o fight with a man so old that he might
not get a-horseback unholpen.

CHAPTER IV. Frithiof goes to Baldur's Meads.

Straightway whenas the kings were gone away Frithiof took his raiment
of state and set the goodly gold ring on his arm; then went the
foster-brethren down to the sea and launched Ellidi. Then said Biorn:
"Whither away, foster-brother?"

"To Baldur's Meads," said Frithiof, "to be glad with Ingibiorg.",

Biorn said: "A thing unmeet to do, to make the gods wroth with us."

"Well, it shall be risked this time," said Frithiof; "and withal, more
to me is Ingibiorg's grace than Baldur's grame."

Therewith they rowed over the firth, and went up to Baldur's Meads and
to Ingibiorg's bower, and there she sat with eight maidens, and the new
comers were eight also.

But when they came there, lo, all the place was hung with cloth of pall
and precious webs.

Then Ingibiorg arose and said:

"Why art thou so overbold, Frithiof, that thou art come here without the
leave of my brethren to make the gods angry with thee?"

Frithiof says: "Howsoever that may be, I hold thy love of more account
than the gods' hate."

Ingibiorg answered: "Welcome art thou here, thou and thy men!"

Then she made place for him to sit beside her, and drank to him in the
best of wine; and thus they sat and were merry together.

Then beheld Ingibiorg the goodly ring on his arm, and asked him if that
precious thing were his own.

Frithiof said Yea, and she praised the ring much. Then Frithiof said:

"I will give thee the ring if thou wilt promise to give it to no one,
but to send it to me when thou no longer shalt have will to keep it: and
hereon shall we plight troth each to other."

So with this troth-plighting they exchanged rings.

Frithiof was oft at Baldur's Meads a-night time, and every day between
whiles would he go thither to be glad with Ingibiorg.

CHAPTER V. Those Brethren come Home again.

Now tells the tale of those brethren, that they met King Ring, and he
had more folk than they: then went men betwixt them, and sought to make
peace, so that no battle should be: thereto King Ring assented on such
terms that the brethren should submit them to him, and give him in
marriage Ingibiorg their sister, with the third part of all their
possessions.

The kings said Yea thereto, for they saw that they had to do with
overwhelming might: so the peace was fast bound by oaths, and the
wedding was to be at S