the hart over other wild things; until my brethren
begrudged me such a man, the first and best of all men; and so they
might not sleep or they had slain him. Huge clamour made Grani when he
saw his master and lord sore wounded, and then I spoke to him even as
with a man, but he fell drooping down to the earth, for he knew that
Sigurd was slain."

Thereafter Gudrun gat her gone into the wild woods, and heard on all
ways round about her the howling of wolves, and deemed death a merrier
thing than life. Then she went till she came to the hall of King Alf,
and sat there in Denmark with Thora, the daughter of Hakon, for seven
seasons, and abode with good welcome. And she set forth her needlework
before her, and did thereinto many deeds and great, and fair plays after
the fashion of those days, swords and byrnies, and all the gear of
kings, and the ship of King Sigmund sailing along the land; yea, and
they wrought there, how they fought, Sigar and Siggeir, south in Fion.
Such was their disport; and now Gudrun was somewhat solaced of her
grief.

So Grimhild comes to hear where Gudrun has take up her abode, and
she calls her sons to talk with her, and asks whether they will make
atonement to Gudrun for her son and her husband, and said that it was
but meet and right to do so.

Then Gunnar spake, and said that he would atone for her sorrows with
gold.

So they send for their friends, and array their horses, their helms,
and their shields, and their byrnies, and all their war-gear; and their
journey was furnished forth in the noblest wise, and no champion who
was of the great men might abide at home; and their horses were clad in
mail-coats, and every knight of them had his helm done over with gold or
with silver.

Grimhild was of their company, for she said that their errand would
never be brought fairly to pass if she sat at home.

There were well five hundred men, and noble men rode with them. There
was Waldemar of Denmark, and Eymod and Jarisleif withal. So they went
into the hall of King Alf, and there abode them the Longbeards and
Franks, and Saxons: they fared with all their war-gear, and had over
them red fur-coats. Even as the song says--

"Byrnies short cut,
Strong helms hammered,
Girt with good swords,
Red hair gleaming."

They were fain to choose good gifts for their sister, and spake softly
to her, but in none of them would she trow. Then Gunnar brought unto her
a drink mingled with h