Frey and His Wife

by Maurice Hewlett

CHAPTER IV OGMUND DINT COMES AGAIN TO NORWAY, AND MEETS GUNNAR ON THE HARD OF DRONTHEIM

It is time to go back to Ogmund Dint, who had now been two years and more with his father in the North. He had become something of a great man, and had impressed himself as such upon the people round about. But he was not easy in his mind, and more than once or twice he asked himself, "What am I doing, purfling here in a fine coat, when my foster-father, who is as rich as he is old, is perhaps dying in his bed without sight or memory of me, and with none of his kindred at hand either? Is this sense, is this pious? Here I am, for two years at a time, a great man, and a great fool."

At another time he would reflect like this: "That was a very dastardly deed done upon me by Halward, to take me unawares on my own shipboard and knock a great dint in my head!" He would feel the place of it: there it lay under a growth of hair as snug as a wren's nest in the roots of a tree. "A foul blow!" he would say; and "A man may carry his magnanimity too far, to overlook such a shameful thing for the sake of another man, only half akin, who moreover gives you no thanks." He shook his head. "Indeed, I let off Halward too lightly. I daresay he thinks himself a lucky fellow—and so he is, by God."

One train of thought led him into another, and he began to consider his affairs more narrowly. "It would be an easy thing, and very pertinent indeed, to carry this warfare on as it was begun. Two years, three years, is a goodish while. Halward will not be expecting such a long memory in a man who never did him any harm. But insults such as he did to me stay by a man, and the prouder the man the quicker the soil in which they root themselves. I am astonished—I am fairly astonished—that I have kept myself off him so long. There are not many men in Iceland who have themselves so firmly in hand—bitted and saddled."

In the event, without saying anything of his private mind to anybody, he gave out that he must go to Norway upon his affairs. He furnished a ship with men and goods, and towards midsummer sailed from Eyefirth, and steered East-North-East.

He had a fair wind and came into Drontheim Firth in the morning light, sailed up the firth prosperously and brought his ship to under Nith's holm. There he cast his anchor, and bade them get out a boat, though the day was spent and a cool breeze was now blowing off the land. But "I must row up the river some little way and go into the town," he said. "I have heard something of trouble in this country, and we must be sure of our footing before we go further." He dressed himself with splendour, and put over him in particular a very fine cloak of two colours. It was green on one side and golden-brown on the other. It had trimmings of sable-tails which fluttered in the breeze, and over the back of it a dragon worked in gold thread: a very magnificent cloak. He took a sword, and had two men to row him.

They came in to the hard with the last of the light. "Stay you here for me," he said, "and don't show yourselves. This is an urgent affair."

Ogmund walked on the hard, up and down, and felt himself admired of the few persons who were about. By and by he saw one coming down from the town at a brisk pace; a man of his own height, but of sparer frame than his own. He wore a crimson cloak with a hood to it, and wore the hood over his head, shadowing his face. The oncomer when he was close at hand was struck by the splendour of Ogmund's appearance. Ogmund saw that and saluted him. Gunnar Helming, for that was the man in the hood, returned it, and stopped his quick step.