Yet, watching her opportunity, she glided up to me just before I embarked and whispered to me, "Be of good cheer, for you will return, whoever is left behind." "It will give me little comfort to return if certain others are left behind," I answered.

"Oh, that the folk had hearkened to me and made peace!" "Too late to talk of that now," said Freydisa, and we parted.
This was our plan: To sail for Lesso by the moonlight, and when the moon went down to creep silently towards the shores of the island.

Then, just at the first break of dawn, we proposed to beach the ships on a sandy strand we knew, and rush to attack Athalbrand's hall, which we hoped to carry before men were well awake.

It was a bold scheme and one full of dangers, yet we trusted that its very boldness would cause it to succeed, especially as we had put it about that, owing to the unreadiness of our ships, no attack would be made until the coming of the next moon.
Doubtless all might have gone well with us but for a strange chance.

As it happened, Athalbrand, a brave and skilful captain, who from his youth had seen much war by sea and land, had a design of his own which brought ours to nothing.