VIII
The King and the Queen
It was yet dark winter. Styrbiorn, he and his, sailed south along the land and came, after an ill voyage yet without unhap or loss, to Skaney. Here they put in with their ships and went up to the great house of Strut-Harald the Earl, who gave them noble welcome and kept them with him till winter’s end.
Strut-Harald sat in Skaney in those days in state like unto a king, and was a very magnificent man in his housekeeping and had alway guests coming and going. In all Skaney-side his word went as a king’s, and there was no man there but held him in the greatest worship and esteem and was ready at all tides to do his bidding. He stood no more now in wars and harryings, being very old and unmeet for fighting. Yet was he no whit the more for that thrust into the corner, as sometimes it befalleth to an old man past his strength, for he had powerful sons and sons-in-law and young men of his blood always under his hand honouring him and upholding his state. And he was a man glorious to look upon even in his deep old age, being nowise bowed down as is the manner of old men, but whether walking or sitting, straight-shouldered and broad-chested and with a proud and high carriage of the head. A big man and a tall he was, great-boned, lean in his old age. He would be clad always in exceeding costly attire, having his garments of rich and lovely colours, and jewelled ornaments of price, and his weapons fairly fashioned and of rare workmanship. And he wore always on his head, within door and without, an hat which was covered with round plates of gold of the bigness of the palm of a woman’s hand. So that many there were who thought, when they considered Earl Strut-Harald in his state and wearing that hat which had more gold about it than many a king’s crown, that none save only the mightiest kings dwelt in greater circumstance of splendour and magnificence than he.
Sigvaldi and Thorkell the High were there with the Earl their father in Skaney, and had been there all the winter. They were glad at their friends’ coming and Styrbiorn’s, and the days and weeks went by in good pleasure and contentment until spring.
When Styrbiorn came to Strut-Harald to bid him farewell, the Earl held him a long time by both hands and looked at him long time without word spoken. Then he began to say, “I would thou wert my son. For my sons, good though they be, I deem not good enough. Heming can steer a ship and can make good play with sword and spear, but methinks he will ever have that nature to follow still where another leadeth. Thorkell is a man of war, but he hath little wit. Sigvaldi is a fox. He will get him lordship and wealth and fame and a long life: many men will follow and obey him, but the best men will not praise him. And, true it is, unto few men is it fated to be great, and of fair fame, and long-lived. I think, Styrbiorn, that the first two of these will be thine. But I think thy life will be short.”
The Earl’s eyes were very blue and keen-glancing. It seemed to Styrbiorn that they rested not on himself when they looked at him, but on some matter afar off, unseen by other men. Styrbiorn said, “I reck not the number of my days, so they be good.”
“Fare thee well,” said the Earl. “I wish thou wert my son.”
From Skaney Styrbiorn sailed first south over the sea to Jomsburg. There sailed with him those sons of Strut-Harald, Sigvaldi namely and Thorkell, with many ships of theirs and a great following, and they abode certain days in Jomsburg. And thither came, some today and some tomorrow till they were all gathered thither, the other lords of Jomsburg, Palnatoki and Bui of Borgundholm and Sigurd his brother and many more, until the burg was filled with men and the harbour thick with long-ships, like a stagnant pool under sallows in the season of the year when the leaves do fall, and the leaves of the sallows lie so many on the face of the pool that hard it is to tell whether it be water there or firm land hid with the leaves.
Now they took counsel together, spring being come and the time now ended of Styrbiorn’s being abroad. Many were fain to have fared north with Styrbiorn into Sweden to see the King there and to see Styrbiorn received into kingdom. But Styrbiorn said he would not go home thither until summer’s end. “How is that?” said they. “Is not thy time come now that summer setteth in, and thou hast been abroad three winters?” He answered, “That may be, but I shall have mine own way in this.”
So Styrbiorn sailed a-harrying the fourth summer with Palnatoki and the host of the Jomsburgers. Biorn Asbrandson the Broadwicker’s Champion was his shipmate, and men thought they could see how day by day the love and friendship of those two waxed and strengthened. Biorn was with him when he and Bui fared north into Biarmaland and the unknown places of Kirialaland, being thither drawn by the many tales in men’s mouths concerning that land: how that in Kirialaland only. Finns and skin-changers do inhabit, such as be not alway of one shape nor alway in that same place where they do seem to be; moreover that they of Kirialaland do observe an idol of great note, Jomala by name, that weareth a silver belt about his middle, in a temple in the darkness of a wood that is fulfilled of trolls and evil wights so as a man shall be drove clean out of his wits for very fright sake if he durst adventure there save by favour of Jomala. Styrbiorn and his folk coming to that place found not indeed any troll nor skin-changer, but they sacked Jomala’s temple and took the belt of him, that was of a fashion that none yet had seen, wrought with nickers and other worms intertwisted, and took besides so great a spoil of silver and costly treasures as no man could ever remember to have seen taken in one place and in a single day.
Besides Biorn, Styrbiorn had now more than three score men who were his shipmates always and followed him as a picked bodyguard in every warlike enterprise he took in hand. The more part of these had been many years vikings in Jom, as Bessi Thorlakson, Thorolf Attercop, Howard the Hewer, and Alf Braggart: others, as Gunnstein Lowry, were of his first following out of Sweden before he came to Jomsburg: other some he had taken to in many lands, men who had first felt the might of him as their conqueror in battle and were now the closer bound to his love and service, lords and princes of the east, Valdimar, the great Prince’s son of Holmgarth; Ere-Skeggi, that was young brother to an earl in Estland; Olaf the Wend, and many more. And like as Palnatoki by the mastery of his mere presence kept peaceable all those overweening men of war as many as followed in those days the Lay of the Jomsburgers, so in his own ship’s company Styrbiorn held in comradeship men of far diverse speech and blood, and so proud withal and quarrelsome of nature that, but for him, they had fallen daily like wolves each at another’s throat. So Styrbiorn made great warfare eastaway, and fought both by sea and land and subdued many warlike peoples that withstood him long time, but ever in the end Styrbiorn had the victory, and much wealth they took there.
But when it wanted now but five weeks of winter, Styrbiorn busked him for his faring into Sweden. He deemed it not good that he should come home this time with too great a force of ships nor too many men along with him, lest the King his uncle should think that showed unfriendly, as if he, to whom the King had plighted his faith solemnly and obliged himself to grant him kingdom now and his father’s heritage, should come in a manner to misuse his favourer and claim it with drawn sword. Howso, there fared with him Bessi Thorlakson and Gunnstein and others of lesser note: ten ships in all. Biorn fared not this time with him into Sweden, but being taken with a sickness abode in Jomsburg. But the more part of the Jomsburgers held the sea still, for it was not their way to leave harrying till winter set in.
Styrbiorn and his men sailed north with a fair wind, and in good time came through the Low and went ashore at Sigtun. And there was Eric the King with a great company ridden down to Sigtun to welcome Styrbiorn. The King, when he saw him come aland, lighted down from his horse and made haste to meet him, and Styrbiorn came striding quickly over the big stones and up the shelving rough ground of the firth’s margin, and they gripped hands and stood so a minute, and then the King drew Styrbiorn to him and embraced and kissed him. Styrbiorn had grown and waxed mightily even in these six months since he came before to Sweden, and albeit King Eric overpassed most other men in greatness of growth, yet men marked now that even with the advantage of the ground (for the King stood on the slope and Styrbiorn below him towards the waterside) the King’s eyes looked but level with Styrbiorn’s, and the limbs of Styrbiorn seemed greater than the King’s and his breadth of shoulder broader and his chest deeper. Men that watched them at that meeting said that never had they seen very father and son fainer of one another than those two. And certain it is, there was no child of his own body that King Eric set such store by as he set by Styrbiorn.
So now was all made ready, and the ships drawn up aland, and the gear packed on wains and a-horseback, both their own stuff and many good gifts which Styrbiorn had brought from Jomsburg to give unto the King his uncle, and they took horse and rode all in company northward towards Upsala.
Styrbiorn rode hand by hand with the King. They talked of this and that. Styrbiorn was somewhat silent and ever again let fall their talk, as if there were something he was eager to hear but would not himself speak first of. As they rode on, and the King still spake of this and that but naught of the main matter, Styrbiorn waxed yet the more ill at ease and yet shorter of speech; but he held himself in well. The King, who saw all this very plainly, made no haste to end it. At length, when their journey was three parts done and they rode up over the brow of a little wooded knoll of ground which had the top as it were a table of the native rock bare as a man’s hand above the trees, whence they looked north over the vast uplandish country and wood and water and might see, some miles off, the houses and temple at Upsala, the King drew rein and said to him, “Three weeks hence hath a Thing been called whereat thou shalt be taken to King in Sweden, along with me, even as was thy father aforetime.”
“Have my thanks for that, Lord,” said Styrbiorn, and took the King’s hand in his. The King was looking on him, but he on Upsala. And the King marked how the whole port and bearing of him was altered now, and how the face of him, that was clouded, was bright now like the land’s face at point of day.
They rode on. After a time the King began to say, “That were good now, Styrbiorn, now that thou art come to man’s estate and takest up kingdom, that thou shouldest take a wife. Or what thinkest thou of that?”
Styrbiorn answered, “I have thought on’t. And ’tis most needful.”
“Doth thine eye rest anywhere that seemeth good to thee for this?” asked the King. “Thou hast fared abroad in many lands these three years, and I never yet heard tell of so bad a land that it bred not a fair woman or twain.”
Styrbiorn laughed. “That is true enough, King. Yet I know not. For a wife—”
“ ’Tis two matters: to have, and to keep?” said the King.
“I have found none yet,” said Styrbiorn.
“I will tell thee,” said the King, “what hath been in my mind. There is King Harald Gormson hath a daughter, Thyri. That were a match many kings would deem them lucky might they get her. The maid is fair, too, as men tell me, and good-mannered, and of fourteen winters old.”
Styrbiorn said, “I knew her, when I was there a-guesting last Yuletide.”
“Well?” said the King.
“I like her well. But I had not thought on’t,” answered Styrbiorn.
“If she should please thee, that should please me well,” said King Eric. “But it is for thine own choosing.”
Styrbiorn said, “I had not thought on’t. But here, as in other things, your rede shall be mine, Lord.”
When they were come home to the King’s house in Upsala there was great welcoming of Styrbiorn, wherein was none more forward to take him by the hand than Helgi and Thorgisl and Thorir, they saying many times the same thing till he was something weary of it: that there was not a man in the realm of Sweden but was blithe and glad to see Styrbiorn come again into the land and would be fain of him as King and would back him and further him every way they might. Thorgnyr welcomed him with such warmth and eagerness as a curst old ban-dog or mastiff might welcome a stranger withal whom his master will entertain but himself would gladly grip his teeth in him if none else were by to hinder it. The Queen greeted him coldlier than for their old friendliness might have been looked for. She said little, came little in his company, went soon away whenever they chanced together, yet would still be looking on him when she saw her time and neither he nor any other could observe it.
Oft would the King take Styrbiorn and show him all that was there, both old and new, and among other good things the old house of the King his father, King Olaf’s, where he dwelt when he was yet alive and where Styrbiorn was born; and King Eric had let mend and dight it within and without, both the main hall and the chambers thereof, and fit it with new hangings and all kind of gear: “And this shall be thine own house, Styrbiorn, to dwell in when thou takest kingdom. And I think it is no worser an house than mine own.” Styrbiorn showed the King the great sword that hung at his thigh, the same which the King had given him when he went first abroad three years ago. The King asked if that were a good sword. Styrbiorn said it was the best of swords. He said he had had no other sword with him in battle all these years, and it was better now than at the first. He said it seemed to him that if he should lose that sword he should lose all his good luck. “It is like enough,” said the King, “that there is somewhat of me in that sword, who gave it thee. And like enough my good will goeth with it, and maketh it do good for thee.”
The King sent Earl Wolf now in embassage to King Harald Gormson to bespeak his daughter in marriage for Styrbiorn. King Harald at first boggled at this, saying she was promised to the Wend-King. Yet in the end he was fain to own that this was yet but talked on and naught settled nor agreed yet; and when he saw how much King Eric was set upon the match, and bethought him too that the Swede-King’s friendship should profit him well, and that Styrbiorn withal was an ill foe to quarrel with, and that Jomsburg lay at his own door too, in the end he gave Earl Wolf the answer he would have, and promised to send her to Upsala with as short delay as might be. And yet it was with little good will that he consented in this; for there weighed ever on his mind (like as weigheth a surfeit of tough meat on the belly that cannot deal with it) the memory of Styrbiorn’s lording it over him last winter in Roiskeld, and of his saying (albeit in jest) that he would do of him and the Dane-realm as he should think fit.
It was not long before every man that was there in Upsala knew in his bones what manner of lord they had gotten now in Styrbiorn. And they saw very well that he had slipped his neck out of the collar, and was King already in deed, and bare him like a King and let all feel the weight of the might of him. And they marked too how those two, the King and Styrbiorn, were ever in company and were so glad of each other that it was a wonder to see; and most men praised these things and deemed well of their boding, but some wagged their heads in secret.
Only Thorgnyr came on an evening to the King, if he might sway him yet afore it should be too late. The King let him say his say. “You have heard, King,” said that old man, “all that I have heard: you have seen what I see. He is altered not a whit. In Holmgarth and the east he hath overborne all. Jomsburg he holdeth in his hand. He hath browbeat the Dane-King in his stead, and gone forth of the Dane-realm with threats and scornings. He is tied to no place, but all are tied to him. Save you only, there is none here in Sweden he entreateth in other wise than as his thrall or bondman. Give him all the world else, King, but give him not Sweden.”
The King heard him out with so much good temper and patience it was a strange thing to see; then told him kindly ’twas but sawing in the air, since as touching his taking of Styrbiorn into kingdom his mind was set, and not Thorgnyr nor the Swede-folk nor all the Northlands might avail to shift it. Thorgnyr spake no more of that.
Well nigh every day Styrbiorn would still divert himself with wrastling and sporting with Moldi, that he had left with a thrall of his named Erland to tend for him whiles he fared abroad. Moldi was now come to his full growth: not big as other oxen, but exceeding sturdy and heavy. He was something cross-grained in his temper, and the thralls durst not touch him save when he was in the mood for it. But he knew Styrbiorn when he first came home, and ran to him as soon as he saw him, which was a wonder after these years. And albeit there was no man else might handle him except in his own time, with Styrbiorn he was as gentle as a little calf might be.
On a day while Styrbiorn was a-wrastling with Moldi on Upsala brink, Sigrid the Queen stood and looked on their sport even as she had looked on it when he wrastled with Moldi on Olaf’s howe that morning after Aki’s slaying. When their bout was over and Styrbiorn stood up breathing hard, saw the Queen and gave her greeting, she said, “Thy little ox is grown too big for thee now, for all that men have given thee that by-name of Styrbiorn the Strong. It is only to please thee he letteth thee get the upper hand of him. If he would, he could toss thee off like a ball.”
“Why,” said Styrbiorn, laughing, “I think thou’dst not say so if thou couldst have felt the push of him as I did now.”
“ ’Tis the same,” said Sigrid, “with other folk, and not thy little ox only. They must still be pleasing thee, and serving thy turn. I think it is not good for thee.”
“I know not,” said Styrbiorn, rubbing his face against Moldi’s soft grey hairy muzzle. “What think’st thou on’t, Moldi?”
“So thou weddest Thyri?” said the Queen after some pause.
“So it is,” said he.
“Thou hadst not the King thine uncle to do thy wooing for thee there,” said she.
“He sent my foster-father,” said Styrbiorn.
“The King thine uncle is a good wooer,” said Queen Sigrid. “Yet ere this he hath gotten no for an answer.”
Styrbiorn said, “Never that I heard tell of.”
“There be things yet in the world that thou hast not heard tell of,” said she, “for all thou knowest so much.”
Styrbiorn said, “Little wit in a maid to say no to him.”
“I will tell thee,” said Sigrid. “It was I said no to him. But I will tell thee why I said no. It was because I thought he would woo me not for his own hand, but for another.” So saying she looked swiftly at him; then, turning her eyes away, “I must learn thee somewhat in court terms,” said she. “Thou shouldst now say: ’Tis a good wooer picketh wisely the best for himself.”
Styrbiorn said, “Thou wouldst ever be mocking at me, Sigrid.”
Sigrid reached out her hand to Moldi to lick. He licked hard and eagerly the hand and wrist and up the fair white arm of her, nuzzling back her sleeve with his sweet-breathing nose. She drew back her arm with a little shudder, then put her hand out again to fondle and play with his woolly jowl. “Thou and Thyri,” she said, after a pause, “will be well matched. She hath ugly hair, I am told, but is very meek, and will do all thy bidding and say naught.”
Styrbiorn was silent. But the Queen with her eyes bent still on Moldi, not on Styrbiorn, would still be talking. “I am in a manner thine aunt,” said she. “I will give thee some wise counsel out of mine own wisdom. When thou art wed to Thyri, keep not wish-wives and bondmaids, o’ thine uncle’s fashion. And this I counsel thee for thine own comfort, kinsman Styrbiorn, not thy wife’s. For doth it not seem to thee both just and fair: if one woman be not enough, why then must one man be?” With that she thrust Moldi from her, turned swiftly, and was suddenly gone.
Styrbiorn stood a minute looking after her as she went with swift and sure steps, daintily swaying from the hips, daintily gathering the skirt of her purple broidered gown to clear her ankles. As he so stood watching her, he was ware of Moldi that was nuzzling close to him now, busily licking his hand and arm. Suddenly he withdrew his arm, even as the Queen had hers, with a little shudder.