Grettir has a cunning plan. Encouraged by the friendliness of the Fire Giant smiths who have taken on Jason as their apprentice in Vulcanheim, Grettir determines to try to recruit some Fire Giants as mercenaries in his war against the Orcs of the Wood of Itaen. He therefore wants to return to Vulcanheim and visit the Hall on the hill that he has been told is the abode of Hrothgar.
Meanwhile Hilda has turned to Nickar to find out more about the Black Swan. It seemed that it had been bound by an old imperial magician called Quall for fortynine (7 times 7) services: there were 21 left. It would carry six beings – the seventh and eighth and all subsequent passengers “must look to themselves”. Nickar would come along for the ride to Vulcanheim but he had his own agenda and his own means of traversing the planes and departed from the main party on landing.
Hrothgar was a fierce warrior, and as it turned out, a zealous and fanatical priest of Xicala, the Fiery Serpent. However, he was also an hospitable host. He welcomed the travellers to his hall, introduced them to his six sons and three wives, and bade them join them at table. Much eating and carousing followed accompanied by flyting – ritualised storytelling and boasting. He was delighted with the gifts that Grettir brought him and readily agreed that he and his sons would come to Middle-earth to serve Grettir as mercenaries. To seal the deal Hrothgar proposed a swearing of oaths of friendship from both sides upon his sacred altar to Xicala. Grettir had no objections and he and Hrothgar swore the first oaths, witnessed by a conjured avatar of Xicala – a winged, fiery serpent. Hrothgar was most intent that everyone present should also swear, including Grettir’s companions. Hilda and Salrod likewise swore – though there seemed an odd nervousness about them and a hesitation on the part of the serpent. When it came to Ranulf’s turn the hesitation became outright hostility and the serpent attacked him. Plainly the serpent recalled the dwarf from the events of but six months previously (E7 – Les Liaisons Dangereux) when a party led by Yspadadden and including Hilda, Salrod and Ranulf had stolen the axe, Gore Raver from a grave it was guarding.
Hrothgar roared out in rage and would have slain the dwarf on the spot but for Grettir’s intervention, reminding him of the laws of hospitality. Instead Hrothgar, bodily threw the dwarf out of the door to his hall. Thereupon he summoned his dogs and his sons to give chase. In the confusion, Aranath, who had been awaiting his turn to swear, quietly slipped out of a window and casting a Fly spell picked up the dwarf and fled with him into the night.
Hrothgar demanded that Grettir join with him in the hunt for the dwarf, but though he was most apologetic for his companion and was able truthfully to say that he had not known of the dwarf’s history with Xicala, he insisted (somewhat less truthfully) that he was bound by oath not to kill his companion. So Hrothgar stormed off into the night alone in pursuit of the dwarf.
By the following morning Hrothgar had not returned. Grettir and his remaining companions were treated to a hearty breakfast with Hrothgar’s eldest son Henghist as host. Henghist displayed none of his father’s choler and indeed Grettir found him to be most pleasant and equable. He seemed confident that his father had the power to track down the dwarf wherever he went on the island and would return in due course. Grettir said that he would like to explore Vulcanheim further while they awaited his return and Henghist raised no objection. Hilda teleported him and Salrod to Volundsmark where they had found Grackna (E9). There they had a number of adventures including a tricky fight against a nest of basilisks and encounters with some very large fauna. They returned to Hrothgar’s hall carrying a clutch of basilisk eggs and some treasure.
They found the place in sombre mood, for Hrothgar had been found dead, apparently entangled in a tree. His flaming Muspell sword was missing. Grettir offered his condolences and could truly say that he knew nothing of the fate of Hrothgar. He and Hengist parted on good terms. However, his plans to acquire a force of Fire Giant mercenaries had to be put on hold. While Henghist was happy – indeed keen – to honour his father’s oath, he was insistent that there would have to be a period of mourning observed. It turned out that they would not be ready to move before seven years was up.
So of the original party of six, only three returned upon the Black Swan to Sequarl. In Chittagong, Grettir, Salrod and Hilda traded the basilisk eggs to Tharakor the Cruel in exchange for the promise of a basilisk banner when the eggs hatched. Grettir bought out Salrod and Hilda’s share in this by giving them the Sword of Summoning and the Shaguine requisites that he had picked up in Skagnar.
The remainder of the party did return in due course. It seems that Hrothgar did catch up with Ranulf and Aranath. It would have gone ill with them, had Aranath not managed to waken the huge oak under whose branches they had been sheltering (to make it difficult for the giant to come at them). Once awoken the tree took exception to having a flaming sword waved in its vicinity. It seized and entangled Hrothgar and strangled the life out of him. Aranath took the Muspell sword. However, their adventures did not end there. Once he had recovered sufficient mana, Aranath cast Fly once more and flew them to Volundsmark. It turned out that he had been spying upon the Overmen there on a mission from Nickar. He was confident that the magician would be able to find them there and transport them home. In this he was correct, but before Nickar found them, they were captured by the Overmen (who actually appeared to be powerful elven sorcerors and shapeshifters) and turned into mental thralls. Nickar negotiated their release and brough them home. Ranulf retained one benefit from his time as an Overman slave – the removal of his natural dwarven fear of water.
It is worth noting that Aranath sold Hrothgar’s Muspell blade to Yspadadden, who in turn sold it to Wilf.
E-12
OE Date: May-June 691
Characters: Salrod, Grettir, Ranulf, Aranath NPCs: Hilda, Nickar
Real World: January 1998; Where – Marsden
See also Salrod’s Diaries