“Youleavethisland？“shesaid。“Thatmeansthatyouleaveme，wholoveyou，togoforthastheWandererwent——followingadreamtotheSouth。Well，itisbestthatyoushouldgo，forwhatevertheyhavepromisedyoubutnow，itissurethatthepriestswillkillyou，evenifyouescapethevengeanceofthegod。“Andshelookedaskanceattheshatteredstatuewhichhadsatinitsplaceforsomanygenerationsthatnoneknewwhohadsetitthere，orwhen。
“Ihavekilledthegod，“Ianswered，pointingtothecrushedviper。
“Notquite，Olaf，for，see，itstailstillmoves。“
Thenshewent，leavingmealone。IsatmyselfdownbythemurderedSteinar，andstaredathim。Couldhebereallydead，Iwondered，ordidheliveonelsewhere？MyfaithhadtaughtmeofaplacecalledValhallawherebravemenwent，butinthatfaithanditsgodsI
believednomore。ThisValhallawasbutachild’stale，inventedbyabloody-mindedfolkwholovedslaughter。WhereverSteinarandtheotherswere，itwasnotinValhalla。Then，perhaps，theysleptlikethebeastsdoafterthesehavebeenbutchered。Perhapsdeathwastheendofall。Itmightbeso，andyetIdidnotbelieveit。TherewereothergodsbesidesOdinandhiscompany，forwhatwerethosewhichwehadfoundintheWanderer’stomb？Ilongedtoknow。
Yes，Iwouldgosouth，astheWandererwent，andsearchforthem。
PerhapsthereintheSouthIshouldlearnthesecrettruth——andotherthings。
Igrewwearyofthesethoughtsofgodswhocouldnotbefound，orwho，iffound，werebutdevils。Mymindwentbacktomychildhood’sdays，whenSteinarandIplayedtogetheronthemeads，beforeanywomanhadcometowreckourlives。Irememberedhowweusedtoplayuntilwewereweary，andhowatnightsIwouldtellhimtalesthatIhadlearnedorwoven，untilatlengthwesanktosleep，ourarmsabouteachother’snecks。Myheartgrewfullofsorrowthatintheendbrokefrommyeyesintears。Yes，IweptoverSteinar，mybrotherSteinar，andkissedhiscoldandgorylips。
Theeveninggathered，thetwilightgrew，and，onebyone，thestarssprangoutinthequietsky，tillthemoonappearedandgatheredalltheirradiancetoherself。Iheardthesoundofawoman’sdress，andlookedup，thinkingtoseeFreydisa。ButthiswomanwasnotFreydisa；
itwasIduna！Yes，Iduna’sself！
Irosetomyfeetandstoodstill。Shealsostoodstill，onthefarthersideofthestoneofsacrificewhereonthatwhichhadbeenSteinarwasstretchedbetweenus。Thencameastruggleofsilence，inwhichshewonatlast。
“Haveyoucometosavehim？“Iasked。“Ifso，itistoolate。Woman，beholdyourwork。“
Sheshookherbeautifulheadandanswered，almostinawhisper:
“Nay，Olaf，Iamcometobegaboonofyou:thatyouwillslayme，hereandnow。“
“AmIabutcher——orapriest？“Imuttered。
“Oh，slayme，slayme，Olaf！“shewenton，throwingherselfuponherkneesbeforeme，andrendingopenherbluerobethatheryoungbreastmighttakethesword。“Thus，perchance，I，wholovelife，maypaysomeofthepriceofsin，who，ifIslewmyself，wouldbutmultiplythedebt，whichintruthIdarenotdo。“
StillIshookmyhead，andoncemoreshespoke:
“Olaf，inthiswayorinthatdoubtlessmyendwillfindme，for，ifyourefusethisoffice，thereareothersofsternerstuff。TheknifethatsmoteSteinarisnotblunted。Yet，beforeIdie，whoamcomeherebuttodie，Iprayyouhearthetruth，thatmymemorymaybesomewhatlessviletoyouintheafteryears。Olaf，youthinkmethefalsestofthefalse，yetIamnotaltogetherso。Harkyounow！AtthetimethatSteinarsoughtme，somemadnesstookhim。Sosoonaswewerealonetogether，hisfirstwordswere:’Iambewitched。Iloveyou。’
“Olaf，I’llnotdenythathisworshipstirredmyblood，forhewasgoodly——well，anddifferenttoyou，withyourdreamingeyesandthoughtsthataretoodeepforme。Andyet，bymybreath，IswearthatImeantnoharm。Whenwerodetogethertotheship，itwasmypurposetoreturnuponthemorrowandbemadeyourwife。Butthereupontheshipmyfathercompelledme。ItwashisfancythatIshouldbreakwithyouandbewedtoSteinar，whohadbecomesogreatalordandwhopleasedhimbetterthanyoudid，Olaf。And，asforSteinar——why，haveInottoldyouthathewasmadforme？“
“Steinar’stalewasotherwise，Iduna。Hesaidthatyouwentfirst，andthathefollowed。“
“Werethosehiswords，Olaf？For，ifso，howcanIgivethedeadthelie，andonewhodiedthroughme？Itseemsunholy。YetinthismatterSteinarhadnoreasonlefttohimand，whetheryoubelievemeorno，I
tellthetruth。Oh！hearmeout，forwhoknowswhentheywillcometotakeme，whohavewalkedintothisnestoffoesthatImaybetaken？
PrayasIwould，theshipwasrunout，andwesailedforLesso。There，inmyfather’shall，uponmyknees，Ientreatedhimtoholdhishand。
Itoldhimwhatwastrue:that，ofyoutwain，itwasyouIloved，notSteinar。Itoldhimthatifheforcedthismarriage，warwouldcomeofitthatmightmeanallourdeaths。Butthesethingsmovedhimnothing。
ThenItoldhimthatsuchadeedofshamewouldmeanthelossofSteinar’slordship，sothatbyithewouldgainnoprofit。Atlasthelistened，forthistouchedhimnear。Youknowtherest。Thorvald，yourfather，andRagnar，whoeverhatedme，pressedonthewardespiteallourofferingsofpeace。Sotheshipsmet，andHelahadherfill。“
“Aye，Iduna，whateverelseisfalse，thisistrue，thatHelahadherfill。“
“Olaf，Ihavebutonethingmoretosay。Itisthis:Onlyoncedidthosedeadlipstouchmine，andthenitwasagainstmywill。Aye，althoughitisshameful，youmustlearnthetruth。Myfatherheldme，Olaf，whileItookthebetrothalkiss，becauseImust。But，asyouknow，therewasnomarriage。“
“Aye，Iknowthat，“Isaid，“becauseSteinartoldmeso。“
“And，saveforthatonekiss，Olaf，Iamstillthemaidwhomonceyoulovedsowell。“
NowIstaredather。CouldthiswomanliesoblacklyoverdeadSteinar’scorpse？Whenallwassaidanddone，wasitnotpossiblethatshespokethetruth，andthatwehadbeenbutplaythingsinthehandsofanevilFate？Saveforsometriflingerror，whichmightbeforgiventoonewho，asshesaid，lovedtheworshipthatwasherbeauty’sdue，whatifshewereinnocent，afterall？
Perhapsmyfaceshowedthethoughtsthatwerepassingthroughmymind。
Attheleast，shewhoknewmewellfoundskilltoreadthem。Shecrepttowardsme，stillonherknees；shecastherarmsaboutme，and，restingherweightuponme，drewherselftoherfeet。
“Olaf，“shewhispered，“Iloveyou，Iloveyouwell，asIhavealwaysdone，thoughImayhaveerredalittle，aswomenwaywardandstillunwedareapttodo。Olaf，theytoldmeyonderhowyouhadmatchedyourselfagainstthegod，withhispriestsforjudges，andsmittenhim，andIthoughtthisthegreatestdeedthateverIhaveknown。I
usedtothinkyousomethingofaweakling，Olaf，notinyourbodybutinyourmind，onelostinmusicandinrunes，whofearedtoputthingstothetouchofwar；butyouhaveshownmeotherwise。Youslewthebear；youovercameSteinar，whowassomuchstrongerthanyouare，inthebattleoftheships；andnowyouhavebeardedOdin，theAll-
father。Look，hisheadliesthere，hewnoffbyyouforthesakeofonewho，afterall，haddoneyouwrong。Olaf，suchadeedasthattouchesawoman’sheart，andhewhodoesitisthemanshewouldwishtolieuponherbreastandbeherlord。Olaf，allthisevilpastmayyetbeforgotten。Wemightgoandliveelsewhereforawhile，oralways，forwithyourwisdomandmybeautyjoinedtogetherwhatcouldwenotconquer？Olaf，IloveyounowasIhaveneverlovedbefore，cannotyoulovemeagain？“
Herarmsclungaboutme；herbeautifulblueeyes，shimmeringwithmoonlittears，heldmyeyes，andmyheartmeltedbeneathherbreathaswintersnowsmeltinthewindsofspring。Shesaw，sheunderstood；shecastherselfuponme，shakingherlonghairoverbothofus，andseekingmylips。Almostshehadfoundthem，when，feelingsomethinghardbetweenmeandher，somethingthathurtme，Ilookeddown。Hercloakhadslippedorbeenthrownaside，andmyeyecaughttheglintofgoldandjewels。InaninstantIremembered——theWanderer’snecklaceandthedream——andwiththosememoriesmyheartfrozeagain。
“Nay，Iduna，“Isaid，“Ilovedyouwell；there’snomanwilleverloveyoumore，andyouareveryfair。Whetheryouspeaktruewordsorfalse，Idonotknow；itisbetweenyouandyourownspirit。ButthisIdoknow:thatbetwixtusrunstheriverofSteinar’sblood，aye，andthebloodofThorvald，myfather，ofThora，mymother，ofRagnar，mybrother，andofmanyanothermanwhoclungtous，andthatisastreamwhichIcannotcross。Findyouanotherhusband，IdunatheFair，sinceneverwillIcallyouwife。“
Sheloosedherarmsfromroundme，and，liftingthemagain，unclaspedtheWanderer’snecklacefromaboutherbreast。
“Thisitis，“shesaid，“whichhasbroughtalltheseevilsonme。Takeitbackagain，and，whenyoufindher，giveittothatoneforwhomitismeant，thatonewhomyoulovetruly，as，whateveryoumayhavethought，youneverhavelovedme。“
Thenshesankupontheground，andrestinghergoldenheadupondeadSteinar’sbreast，shewept。
IthinkitwasthenthatFreydisareturned；atleast，Irecallhertallformstandingnearthestoneofsacrifice，gazingatusboth，astrangesmileonherface。
“Haveyouwithstood？“shesaid。“Then，truly，youareinthewayofvictoryandhavelesstofearfromwomanthanIthought。Allthingsarereadyasyoucommanded，mylordOlaf，andthereremainsbuttosayfarewell，whichyouhadbestdoquickly，fortheyplotyourdeathyonder。“
“Freydisa，“Ianswered，“Igo，butperchanceIshallreturnagain。
Meanwhile，allIhaveisyours，withthischarge。Guardyouyonderwoman，andseehersafetoherhome，orwherevershewouldgo，andtoSteinarheregivehonourableburial。“
Thenthedarknessofoblivionfalls，andIremembernomoresavethewhitefaceofIduna，herbrowstainedwithSteinar’slife-blood，watchingmeasIwent。