stout fighters.

The parting with Thora, my mother, had been sad, for her heart foreboded
ill of this war, and her face could not hide what her heart told her.
Indeed, she wept bitterly, and cursed the name of Iduna the Fair, who
had brought this trouble on her House. Freydisa was sad also. Yet,
watching her opportunity, she glided up to me just before I embarked and
whispered to me,

"Be of good cheer, for you will return, whoever is left behind."

"It will give me little comfort to return if certain others are left
behind," I answered. "Oh, that the folk had hearkened to me and made
peace!"

"Too late to talk of that now," said Freydisa, and we parted.

This was our plan: To sail for Lesso by the moonlight, and when the moon
went down to creep silently towards the shores of the island. Then, just
at the first break of dawn, we proposed to beach the ships on a sandy
strand we knew, and rush to attack Athalbrand's hall, which we hoped to
carry before men were well awake. It was a bold scheme and one full
of dangers, yet we trusted that its very boldness would cause it
to succeed, especially as we had put it about that, owing to the
unreadiness of our ships, no attack would be made until the coming of
the next moon.

Doubtless all might have gone well with us but for a strange chance. As
it happened, Athalbrand, a brave and skilful captain, who from his youth
had seen much war by sea and land, had a design of his own which