Had you picked up a crew of fishers ?" "No; we managed somehow by ourselves." "I always told my father that Bertric was the best seaman we had in all our crowd," Asbiorn said frankly.

"You did well that time." Then he told us how they had searched for us much in the way which we had thought likely, and so at last had heard of a wreck when they reached the river Bann.
"Asbiorn," I said, "did you know that there was a lady on board this ship which was to be burnt ?" "No, on my word," he said, starting somewhat.

"So that is where the young queen was hidden, after all?
There was wailing when her men found that she was missing, and they said that she must have gone distraught in her grief, and wandered to the mountains.

How was she left on board ?" "Arnkel put her there," I answered.
"So that explains his way somewhat.

He seemed to want that ship caught, and yet did not.