallagrim.
“Child’s talk, but man’s work! Thou hast not heard the tale out. Swanhild hath seized my lands and sits here at Coldback! And—what thinkest thou, Skallagrim?—but now she has ridden a-guesting to the marriage-feast of Ospakar Blacktooth with Gudruda the Fair! Swanhild at Gudruda’s wedding!—the eagle in the wild swan’s nest! But there will be another guest,” and again he laughed aloud.
“Two other guests,” said Skallagrim.
“More of thy tale, old nurse!—more of thy tale!” quoth Eric. “No better didst thou ever tell me when, as a lad, I sat by thee, in the ingle o’ winter nights—and the company is fitting to the tale!” and he pointed to dead Saevuna.
Then the carline told on. She told how Hall of Lithdale had come out to Iceland, and of the story that he bore to Gudruda, and of the giving of the lock of hair.
“What did I say, lord?” broke in Skallagrim—“that in Hall thou hadst let a weasel go who would live to nip thee?”
“Him I will surely live to shorten by a head,” quoth Eric.
“Nay, lord, this one for me—Ospakar for thee, Hall for me!”
“As thou wilt, Baresark. Among so many there is room to pick and choose. Tell on, nurse!”
Then she told how Swanhild came out to Iceland, and, having won Ospakar Blacktooth and Gizur to her side, had laid a suit against Eric at the Thing, and there bore false witness against him, so that Brighteyes was declared outlaw, being absent. She told, too, how Gudruda had betrothed herself to Ospakar, and how Swanhild had moved down to Coldback and seized the lands. Lastly she told of the rising of Saevuna from her deathbed, of her going to Middalhof, of the words she spoke to Björn and Ospakar, and of her death in the hall at Middalhof.