Bearslayer Part 15

Laimdota is rescued by Koknesis

One evening, having strayed With tears into her bed, To spirits good she prayed, That help to her be led.

Then tumult loud began, Spread through the cloister's bounds, The people rushed and ran, And prayed with frightened sounds.

At length the shouting died, Her room loud footsteps neared, Her door was opened wide, And in it there appeared Men all in armour clad, With weapons in their hand; The guards and monks were glad, There at their side to stand.

One monk with glutton's face Spoke to the armoured ranks: "The pagan take apace- We give her up with thanks.

For long enough has she This sacred place defiled; Take her and ride out free, And cleanse our cloister mild."

The monks she loud implored, The prioress to call, Protection to afford, That nothing should befall.

But they refused as one- The reason was well known, For with each other nun The prioress had flown.

Of plunderers in fear, Their church the nuns sought fast, And forth would not appear, Until all risk was past.- Then iron-clad hands with force Laimdota dragged outside; They flung her on a horse, And made away to ride.

But blocking them their place, A single man they saw.

He held an iron mace, And shook it with a roar: "Release this blameless girl, Surrender now and leave, Or with this club I whirl My arm your skulls will cleave!"

Surprised to hear this call, At first they heeded well, But then as one they all Upon the stranger fell.- At this the man revealed Strength others cannot show; With skill he used his s.h.i.+eld, And parried every blow.

He swung his club with hate Against each armoured head; The men who felt its weight With cloven helmet bled.- He struck the one with force, Whose steed Laimdota bore; The man fell from his horse, And loose his helmet tore.

The earl's son all espied, Who lay before their eyes.

"You dog," the stranger cried, "You cur in Christian guise!

Know that this free-born girl Is to such honour heir, Unworthy any earl, For her her cup to bear!"

"In virtue without lapse, In woman's form and face, In Germany, perhaps, No equal has your race!"

"Go! To your comrades run; Tell them, in Baltic land Each free-born woman's son Will crush them by his hand, As I tonight did here!

Your life this day I spare- But if our lands you near, Then face me if you dare!"

Laimdota's senses cleared, As this the man declared; His face at last appeared, Beneath his helmet bared.- A cry of joy began, Within the moonlight grew; Laimdota saw the man, And straight Koknesis knew!

Koknesis took her hand, This greeting to proclaim: "To G.o.ds and spirits grand Give thanks in time I came!

Together we must flee, We cannot here delay.

Hence you must ride with me, My fate learn on the way."

Into the saddle straight Both leaped on horses' backs, Rode out and did not wait, On rutted forest tracks.

A distant mountain hut Gave shelter for the night- The folk who firewood cut Helped strangers in their plight.

They rested for some days, Then rode a further stage.

Laimdota found good ways Disguised to be a page; Koknesis was her knight.- They from a seaport planned By s.h.i.+p to make their flight To reach their Fatherland.

Koknesis on the way Told her his story grim.- One night in bed he lay, When Kangars came to him, Said Kaupa at the dawn To Germany would go; Dispatches must be borne For Burtnieks to know.

Since Burtnieks, alone, Kept watch on All Souls' Eve, Koknesis, to him known, The message should receive.- No harm Koknesis saw To Turaida to go, Where waited on the sh.o.r.e Young men that he would know.

With Kaupa soon to sail Upon the German trip, With pleasure they would hail Koknesis on the s.h.i.+p.- Koknesis gave a.s.sent When Kangars told his plight: He had no doc.u.ment, Until the morning light.

Aboard, they broke their fast, And Kangars gave them wine, A gift from Dietrich pa.s.sed.- Since none would thirst confine, But drank deep at a stroke, They all were soon asleep, And when Koknesis woke, The s.h.i.+p rocked on the deep!

Just landless sea and sky He saw now all around.

His heavy head asked why, And shame within him found.

His thirst had so prevailed, With appet.i.te so hot, That with them he had sailed, If this he willed or not.

The others swift condoled, That not all bad would be, And with the thought consoled, Soon Germany to see.

To Germany now sent, With monks to live and learn, Koknesis seemed content, New wisdom thus to earn.

But visits soon he paid And time spent with an earl, There to the knights displayed His strength in jousting's whirl.

All there his skill admired, His agile arm's strong weight.- But news was not acquired About Laimdota's fate.

But later, there he heard, That in a cloister's court, A woman was interred, Thence from the Baltic brought.

The earl desired the maid, To seize her deemed it right The cloister's grounds to raid, And steal her in the night.- Her fate Koknesis knew, Thus earnest vow he gave, The unknown maiden true, From such a fate to save.

When at the cloister gate, Laimdota's face he saw, He felt an endless hate, And caution was no more!

And thus the slaughter grew, No mercy would he show; The earl's son, humbled, too For misdeeds pain must know.

Scene 3: In the Realm of the North Wind

The boatmen's song summons the North Wind's Daughter

Long parted from the quay, Thus sang the sailor folk, Upon the Northern Sea, Good fortune to invoke:

"Oh father, build a s.h.i.+p, Oh mother, weave the sail, We seek straight from the slip, The North Wind's Daughter pale."-

"We travel night and day, No North Wind's Daughter find, And reach a northern bay, Where snow three giants grind."

"'Our greetings, grinders three, Comes North Wind's Daughter forth?'- 'Thanks travellers on the sea, No, sail on further north!'"

"We travel night and day, The Daughter seeking twice- And reach a northern bay, Where giants forge pure ice."

"'Our greeting icesmiths three, Comes North Wind's Daughter forth?'- 'Thanks travellers on the sea.

No, sail on further north!'"

Thus sang the sailor folk Upon the Northern Sea, Until the helmsman spoke: Their way no more was free!

Bearslayer in this boat, Sailed on the Northern Sea, To Germany afloat, To set Laimdota free.

But battered by the force Of wind and storm that blew, And lost, far from the course, The way no more they knew.

It seemed that evil powers, Sea ghosts, were ever near, In day and night-time hours, They filled the crew with fear.

Dank mists and deepest gloom The light blocked as they swirled; While hail and snow-filled spume Were by the North Wind hurled.

Then, where the sky's edge gleamed, A brilliant glow forth surged, And, from the glow, what seemed To be a sail emerged.

Across the dark sea wave, Its course approached them near, Close up a.s.surance gave: It was a s.h.i.+p was clear.