Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/315

 Eric, Harald's son, was fostered in the house of the herse Thorer, son of Hroald, in the Fiord district. He was the most beloved and honoured by King Harald of all his sons. When Eric was twelve years old, King Harald gave him five long-ships, with which he went on an expedition,—first in the Baltic; then southwards to Denmark, Friesland and Saxonland; on which expedition he passed four years. He then sailed out into the West sea, and plundered in Scotland, Bretland, Ireland, and Valland , and passed four years more in this way. Then he sailed north to Finmark, and all the way to Biarmeland where he had many a battle, and won many a victory. When he came back to Finmark, his men found a girl in a Lapland hut, whose equal for beauty they never had seen. She said her name was Gunhild, and that her father dwelt in Halogaland, and was called Ozur Tote. "I am here," she said, "to learn Lapland-art, from two of the most knowing Laplanders in all Finmark, who are now out hunting. They both want me in marriage. They are so skilful that they can hunt out traces either upon the frozen or the thawed earth, like dogs; and they can run so swiftly on snow-scates, that neither man nor beast can come near them in speed. They hit whatever they take aim at, and thus kill every man who comes near them. When they