ays a-riding and other four a-shipboard, and yet four
more again by land and road, till at the last they came to a certain
high-built hall; then came to meet Gudrun many folk thronging; and
an exceedingly goodly feast was there made, even as the word had gone
between either kin, and it passed forth in most proud and stately wise.
And at that feast drinks Atli his bridal with Gudrun; but never did her
heart laugh on him, and little sweet and kind was their life together.

CHAPTER XXXIV. Atli bids the Giukings to him.

Now tells the tale that on a night King Atli woke from sleep and spake
to Gudrun--

"Medreamed," said he, "that thou didst thrust me through with a sword."

Then Gudrun areded the dream, and said that it betokened fire, whenas
folk dreamed of iron. "It befalls of thy pride belike, in that thou
deemest thyself the first of men."

Atli said, "Moreover I dreamed that here waxed two sorb-tree (1)
saplings, and fain I was that they should have no scathe of me; then
these were riven up by the roots and reddened with blood, and borne to
the bench, and I was bidden eat thereof.

"Yea, yet again I dreamed that two hawks flew from my hand hungry and
unfed, and fared to hell, and meseemed their hearts were mingled with
honey, and that I ate thereof.

"And then again I dreamed that two fair whelps lay before me yelling
aloud, and that the flesh of them I ate, though my will went not with
the eating."

Gudrun says, "Nowise good are these dreams, yet shall they come to pass;
surely thy sons are nigh to death, and many heavy things shall fall upon
us."

"Yet again I dreamed," said he, "and methought I lay in a bath, and folk
took counsel to slay me."

Now these things wear away with time, but in nowise was their life
together fond.

Now falls Atli to thinking of where may be gotten that plenteous gold
which Sigurd had owned, but King Gunnar and his brethren were lords
thereof now.

Atli was a great king and mighty, wise, and a lord of many men; and now
he falls to counsel with his folk as to the ways of them. He wotted well
that Gunnar and his brethren had more wealth than any others might have,
and so he falls to the rede of sending men to them, and bidding them
to a great feast, and honouring them in diverse wise, and the chief of
those messengers was hight Vingi.

Now the queen wots of their conspiring, and misdoubts her that this
would mean some beguiling of her brethren: so she cut runes, and too