The Sundering Flood · Chapter
XI: Osberne Shoots a Gift Across the Flood explained
Osberne returns to the Bight of the Cloven Knoll wearing his red-scarlet raiment and carrying his bow.
What happens
Osberne returns to the Bight of the Cloven Knoll wearing his red-scarlet raiment and carrying his bow. He meets Elfhild, who has adorned herself with a necklace and flower wreaths. Osberne offers her a gold penny given by his mother, but after discussion they decide to split it in half so each keeps a piece. He shoots her half across the Sundering Flood using an arrow. They exchange names for the first time—Elfhild of Hartshaw Knolls and Osberne Wulfgrim's son of Wethermel—and agree to meet again in three days. Elfhild tells him a Faery tale, and they part well pleased.
Themes in this chapter
Separation and Longing
The Sundering Flood physically separates Osberne and Elfhild, yet they devise ways to share gifts and stories across the divide, highlighting their yearning for connection.
Fate and Destiny
The splitting of the gold penny is seen as a token of shared luck and future recognition, with both children contemplating their destined paths—Osberne as a warrior and Elfhild as a fair woman.
Love and Sacrifice
Osberne offers his mother's cherished gift to Elfhild, and they both sacrifice the whole coin to keep halves as a bond of affection and loyalty.
Characters to notice
- Osberne Wulfgrimsson
Returns to the trysting-place in red-scarlet raiment, brings a gold penny gift, splits it with Elfhild, and shoots her half across the flood.
- Elfhild
Adorns herself with the Dwarfs' necklace and flower wreaths, receives half of the gold penny, tells a Faery tale, and exchanges names with Osberne.
- Stephen the Eater
Smiles and nods to Osberne as he leaves Wethermel.
- The Carline
Mentioned as the old woman who taught Elfhild lore and tales.
Key passages
“Now when the three days were over he went his ways to the Bight of the Cloven Knoll, and Stephen smiled and nodded to him friendly as he went out of the door, and once more he was clad in his red-scarlet raiment.”
After three days, Osberne returned to the Cloven Knoll, dressed again in his red-scarlet clothes, and Stephen gave him a friendly nod as he left.
Osberne's departure for the trysting-place.
“He drew it forth and held it up between his finger and thumb, and said: 'It is a golden penny, very fair, and I deem it comes from some far country.'”
He showed her a beautiful gold coin he believed was from a distant land.
Osberne presents the gold penny to Elfhild.
“She said 'How would it be, since I can see that thou wishest that I should share thy gift, and belike thy luck also, if thou wert to do it into two halves, and keep one thyself and shoot me the other over the flood?'”
Elfhild suggested splitting the coin so each kept half, with Osberne shooting her half across the river.
Elfhild's clever proposal to share the gift and luck.
“Then she turned and ran to the cleft, and took out the arrow, and did off the wrapping with trembling fingers, and gat the gold and looked on it, and cried out: 'O the fair warrior! suchlike shalt thou be on a penny, dear child.'”
She retrieved the arrow, unwrapped the gold with excitement, and exclaimed that the warrior on the coin resembled what Osberne would become.
Elfhild receives her half of the penny.
“Now this is strange, that neither last time nor now have we told each other our names: now I will tell thee that my name is Elfhild, of Hartshaw Knolls. What is thine?”
Elfhild remarked that they had not yet exchanged names, then introduced herself and asked for his.
First exchange of names between the children.
