take me, who have walked into this nest of foes that I may be taken?
Pray as I would, the ship was run out, and we sailed for Lesso. There,
in my father's hall, upon my knees, I entreated him to hold his hand.
I told him what was true: that, of you twain, it was you I loved, not
Steinar. I told him that if he forced this marriage, war would come of
it that might mean all our deaths. But these things moved him nothing.
Then I told him that such a deed of shame would mean the loss of
Steinar's lordship, so that by it he would gain no profit. At last he
listened, for this touched him near. You know the rest. Thorvald, your
father, and Ragnar, who ever hated me, pressed on the war despite all
our offerings of peace. So the ships met, and Hela had her fill."

"Aye, Iduna, whatever else is false, this is true, that Hela had her
fill."

"Olaf, I have but one thing more to say. It is this: Only once did those
dead lips touch mine, and then it was against my will. Aye, although it
is shameful, you must learn the truth. My father held me, Olaf, while I
took the betrothal kiss, because I must. But, as you know, there was no
marriage."

"Aye, I know that," I said, "because Steinar told me so."

"And, save for that one kiss, Olaf, I am still the maid whom once you
loved so well."

Now I stared at her. Could this woman lie so blackly over dead Steinar's
corpse? When all was said and done, was it not possible that she spoke
the truth, and that we had been but playthings in the hands of an evil
Fate? Save for some trifling error, which might be forgiven to one who,