urtful things, and this she must needs drink, and
with the drinking thereof she had no more memory of their guilt against
her.

But in that drink was blended the might of the earth and the sea with
the blood of her son; and in that horn were all letters cut and reddened
with blood, as is said hereunder--

"On the horn's face were there
All the kin of letters
Cut aright and reddened,
How should I rede them rightly?
The ling-fish long
Of the land of Hadding,
Wheat-ears unshorn,
And wild things' inwards.

In that beer were mingled
Many ills together,
Blood of all the wood
And brown-burnt acorns,
The black dew of the hearth,
The God-doomed dead beast's inwards,
And the swine's liver sodden
Because all wrongs that deadens.

And so now, when their hearts are brought anigh to each other, great
cheer they made: then came Grimhild to Gudrun, and spake:

"All hail to thee, daughter! I give thee gold and all kinds of good
things to take to thee after thy father, dear-bought rings and bed-gear
of the maids of the Huns, the most courteous and well dight of all
women; and thus is thy husband atoned for: and thereafter shalt thou be
given to Atli, the mighty king, and be mistress of all his might. Cast
not all thy friends aside for one man's sake, but do according to our
bidding."

Gudrun answers, "Never will I wed Atli the King: unseemly it is for us
to get offspring betwixt us."

Grimhild says, "Nourish not thy wrath; it shall be to thee as if Sigurd
and Sigmund were alive when thou hast borne sons."

Gudrun says, "I cannot take my heart from thoughts of him, for he was
the first of all men."

Grimhild says, "So it is shapen that thou must have this king and none
else."

Says Gudrun, "Give not this man to me, for an evil thing shall come
upon thy kin from him, and to his own sons shall he deal evil, and be
rewarded with a grim revenge thereafter."

Then waxed Grimhild fell at those words, and spake, "Do even as we
bid thee, and take therefore great honour, and our friendship, and the
steads withal called Vinbjorg and Valbjorg."

And such might was in the words of her, that even so must it come to
pass.

Then Gudrun spake, "Thus then must it needs befall, howsoever against
the will of me, and for little joy shall it be and for great grief."

Then men leaped on their horses, and their women were set in wains. So
they fared four d