Far up its reaches the fjord branched, one arm running on toward
the east, and the other, which was our course, northward. Here, at
the meeting of these branches, there was a wider stretch of water,
ringed around with mountains which sloped, forest clad, to the
shores, and dotted with rocky islets round which the tide swirled
and eddied in the meeting of the two currents, for it was falling.
We had timed our passage well, and would wait here until we might
find our way to the hall as the men were gathered for the evening
meal. Our plan was to land and surround the building, and so take
Arnkel if we could without any fighting.
Hidden away at the foot of a valley here was a little village, but
at first we saw no signs that we were noticed. Presently, however,
when Asbiorn had taken the ship into a berth between two of the
islets, and the men were getting her shore lines fast to mooring
posts which seemed to be used only now and then, a boat with two
men in it came off to us thence, and we were hailed to know what we
needed in these waters.
Asbiorn answered, saying that we were friends, waiting for tide up
the fjord, and they went ashore on the islet next them, and came
across it to us. Then Gerda rose up from where she sat watching
them and called them by name, and they started as if they had seen
a ghost, so that she laughed at them.
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