Arthur D. Howden Smith

“ Jarl Harald spoke of this as the serving-men were lighting the candles with the deepening of the twilight.
“It is plainly to be seen that you have no feeling against Thorbiorn Klerk,” he remarked sadly, “and I marvel at the bitterness which he displayed against you.”
“He is not the first man to set too much store by himself,” replied Swain, “yet I should be dishonest did I deny him the merit of being a skilful warrior and always forward in the weapon showing.” ”

“ And I call all to witness that I charge him here with the trouble that has befallen me.”
“Not so,” denied Jarl Rognvald. “You yourself, as Jarl Harald has just told you, are your worst enemy. Swain speaks kindly of you in all things, but in justice to his men, he must have insisted upon a fair share of the spoils of your expedition, even though he was disposed to yield to you on his own account.”
Thorbiorn tossed his ax over his shoulder.
“There is at least this truth in what you say, Lord Jarl,” he answered. “Without your backing, Swain could do me little harm. ”

“ If you do otherwise many of us must die, and men and women will call down curses upon your name.”
“What I can do in this matter I am not sure,” replied Jarl Harald, “but I could never let you go unpunished. It is a dreadful thing to slay a Jarl, Thorbiorn.”
“That may be so,” admitted Thorbiorn. “After all, I ask no more than that you as sure me quarter, kinsman. I will leave the decision in this case entirely to you. Is not that fair to all concerned? It means that instead of a raven’s feast here on Kalfadal men may return to their wives and children, and you can judge me at leisure.” ”

“ Thorbiorn is a famous warrior, and has always been an honorable man. It would ill become us to stain his honor by making him a prisoner. Let us rather admonish him to mend his behavior and send him home to reflect upon it.”
“Yes, yes,” said Swain. “I would not have you punish Thorbiorn like a hasty youth, Lord Jarl. Moreover, it may be he has some right on his side. You have not yet examined the people concerning what happened.”
“That is true,” admitted Jarl Rognvald. “How was it, Thorbiorn? Did Thorarinn set upon Thorkell?” ”

“ Nor did this escape Thorbiorn’s attention.
“You do not know Swain as well as I do,” he answered. “I do not hide from myself his cleverness and strength simply because he is my enemy. He is no ordinary warrior.”
“Whoever he is, the best thing for us to do is to try to slay him and as many of his people as we can,” asserted Stefan.
But Thorbiorn would not agree to this plan.
“I have no desire to be the cause of the deaths of the Kalfadal folk,” he said. “Also, I have not altogether despaired of prevailing upon Jarl Harald to grant me quarter.” ”

“ Wait until I have had speech with him, Swain.”
“I will wait for nothing,” retorted Swain fiercely. “No man ever put such a slight upon me and lived. He shall pay me for it to the bitter end. Ha, he was not satisfied with Jarl Rognvald’s justice! Well, now he shall taste of Swain’s justice.”
“Hard words make for needless deaths,” pleaded Jarl Harald.
“Of that there is no question,” spoke up Jarl Rognvald. “And Thorbiorn’s conduct proves the truth of the saw. It will be strange if we carry through his punishment without slaying him.” ”

“ Man, you yourself are the worst enemy you ever had. Go quickly, I say, or you will wear out my patience also.”
“Yes, yes,” echoed Jarl Rognvald then. “Go, before my temper stiffens, Thorbiorn. You are a troublemaker we can spare. Do you bide upon your property in Caithness until you hear from me that you may venture afield. And walk warily, or I will outlaw you and all who consort with you.”
Thorbiorn glared at the circle of men who surrounded him and the man whose sanctuary he would have violated. His own followers discreetly had disappeared. ”

“ But Jarl Rognvald showed greater readiness than Swain to respect her loyalty to the husband who had cast her off.
“It is so I would wish my daughter to feel,” he said. “My men will build you a bower here by the fireside, and in the morning we will send you to Thorsa, where you can take ship for Gairsey and forget the sorrow which has come upon you.” ”

“ Some of Jarl Harald’s followers would have come at Swain for this, but he waved them aside with his bare hand, and went on, his icy-cold, blue eyes boring into the Jarl’s dark face.
“Lord Jarl,” he said more gently, “your wits have been benumbed by your affection for one who has ceased to merit it. Consider this case fairly. If you give quarter to Thorbiorn after such a crime as he has committed, people will say that he committed it in your interest.” ”

“ Thorbiorn’s face fell at this, for he had counted much upon Jarl Harald’s friendship to aid him in his suit.
“Why, there is nothing to choose from as regards your relationship with Swain and me,” he argued. “We are on an even footing with you.”
“I will not give judgment in this case,” returned Jarl Harald stubbornly. “Moreover, it is always best to let one man judge a suit, when reliance can be placed upon that man’s fairness.” ”

“ Thorbiorn ran at him without another word, and Swain’s folk, so soon as they had finished the three surviving house-carls who had been with Thorbiorn, made a shield-ring and watched the struggle, marveling at the desperation with which the outlaw warded Swain’s stoutest blows, although his intestines bulged from the spear-hole in the skirt of his mailed shirt. ”

“ But I never heard before that a chief with two ships must share equally with a chief with three ships.”
“That is to be seen,” replied Thorbiorn, and he climbed down from the prow of his longship, and strode aft along the gangway between the rowing-benches, bidding his men pull on after Swain’s ships to Orphir, where the two Jarls had their steadings.
“Here is a fellow whose hands have swollen from the oar-bite until they think to clasp more than human hands ever held,” commented Erik Bitling as Swain frowned astern at Thorbiorn’s longships. ”

“ For surely what a Jarl should be known for first of all is justice. Justice I will strive for in this matter.”
“In that event your reputation will not suffer,” answered Swain. “My own hope is that Thorbiorn will be brought to reason and offer manbote to Thorarinn’s family and due compensation to Jarl Rognvald. I am a rough fellow, myself, and I know how easily a rough fellow can be induced to practise conduct which he may later have cause to regret.” ”

“ Jarl Harald was silent so long as he required to empty an ale-cup.
“I can see that the trouble-makers have been unsuccessful,” he said then. “Swain, I have come here to tell you that I have been wrong in holding a grudge against you for Thorbiorn’s death. Not a man has opposed me seriously since I became sole Jarl, and I know now that it is because you shielded me from suspicion of being a party to the slaying of Jarl Rognvald.” ”

“ Thorbiorn said again, “if it was an evil deed, as you say, why will it be less evil for you and I, between us, to be the deaths of a score or two more? Here are your folk and mine, each of us well armed and determined, and if we come to weapon-clashing there will be such a man-scathe as will be mourned for many years.” ”

“ Jarl Rognvald’s followers were not numerous enough to force their way across the bog and the moss-hag in face of the men at Thorbiorn’s back, and they were equally at a loss for lack of a leader who was skilled in war.
Jomar and others ran to Jarl Harald’s side as he rode amongst them.
“See, Lord Jarl,” they called. “There are the murderers of our lord. Do you lead your men and us, and we will soon get across and be the means of his death.” ”

“ Jarl Harald and Swain and the others followed his example as the uproar outdoors became louder and louder.
“The village is crowded with viking-farers and island folk here for the market,” said Jarl Harald. “There must be some brawl toward. Swain, you will have to punish your men if they have broken loose.”
But at this Erik Bitling ran in the skalli door.
“Haste, Lord Jarls!” he shouted. “Thorkell, Thorbiorn Klerk’s man, set upon Thorarinn in the village street, and Thorarinn slew him, and is fled to the church with Thorbiorn and all the Caithness men at his heels.” ”

“ Such a man is unsafe to leave at large in these lands, and there will be many who agree with me.”
Now, Jarl Harald was deeply troubled, for in his heart he knew that Swain was right, yet every time he looked across the bog and the moss-hag at the stalwart figure of Thorbiorn, whom he had loved since childhood, a qualm rocked his determination and his thoughts went back to the many kindnesses the outlaw had shown to him and the years of love that had linked them together. ”

“ In the meantime Swain had reached a satisfactory place on the bank of the moss-hag some distance from the position held by Thorbiorn and his people, and the Orkney men began to scramble across. Jarl Harald and a few who had remained with him witnessed this advance for several moments in silence, but as the Jarl perceived the ease with which Swain’s party won to the far side and the disintegration of the group of Kalfadal folk around Thorbiorn he exclaimed:
“Niddering am I if I do not advance! It will be said that I feared the combat.” ”

“ Jarl Harald threw up his hands.
“On your head be it, then, Swain. I will not seek to stop you. Yet I say to you at the last, as I said at the beginning, what useful end will it serve to bring about the slaying of a score or two of men?”
“There will not be anything like so many men slain,” replied Swain. “I am not afraid of Thorbiorn.”
VII THORBIORN, on the far side of the moss-hag, had watched closely Swain’s dispute with Jarl Harald, and when Swain turned on his heel and left the Jarl the outlaw said to his friends who were grouped around him ”

“ Ahead of all rode Jarl Rognvald, accompanied by two other mounted men—that Asolf who had summoned Swain from Gairsey, and Jomar, the kinsman of the Jarl. A considerable distance behind came a score or two of men on foot, who examined the fields, thickets and buildings in their path. After them, in turn, came Jarl Harald, as has been said, with perhaps as many more men who were his personal following. ”

“ So it chanced that Jarl Rognvald, attended but by Asolf and Jomar, rode into the yard of a stead belonging to a farmer named Hoskuld, who was a tenant of Thorbiorn’s and with whom Thorbiorn was concealed. This stead was built upon the summit of a small hillock, and the entrance to the skalli was through an unroofed stone passage, wide enough for only one man to pass through it at a time, which wound around the slopes of the hillock. ”

“ We will try if a diet of cold water and bread does not tame your spirit, Thorbiorn. You are grown over boastful of yourself.”
But Jarl Harald interceded a second time, as Thorbiorn drew back and raised his ax. ”

“ He also divided up bis booty amongst the followers who had accompanied him on his cruise, paid manbote to the families of those who had been slain and shedded over his ships.
In some years it was his custom to go Autumn viking after the harvest had been reaped, but he had gained so much plunder on the cruise with Thorbiorn that he decided to bide at home and administer his property and oversee the education of his sons, Olaf and Andreas. Wife he had none, for she who had borne his children was locked fast in a nunnery where she might not plague him with her vanity and false heart. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1945, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 78 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”