Page:Völsunga Saga (1888).djvu/86

 Then said the king’s daughter, “Other work lies before us than to drink with thee.”

“Yea, and what work, king’s daughter?” said Helgi.

She answers, “King Hogni has promised me to Hodbrod, the son of King Granmar, but I have vowed a vow that I will have him to my husband no more than if he were a crow’s son and not a king’s; and yet will the thing come to pass, but and if thou standest in the way thereof, and goest against him with an army, and takest me away withal; for verily with no king would I rather bide on bolster than with thee.”

“Be of good cheer, king’s daughter,” says he, “for certes he and I shall try the matter, or ever thou be given to him; yea, we shall behold which may prevail against the other; and hereto I pledge my life.”

Thereafter, Helgi sent men with money in their hands to summon his folk to him, and all his power is called together to Red-Berg: and there Helgi abode till such time as a great company came to him from Hedinsey; and therewithal came mighty power from Norvi Sound aboard great and fair ships. Then King Helgi called to him the captain of his ships, who was hight Leif, and asked him if he had told over the tale of his army.

“A thing not easy to tell, lord,” says he, “on the ships that came out of Norvi Sound are twelve thousand men, and otherwhere are half as many again.”

Then bade King Helgi turn into the firth, called Varin’s firth, and they did so: but now there fell on them so fierce a storm and so huge a sea, that the beat of the waves on board and bow was to hearken to like as the clashing together of high hills broken.

But Helgi bade men fear naught, nor take in any sail, but rather hoist every rag higher than heretofore; but