The Wanderer's Necklace Read online

  It comes back to me that it was some days after this that I saw theghost of the Wanderer standing on his grave mound. It happened thus.On a certain afternoon I had been riding alone with Iduna, which wasa great joy to me, though I would sooner have walked, for then I couldhave held her hand, and perhaps, if she had suffered it, kissed her. Ihad recited to her a poem which I had made comparing her to the goddessIduna, the wife of Bragi, she who guarded the apples of immortal youthwhereof the gods must eat or die, she whose garment was the spring,woven of the flowers that she put on when she escaped from winter'sgiant grasp. I think that it was a very good poem of its own sort, butIduna seemed to have small taste for poetry and to know little of thelovely goddess and her apples, although she smiled sweetly and thankedme for my verses.

  Then she began to talk of other matters, especially of how, after wewere wed, her father wished to make war upon another chieftain and toseize his land. She said that it was for this reason that he had beenso anxious to form an alliance with my father, Thorvald, as such analliance would make him sure of victory. Before that time, she told methat he, Athalbrand, had purposed to marry her to another lord for thisvery reason, but unhappily this lord had been killed in battle.

  "Nay, happily for us, Iduna," I said.

  "Perhaps," she answered with a sigh. "Who knows? At any rate, your Housewill be able to give us more ships and men than he who is dead couldhave done."

  "Yet I love peace, not war," I broke in, "I who hate the slaying ofthose who have never harmed me, and do not seek to die on the swordsof men whom I have no desire to harm. Of what good is war when one hasenough? I would be no widow-maker, Iduna, nor do I wish that othersshould make you a widow."

  Iduna looked at me with her steady blue eyes.

  "You talk strangely, Olaf," she said, "and were it not known to beotherwise, some might hold that you are a coward. Yet it was no cowardwho leapt alone on board the battle ship, or who slew the great whitebear to save Steinar's life. I do not understand you, Olaf, you who havedoubts as to the killing of men. How does a man grow great except uponthe blood of others? It is that which fats him. How does the wolf live?How does the kite live? How does Odin fill Valhalla? By death, always bydeath."

  "I cannot answer you," I said; "yet I hold that somewhere there is ananswer which I do not know, since wrong can never be the right."

  Then, as she did not seem to understand, I began to talk of otherthings, but from that moment I felt as though a veil swung between meand Iduna. Her beauty held my flesh, but some other part in me turnedaway from her. We were different.

  When we reached the hall we met Steinar, who was lingering near thedoor. He ran forward and helped Iduna to dismount, then said:

  "Olaf, I know that you must not overtire yourself as yet, but your ladyhas told me that she desires to see the sunset from Odin's Mount. Have Iyour leave to take her there?"

  "I do not yet need Olaf's leave to walk abroad, though some few dayshence it may be different," broke in Iduna, with a merry laugh, before Icould answer. "Come, lord Steinar, let us go and see this sunset whereofyou talk so much."

  "Yes, go," I said, "only do not stay too long, for I think a storm comesup. But who is that has taught Steinar to love sunsets?"

  So they went, and before they had been gone an hour the storm broke as Ihad foreseen. First came wind, and with it hail, and after that thunderand great darkness, lit up from time to time by pulsing lightning.

  "Steinar and Iduna do not return. I am afraid for them," I said at lastto Freydisa.

  "Then why do you not go to seek them?" she asked with a little laugh.

  "I think I will," I said.

  "If so, I will come with you, Olaf, for you still need a nurse, though,for my part, I hold that the lord Steinar and the lady Iduna can guardthemselves as well as most folk. No, I am wrong. I mean that the ladyIduna can guard herself and the lord Steinar. Now, be not angry. Here'syour cloak."

  So we started, for I was urged to this foolish journey by some impulsethat I could not master. There were two ways of reaching Odin's Mount;one, the shorter, over the rocks and through the forest land. The other,the longer, ran across the open plain, between the many earth tombs ofthe dead who had lived thousands of years before, and past the greatmound in which it was said that a warrior of long ago, who was named theWanderer, lay buried. Because of the darkness we chose this latter road,and presently found ourselves beneath the great mass of the Wanderer'sMount. Now the darkness was intense, and the lightning grew rare, forthe hail and rain had ceased and the storm was rolling away.

  "My counsel is," said Freydisa, "that we wait here until the moon rises,which it should do soon. When the wind has driven away the clouds itwill show us our path, but if we go on in this darkness we shall fallinto some pit. It is not cold to-night, and you will take no harm."

  "No, indeed," I answered, "for now I am as strong again as ever I was."

  So we stayed till the lightning, flashing for the last time, showed usa man and a woman standing quite close to us, although we had not heardthem because of the wind. They were Steinar and Iduna, talking togethereagerly, with their faces very near to each other. At the same momentthey saw us. Steinar said nothing, for he seemed confused, but Iduna ranto us and said:

  "Thanks be to the gods who send you, Olaf. The great storm caught us atOdin's temple, where we were forced to shelter. Then, fearing that youwould grow frightened, we started, and lost our way."

  "Is it so?" I answered. "Surely Steinar would have known this road evenin the dark. But what matter, since I have found you?"

  "Aye, he knew as soon as we saw this grave mound. But Steinar wastelling me that some ghost haunts it, and I begged him to stay awhile,since there is nothing I desire so much as to see a ghost, who believelittle in such things. So he stayed, though he says he fears the deadmore than the living. Freydisa, they tell me that you are very wise.Cannot you show me this ghost?"

  "The spirit does not ask my leave to appear, lady," answered Freydisain her quiet voice. "Still, at times it does appear, for I have seen ittwice. So let us bide here a little on the chance."

  Then she went forward a few steps and began to mutter to herself.

  Some minutes later the clouds broke and the great moon was seen ridinglow down in a clear sky, illumining the grave mound and all the plain,save where we stood in the shadow of the mount.

  "Do you see aught?" asked Freydisa presently. "If not, let us be gone,for when the Wanderer comes at all it is at the rising of the moon."

  Steinar and Iduna answered, "No," but I, who did see something, said:

  "Look yonder among the shadows. Mayhap it is a wolf stirring. Nay, it isa man. Look, Iduna."

  "I look and find nothing," she answered.

  "Look again," I said. "He reaches the top of the mount and stands therestaring towards the south. Oh! now he turns, and the moonlight shinesupon his face."

  "You dream, Olaf," said Steinar. "If you do not dream, tell us of thelikeness of this spirit."

  "Its likeness," I answered, "is that of a tall and noble man, worn asthough with years and sorrows. He wears strange rich armour thatis dinted and soiled; on his head is a cap of mail with two longear-pieces, beneath which appears his brown hair lined with grey. Heholds a red-coloured sword which is handled with a cross of gold. Hepoints the sword at you, Steinar. It is as though he were angry withyou, or warned you."

  Now, when Steinar heard these words he shook and groaned, as Iremembered afterwards. But of this I took no note at the time, for justthen Iduna cried out:

  "Say, Olaf, does the man wear a necklace? I see a necklace hanging inthe air above the mount, but naught else."

  "Yes, Iduna, he wears a necklace above his mail. How does it appear toyou?"

  "Oh, beautiful, beautiful!" she answered. "A chain of pale gold, andhanging from it golden shells inlaid with blue, and between them greenjewels that hold the moon."

  "That is what I see also," I said, as indeed I did. "There! All isgone."

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sp; Freydisa returned and there was a strange smile on her dark face, forshe had heard all our talk.

  "Who sleeps in that mound, Freydisa?" asked Iduna.

  "How can I tell, Lady, seeing that he was laid there a thousand yearsago, or mayhap more? Yet a story, true or false, remains of him thatI have heard. It is that he was a king of these parts, who followed adream to the south. The dream was of a necklace, and of one who wore it.For many years he wandered, and at length returned again to this place,which had been his home, wearing the necklace. But when he saw its shorefrom the sea he fell down and his spirit left him. What happened to himin his wanderings none know, for the tale is lost. Only it is said thathis people buried him in yonder mound still wearing his armour and thenecklace he had won. There, as Olaf has seen, or thinks that he has seenbut now, he stands at moonrise ere trouble comes to any of his race, andstares towards the south--always towards the south."

  "Is the necklace yet in the mound?" asked Iduna eagerly.

  "Without doubt, Lady. Who would dare to touch the holy thing and bringon him the curse of the Wanderer and his gods, and with it his owndeath? No man that ever sailed the seas, I think."

  "Not so, Freydisa, for I am sure I know one who would dare it for mysake. Olaf, if you love me, bring me that necklace as a marriage gift. Itell you that, having once seen it, I want it more than anything in allthe world."

  "Did you hear what Freydisa said?" I asked. "That he who wrought thissacrilege would bring upon himself evil and death?"

  "Yes, I heard; but it is folly, for who need fear dead bones? As for theshape you saw, why, it is strengthless for good or ill, a shadowdrawn from what has been by the magic moon, or perchance by Freydisa'switchery. Olaf, Olaf, get me that necklace or I will never kiss youmore."

  "That means you will not marry me, Iduna?"

  "That means I will only marry the man who gives me that necklace. If youfear the deed, perhaps there are some others by whom it might be tried."

  Now when I heard these words a sudden rage seized me. Was I to betaunted thus by the fair woman whom I loved?

  "Fear is an ill word to use to me," I said sternly. "Know, Iduna, thatif it is put to me thus I fear nothing in life or death. You shall havethe necklace if it can be found in yonder earth, chance what may to thesearcher. Nay, no more words. Steinar will lead you home; I must talk ofthis matter with Freydisa."