He waited until Ragnhild was healed before he made his rounds of the kingdom. She kept the hall at Haven for him, nursed Frodi, and ran things with a stern hand. When his faring was done, she greeted him lovingly, but her womb was slow to open again. So did that year pass in Denmark.

It was otherwise in Svithjod. Word drifted in from Norway of how Hadding had slain the giant, wedded King Haakon’s daughter, and sworn fellowship with the Nidering and neighboring lords. Later came hearsay less clear, about one who had sought him out from beyond the world of men. All this made ever more folk think there must be something wonderful about him. The offering to Freyr that he had founded spread north from Scania to the holy shaw at Uppsala itself. Yeomen muttered that it would be madness to fight him. Their chieftains began to say it aloud.

“Best we make terms,” urged King Uffi’s younger brother, Hunding. “Denmark is rich and mighty. We ought to gain as much from friendship as we give, or more.”

“Never while I live and that hound befouls the earth,” snarled Uffi. “Our father would groan in his howe.”

“I think not. It’s no shame to make peace with a worthy foe. Surely it’s better than for him to overrun us. He may well seek to do that, once he’s rebuilt what he lost. Yet I have a feeling that if we give him no grounds to strike at us, he would rather not.”

“What thrall-blood sneaked into ours, that you speak well of such a one?” rasped Uffi, and stormed from the room where they were.

But he understood that outright war would be rash and might be wreckful. Through the long nights of winter he brooded. His hatred stewed in him like the brew in a witch’s kettle. Slowly he thought out what could be done.

He had a daughter, Arnborg, a maiden of fourteen years, already very fair. Toward spring Uffi made known that whoever slew Hadding should get her to wife, along with great gifts, broad acres, and high standing in the kingdom.

Word buzzed about. Some bold seamen took ship for Norway to waylay the Dane-king, but he outsailed them. Later on, Uffi heard that Hadding had been told of his offer, and had laughed. Uffi took an ax, went to his stables, killed a horse with one blow, and hacked it to shreds.