第2章
“Myfathertellsmeyouwishtospeakwithme，“andshelaughedalittlesoftlyandheldmewithherbeautifuleyes。
AfterthatIknownotwhathappenedtillIsawIdunabendingtowardsmelikeawillowinthewind，andthen——oh，joyofjoys！——feltherkissuponmylips。Nowmyspeechwasunsealed，andItoldherthetalethatlovershavealwaystold。HowthatIwasreadytodieforher(towhichsheansweredthatshehadratherthatIlived，sinceghostswerenogoodhusbands)；howthatIwasnotworthyofher(towhichsheansweredthatIwasyoung，withallmytimebeforeme，andmightlivetobegreaterthanIthought，asshebelievedIshould)；andsoforth。
Onlyonemorethingcomesbacktomeofthatblissfulhour。FoolishlyIsaidwhatIhadbeenthinking，namely，thatIblessedRagnar。Atthesewords，ofasuddenIduna’sfacegrewsternandthelovelightinhereyeswaschangedtosuchasgleamsfromswords。
“IdonotblessRagnar，“sheanswered。“IhopeonedaytoseeRagnar——“andshecheckedherself，adding:“Come，letusenter，Olaf。Ihearmyfathercallingmetomixhissleeping-cup。“
Sowewentintothehousehandinhand，andwhentheysawuscomingthus，allgatheredthereburstintoshoutsoflaughteraftertheirrudefashion。Moreover，beakerswerethrustintoourhands，andweweremadetodrinkfromthemandswearsomeoath。Thusendedourbetrothal。
Ithinkitwasonthenextdaythatwesailedforhomeinmyfather’slargestshipofwar，whichwasnamedthe/Swan/。Iwentunwillinglyenough，whodesiredtodrinkmoreofthedelightofIduna’seyes。
Still，goImust，sinceAthalbrandwouldhaveitso。Themarriage，hesaid，shouldtakeplaceatAaratthetimeoftheSpringfeast，andnotbefore。Meanwhilehehelditbestweshouldbeapartthatwemightlearnwhetherwestillclungtoeachotherinabsence。
Thesewerethereasonshegave，butIthinkthathewasalreadysomewhatsorryforwhathehaddone，andreflectedthatbetweenharvestandspringtimehemightfindanotherhusbandforIduna，whowasmoretohismind。ForAthalbrand，asIlearnedafterwards，wasaschemingandafalse-heartedman。Moreover，hewasofnohighlineage，butonewhohadraisedhimselfupbywarandplunder，andthereforehisblooddidnotcompelhimtohonour。
Thenextscenewhichcomesbacktomeofthoseearlydaysisthatofthehuntingofthewhitenorthernbear，whenIsavedthelifeofSteinar，myfoster-brother，andnearlylostmyown。
Itwasonadaywhenthewinterwasmergingintospring，butthecoast-linenearAarwasstillthickwithpackiceandlargefloeswhichhadfloatedinfromthemorenorthernseas。Acertainfishermanwhodweltonthisshorecametothehalltotellusthathehadseenagreatwhitebearononeofthesefloes，which，hebelieved，hadswumfromittotheland。Hewasamanwithaclub-foot，andIcanrecallavisionofhimlimpingacrossthesnowtowardsthedrawbridgeofAar，supportinghimselfbyastaffonthetopofwhichwascutthefigureofsomeanimal。
“Younglords，“hecriedout，“thereisawhitebearontheland，suchabearasonceIsawwhenIwasaboy。Comeoutandkillthebearandwinhonour，butfirstgivemeadrinkformynews。“
AtthattimeIthinkmyfather，Thorvald，wasawayfromhomewithmostofthemen，Idonotknowwhy；butRagnar，SteinarandIwerelingeringaboutthesteadwithlittleornothingtodo，sincethetimeofsowingwasnotyet。Atthenewsoftheclub-footedman，weranforourspears，andoneofuswenttotelltheonlythrallwhocouldbesparedtomakereadythehorsesandcomewithus。Thora，mymother，wouldhavestoppedus——shesaidshehadheardfromherfatherthatsuchbearswereverydangerousbeasts——butRagnaronlythrustheraside，whileIkissedherandtoldhernottofret。
OutsidethehallImetFreydisa，adark，quietwomanofmiddleage，oneofthevirginsofOdin，whomIlovedandwholovedmeand，saveoneother，meonlyamongmen，forshehadbeenmynurse。
“Whithernow，youngOlaf？“sheaskedme。“HasIdunacomeherethatyourunsofast？“
“No，“Ianswered，“butawhitebearhas。“
“Oh！thenthingsarebetterthanIthought，whofearedlestitmightbeIdunabeforehertime。Still，yougoonanillerrand，fromwhichI
thinkyouwillreturnsadly。“
“Whydoyousaythat，Freydisa？“Iasked。“Isitjustbecauseyoulovetocroaklikearavenonarock，orforsomegoodreason？“
“Idon’tknow，Olaf，“sheanswered。“Isaythingsbecausetheycometome，andImust，thatisall。Itellyouthatevilwillbebornofthisbearhuntofyours，andyouhadbetterstopathome。“
“Tobelaughedatbymybrethren，Freydisa？Moreover，youarefoolish，forifevilistobe，howcanIavoidit？Eitheryourforesightisnothingortheevilmustcome。“
“Thatisso，“answeredFreydisa。“Fromyourchildhoodupyouhadthegiftofreasonwhichismorethanisgrantedtomostofthesefoolsaboutus。Go，Olaf，andmeetyourfore-ordainedevil。Still，kissmebeforeyougolestweshouldnotseeeachotheragainforawhile。Ifthebearkillsyou，atleastyouwillbesavedfromIduna。“
NowwhileshesaidthesewordsIwaskissingFreydisa，whomIloveddearly，butwhenIunderstoodthemIleaptbackbeforeshecouldkissmeagain。
“WhatdoyoumeanbyyourtalkaboutIduna？“Iasked。“Idunaismybetrothed，andI’llsuffernoillspeechofher。“
“Iknowsheis，Olaf。You’vegotRagnar’sleavings。Althoughheissohot-headed，Ragnarisawisedoginsomeways，whocantellwhatheshouldnoteat。There，begone，youthinkmejealousofIduna，asoldwomencanbe，butit’snotthat，mydear。Oh！you’lllearnbeforeallisdone，ifyoulive。Begone，begone！I’lltellyounomore。Hark，Ragnarisshoutingtoyou，“andshepushedmeaway。
Itwasalongridetowherethebearwassupposedtobe。Atfirstaswewentwetalkedagreatdeal，andmadeawagerastowhichofthethreeofusshouldfirstdriveaspearintothebeast’sbodysodeepthatthebladewashidden，butafterwardsIgrewsilent。Indeed，IwasmusingsomuchofIdunaandhowthetimedrewnearwhenoncemoreI
shouldseehersweetface，wonderingalsowhyRagnarandFreydisashouldthinksoillofherwhoseemedagoddessratherthanawoman，thatIforgotallaboutthebear。SocompletelydidIforgetitthatwhen，beingbynatureveryobservant，Isawtheslotofsuchabeastaswepassedacertainbirchwood，Ididnotthinktoconnectitwiththatwhichwewerehuntingortopointitouttotheotherswhowereridingaheadofme。
Atlengthwecametothesea，andthere，sureenough，sawagreatice-
floe，whichnowandagaintiltedasthesurgecaughtitsbroadgreenflank。Whenittiltedtowardsusweperceivedatrackworndeepintotheicebythepawsoftheprisonedbearasithadmarchedendlesslyround。Alsowesawabiggrinningskull，whereonsataravenpickingattheeye-holes，andsomefragmentsofwhitefur。
“Thebearisdead！“exclaimedRagnar。“Odin’scursebeonthatclub-
footedfoolwhogaveusthiscoldridefornothing。“
“Yes，Isupposeso，“saidSteinardoubtfully。“Don’tyouthinkthatitisdead，Olaf？“
“WhatisthegoodofaskingOlaf？“brokeinRagnar，withaloudlaugh。
“WhatdoesOlafknowaboutbears？Hehasbeenasleepforthelasthalf-hourdreamingofAthalbrand’sblue-eyeddaughter；orperhapsheismakingupanotherpoem。“
“Olafseesfartherwhenheseemsasleepthansomeofusdowhenweareawake，“answeredSteinarhotly。
“Ohyes，“repliedRagnar。“Sleepingorwaking，Olafisperfectinyoureyes，foryou’vedrunkthesamemilk，andthattiesyoutighterthanarope。Wakeup，now，brotherOlaf，andtellus:Isnotthebeardead？“
ThenIanswered，“Why，ofcourse，abearisdead；seeitsskull，alsopiecesofitshide？“
“There！“exclaimedRagnar。“Ourfamilyprophethassettledthematter。
Letusgohome。“
“Olafsaidthat/a/bearwasdead，“answeredSteinar，hesitating。
Ragnar，whohadalreadyswunghimselfroundinhisquickfashion，spokebackoverhisshoulder:
“Isn’tthatenoughforyou？Doyouwanttohuntaskullortheravensittingonit？Oristhis，perchance，oneofOlaf’sriddles？Ifso，I
amtoocoldtoguessriddlesjustnow。“
“YetIthinkthereisoneforyoutoguess，brother，“Isaidgently，“anditis:Whereisthelivebearhiding？Can’tyouseethatthereweretwobearsonthatice-head，andthatonehaskilledandeatentheother？“
“Howdoyouknowthat？“askedRagnar。
“BecauseIsawtheslotofthesecondaswepassedthebirchwoodyonder。Ithasasplitclawontheleftforefootandtheothersareallwornbytheice。“
“ThenwhyinOdin’snamedidyounotsaysobefore？“exclaimedRagnarangrily。
NowIwasashamedtoconfessthatIhadbeendreaming，soIansweredathazard:
“BecauseIwishedtolookupontheseaandthefloatingice。Seewhatwondrouscolourstheytakeinthislight！“
Whenheheardthis，Steinarburstoutlaughingtilltearscameintohisblueeyesandhisbroadshouldersshook。ButRagnar，whocarednothingforsceneryorsunsets，didnotlaugh。Onthecontrary，aswasusualwithhimwhenvexed，helosthistemperandsworebythemoreevilofthegods。Thenheturnedonmeandsaid:
“Whynottellthetruthatonce，Olaf？Youareafraidofthisbeast，andthat’swhyyouletuscomeonherewhenyouknewitwasinthewood。Youhopedthatbeforewegotbackthereitwouldbetoodarktohunt。“
AtthistauntIflushedandgrippedtheshaftofmylonghuntingspear，foramongusNorthmentobetoldthathewasafraidofanythingwasadeadlyinsulttoaman。
“Ifyouwerenotmybrother-“Ibegan，thencheckedmyself，forI
wasbynatureeasy-tempered，andwenton:“Itistrue，Ragnar，Iamnotsofondofhuntingasyouare。Still，Ithinkthattherewillbetimetofightthisbearandkillorbekilledbyit，beforeitgrowsdark，andifnotIwillreturnaloneto-morrowmorning。“
ThenIpulledmyhorseroundandrodeahead。AsIwent，myearsbeingveryquick，Iheardtheothertwotalkingtogether。Atleast，I