hey took the whale-road's¹ southern course
And raided towns on Denmark's shore.
Then, turning west, their water-horse
Bore Holland's riches 'tween its oars.

When summer turned to early fall,
Europa's shores were further traced
And brought them onto northern Gaul
To sack the towns within that place.

Along the edge, and farther still,
Across the waves that whiteness topped;
Ne'er resting sail or sword until
They reached Iberia and stopped.

'Twas then the captain did decide
To winter there, in fair Castile.
They tended wounds and resupplied
While resting body, mind, and keel.

As men of war will often do
They traded jibes and tales of war.
But all amongst those gloried few
Knew one had risen to the fore.

Not Hralji, with the golden spear,
Nor Bjorn, the duelist of acclaim,
Nor Egil of the Finnish meres,
Nor Karnak, born without a name.

'Twas not the great berserker Leif,
Nor Bardi Olafsson the Bold,
Nor even Eirik, voyage-chief,
Appeared so oft in tales they told.

For Signar earned hero's crown!
He met and vanquished mighty foes
Who'd once possessed most high renown
In use of sword or spear or bow.

But Signar brushed these words aside,
Considering it untoward
To let such talk swell up his pride
In front of his new prince and lord.

"It's plain enough for all to see
I only know what I've been taught.
Prince Thorvald earns your praise, not me;
To him these honors should be brought."

"I'll hear no talk," the prince replied,
"Denying you of well-earned praise.
I'll not be filled with empty pride
Nor shackled with another's bays."

"Yet would you have your pupil swelled
With honors that his teacher earned?
Your lessons are the ones who felled
Those men that feed the hungry worms."

Then Thorvald said, "'Tis barely true,
I quickly taught you sword and shield.
My lessons, though, were very few,
You learned the rest upon the field."

'Twas like this for 'most seven days
That neither one would yield or bend
From handing, to the other, praise
Until they'd made themselves fast friends.

One night, when all else had retired
Except for Thorvald and the boy,
They sat together by the fire
And comradeship was well enjoyed.

Then Thorvald questioned Signar thus,
"I've heard but little of your trip,
As you're quite loath to long discuss
Just how things fared aboard your ship.

"You traveled from some far off isle
And landed on my homeland's shore.
I wonder all that happened while
You traded lands through sail and oar.

Then Signar told his prince and lord,
"I've often thought about events
That happened 'tween the isle and fjord,
For portent filled that time, I sense."

And Thorvald said, "Perhaps 'tis I
Who'd help you look at these and see
The signs that you cannot descry,
For I'm well versed in augury."

"I thank you," Signar told his chief,
"These signs have weighed up on my mind.
If you can give my soul relief,
Your service will be utmost kind.

"I traveled east," the boy began,
"As wind filled up my dragon's sails.
It seemed the gods had lent their hand
To help me cross the road of whales.

"The ship was stocked with scant supply,
'Twere but two days of rations there,
And three harpoons were standing by,
Their edges honed to halve a hair.

"I knew not why I'd need harpoons
But had the thought they'd yet be used.
My thoughts were shortened, for, eftsoons,
My little bark was fair abused.

"A whale came up from murky deeps,
All green, like emerald it shone!
Attacking me with one great leap --
'Twould sink my ship like boulder-stone.

"But quickly I let fly a shaft
That sank within the whale's stout hide.
With might, and not a little craft
The whale's assault was turned aside.

"Beside my boat its body crashed
And I ensured its doom was made.
In throes of pain the great beast thrashed
As I used lance as 'twere a blade."

Then comment came from Thorvald's tongue,
"This thing has passed, I see quite well.
Yet you do not? Well, you are young.
But, please, you have your tale to tell."

So Signar said, "With flesh aboard,
From carvings of the undone beast.
My rations, then, were quite a horde --
And thus, I set myself to feast.

"But as I ate my hunger's due
I spied two whales upon my prow.
Of deepest purple were these two,
The one was calf, the other, cow.

"I did not grab my last two darts,
I saw they were not enemies.
Now let my tale to you impart
The strangest thing that e'er I'd see!

"The greater one had grabbed a line
That, while her murky path was plied,
She towed my bark across the brine
While Younger swam along beside!

"This strange event continued on
Though, soon, the Elder fell away.
But with his parent scarcely gone
The Younger proved intent to stay.

"He grabbed the line his parent lost,
Then raced my ship across the waves.
I feared not, though my bark was tossed,
For this young calf was strong and brave.

"But then exertion spent the calf
And he expired like cow before.
I felt great loss on his behalf,
For such a beast should be adored."

Then Thorvald laughed and spoke again,
"This omen tells of things that are
And soon will be within my ken.
I've read such signs from well afar,

"Thus, all these ends are known to me.
But these may happen for the best,
So bear no ill 'gainst what will be.
Now please, good sir, do tell the rest."

Though Signar had a troubled mind
He went on with his sea-borne tale,
"The wind was fresh and blew behind
Though oft I rowed to help my sails

"Until I came in sight of land,
'Twas now within the reach of oars.
And as I gazed upon that strand,
I saw an army poised for war!

"Amassed with backs against the verge,
I saw their standard flung aside.
And at this host two standards surged
To trap them 'gainst the coming tide…"

"I know that battle," Thorvald said,
With wonderment o'ertaking him.
"For, of that army, I was head,
Though circumstances were most grim.

"The war was going quite unwell,
The Swedes had forayed far afield.
This sortie we had thought to quell
When Denmark forced our men to yield.

"They'd allied 'gainst us in the spring,
And Norway's host was sore oppressed
By two great armies led by kings,
With heroes marching twelve abreast.

"They'd backed us 'gainst the low tide's reach.
With sea behind and spears before,
We cast our banner on the beach,
Its bearer's sword was needed more.

"This action saved us from our plight --
The Danes saw this and charged our host.
But all unordered came their fight;
Their bodies piled on Norway's coast.

"But we absorbed a grievous loss --
Our men were, likewise, pierced and hewn.
We fought them off with frightful cost
And spent our strength before 'twas noon.

"But Sweden watched us rout the foe,
Their ardor fell with every Dane.
As we prepared to face Death's blow
The Swede-men turned and left the plain!

"My wounds took weeks to fully close,
And more e'er I was back in prime.
I lost a month to swooned repose.
What happened in that lengthy time?!"

"I'll tell you," Signar answered him,
"My ship was headed for that place
Where, as you said, your state was grim
And much I longed to aid your case.

"But as I rowed my water-horse
An eagle snared me in its arc,
It seemed to want to help the course
On which I'd chosen to embark.

"But as he neared I felt a shock
That startled me from head to toe.
It rattled mast, and keel, and lock.
I stood to see what was below.

"I reeled from what I saw beneath!
A whale, all red, like wrathful fire!
Its mouth was filled with sword-like teeth!
Its eyes burned like great warrior pyres!

"I grabbed a lance to slay the beast
But then the eagle gripped my arm!
I struck the bird. When it released
I dealt the whale a mortal harm.

"Then, quickly, with the bird still near
I grabbed my last harpoon and threw.
The eagle could not dodge my spear
But, rather, fell… cleaved right in two!

"One battle won, one more to fight --
With that, I set myself to row.
The shore was easily in sight,
I had but moments more to go.

"'Twas then the great whale reappeared --
It lived, but did not seem alive!
Without harpoons I felt a-feared,
Quite sure my death had then arrived.

"But then the whale did not attack!
Instead she took my water-horse
And carried it upon her back
Upon a hasty, foaming course.

"How long she swam, I do not know.
It seemed a year. It seemed a day.
Ere she was done, this deathless foe
Had taken me quite far away.

"I rowed back to that shore I sought.
'Twas long ere I made landing-fall
So near to where your men had fought,
So near… but, yet, not close at all."

Prince Thorvald sat and pondered long
Before he said to Signar, "Strange.
I'm not sure if I'm right or wrong,
Interpretations often change.

"I'll tell you naught. 'Tis not the time
For me to say what this could be.
There's much embedded in this sign
And much is still unknown to me.

"No matter, boy -- And worry not.
Here, take another draught of mead.
The wind is cold, the fire's hot,
And friendship is our only need."