ai! I see foes pass in pride!
A! hai! A! hai! Valkyries ride the wind!
Hear the song of the sword!
Whitefire is aloft--aloft!
Bare is the axe of the Baresark!
Croak, ye nesting ravens;
Flap your wings, ye eagles,
For bright is Mosfell's cave with blood!
Lap! lap! thou Grey Wolf,
Laugh aloud, Odin!

"Laugh till shake the golden doors;
Heroes' feet are set on Bifrost,
Open, ye hundred gates!
A! hai! A! hai! red runs the fray!
A! hai! A! hai! Valkyries ride the wind!"

Then Skallagrim turned and went to clean his harness and the golden helm
of Eric.

Now at Coldback Gizur spoke with Swanhild.

"Thou hast brought the greatest shame upon me," he said, "for thou hast
caused me to slay a sleeping woman. Knowest thou that my own men will
scarcely speak with me? I have come to this evil pass, through love of
thee, that I have slain a sleeping woman!"

"It was not my fault that thou didst kill Gudruda," answered Swanhild;
"surely I thought it was Eric whom thy sword pierced! I have not sought
thy love, Gizur, and I say this to thee: go, if thou wilt, and leave me
alone!"

Now Gizur looked at her, and was minded to go; but, as Swanhild knew
well, she held him too fast in the net of her witcheries.

"I would go, if I might go!" answered Gizur; "but I am bound to thee for
good or evil, since it is fated that I shall wed thee."

"Thou wilt never wed me while Eric lives," said Swanhild.

Now she spoke thus truthfully, and by chance, as it were, not as driving
Gizur on to slay Eric--for, now that Gudruda was dead, she was in two
minds as to this matter, since, if she might, she still desired to take
Eric to herself--but meaning that while Eric lived she would wed no
other man. But Gizur took it otherwise.

"Eric shall certainly die if I may bring it about," he answered, and
went to speak with his men.

Now all were gathered in the yard at Coldback, and that was a great
company. But their looks were heavy because of the shame that Gizur,
Ospakar's son, had brought upon them by the murder of Gudruda in her
sleep.

"Hearken, comrades!" said Gizur: "great shame is come upon me because of
a deed that I have done unwittingly, for I aimed at the eagle Eric and I
have slain the swan Gudruda."

Then a certain old viking in the company, named Ketel, whom Gizur had
hired for the slaying of Eric, spoke:

"Man or woman, it is a niddering deed to kill f