Sigurd and His Brave Companions: A Tale of Medieval Norway

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.T seemed that the wind had died down somewhat . The stars did not twinkle so wildly as they did earlier in the night, and the voices of the waters on the moor were not soinsistent. But it was awfully dark. "But you cannot get lost, if you keep your eyes carefully on the path," Ivar consoled both of them. "You will remember, when you come to the narrowvalley between Sunside Hill and Shadow Hill, you follow the brook through the pass, and then you come to a lake. At the end of the lake the paths fork out, and the forks meet and branch off again. That is where you I 80 Sigurd if His Brave Companions must keep a sharp lookout, so that you do not get on to the track that leads to the fishing shacks by the other lake. But the moon will be up before you get that far, soyou will easily find the path that runs down to Hof." It was unpleasant to think of the narrow valley between the twin bluffs of "Sunside" and "Shadow." The rocky slopes were thickly wooded with mountain birch, and two years ago his father killed a bear in his lair in that valley.Afterwards, he would come to a part of the way that he scarcely knew at all—from the crossing of the forks down to the Saster of Hof manse. But he had to run straight down to the church and Sira Eirik; he dared not waste time by going by way of Draumtorp. The boysstood for amoment on the bridge above the rushing river. "Well," said Ivar, "you know, you are doing the right thing. And I think the skyisbeginning to pale towardsthe south. The moon will be coming up before long." "It must be past midnight, then." Not a pleasant thought either, for the hour after midnight is the time for all evil to be abroad. "Now, Ivar, fare you well. Helge should not be left alone with that man any longer." His eyes had grown used to the darkness, so Sigurd had no difficulty in keeping on the path, although it 8l Sigurd & His Brave Companions branched off near the saster in a number of tracks made by the cattle, which led to the grazing ground farther out on the fells. He passed the big cairn that marked the place where the paths which led to several groups of saeters, merged. From here on the path became a fairly broad cart track. There was not much danger of his getting lost now. Yet whenever he stumbled over stones and tree roots in the dark, a nasty feeling rose from the pit of his stomach, and cold sweat broke out along his spine. But by and by he seemed to find his stride. Swiftly and surefooted he jogged along, hoping all the time that the moon would come out before he got to the gully between the two peaks. But Ivar must have been mistaken; he could not see that the horizon to the south had brightened much. It wasvery dark in the gully, and whenever he came near an overhangingbough, the little birches along the path drenched him with dew. Once, an animal stirred in the underbrush near by. He dared not stop tolisten, but it did not sound like a big animal. The brook gurgled in its bed of spongy turf, and again he had the uncanny idea that it was mumbling words, only he could not make out what they were. And on both sides of the path the bluffs rose steeply, with screes and thick birchwood, shutting out all but a narrow slit of the starry sky. 82 Sigurd 6- His Brave Companions He hurried along as fast as he could, telling himself it would be much better once he was out again in the open. And so he reached the end of the gully, where the little brook ran out into Clear Lake. Wavelets broke with a slapping sound against the rocky shore, and white foam, stranded among the boulders, looked like something threatening. It was foam, he did know that for sure, but it looked like white bodies, or white birds flocking, or something. The dark water glittered faintly, the broken starlight mirrored among the waves. But the moonrise must be near, for the sky was brightening towards the southeast , and little clouds came billowing up above...