went back to his men. This took
place in the late summer.

Then Hethin ordered his men to get ready the warship, saying that he
intended to go home to Serkland. Then he went into the ladies' bower
and took the Queen and Hild by either hand and led them out. Hild's
clothes and jewels were also taken. There was no-one in the kingdom
who had the courage to do anything; for they were afraid of Hethin and
his men--he glowered so fiercely.

Hild asked Hethin what his intention was, and he told her. She
besought him to think better of it, adding:

"My father will marry me to you if you ask him for me."

"Ask for you?" echoed Hethin; "I will never do that."

"And," she continued, "if you really must carry me off, even so my
father will make it up with you. But if you do anything so wicked and
unmanly as to put my mother to death, my father will never make it up
with you. I have had a warning in dreams that you two will fight and
slay one another. Yet I am afraid that there must be something still
more terrible in store. It will be a great sorrow to me if I have to
be the means of exposing my father to the ruinous effects of magic
spells; nor shall I have any joy in seeing you in difficulties and
toils."

Hethin replied that he cared not at all for the consequences, and that
he would do as he had threatened.

"You cannot mend it now," said Hild, "because in this case you are not
your own master."

Then Hethin went down to the sea-shore, and now was the warship
launched. He thrust the Queen down in front of the prow, so that
she perished. Hethin stepped into the warship. And when it was quite
ready, he took it into his head to land alone, leaving his men behind;
and he went into the same forest where he had gone before. And when
he came into the glade, there he saw Goendul seated on her throne. They
greeted one another cordially. Hethin told her what he had done and
she expressed her approval.

She had with her the horn which she had carried before, and she
offered him a drink from it. He took it and drank; and when he had
drunk, sleep fell upon him, and he let his head sink into her lap.
And when he had fallen asleep, she slipped away from under his head,
saying:

"Now I devote both you and Hoegni and all your followers, and lay you
under all the spells imposed by Othin."

Then Hethin awoke and saw the fleeting shadow of Goendul, but she
appeared to him now to be big and black; and he recalled everything
and real