Frey and His Wife

by Maurice Hewlett

Earl Haakon said, "Go on, Halward. Do what becomes thee."

Then said Wigfus, "Give me leave, my lord, to say this. I will be the death of that man who kills Ogmund, my foster-brother, and kinsman—for so he is by the mother-side."

Said Halward, "You talk over-big, Wigfus," and Wigfus said, "I come of a strong stock."

"I know that you do," said Halward; "I know that the Icelanders are good men. But I know this too, that the custom of my country will not suffer a man to be injured without amends offered or taken. Neither Battle-Glum, nor you neither, shall stay me from avenging a shame done me." And Earl Haakon said that they should not.

Then Halward went down to the shore to board the Iceland ship; but he found that she had been run down into the water since the morning, and was now moored a bowshot out. So he took boat and was rowed out to the ship. There on the poop he saw Ogmund standing with his arms folded.

"Are you the master of this ship?" says Halward. Ogmund said that he was.

"I have a case against you, as you know very well, and have come to see what sort of amends you think of offering me."

Ogmund said, "We will make amends if you don't ask too much."

Halward's neck grew red. "It would not be easy to ask too much for insolence and knavery like yours."