well thine eyes have chosen for thee. It is the noble Brunhild,
the comely maid, for whom thy heart doth strive and eke thy mind and
mood." All her bearing seemed to Gunther good.

When bade the queen her high-born maids go from the windows, for it
behooved them not to be the mark of strangers' eyes. Each one obeyed.
What next the ladies did, hath been told us since. They decked their
persons out to meet the unknown knights, a way fair maids have ever
had. To the narrow casements they came again, where they had seen the
knights. Through love of gazing this was done.

But four there were that were come to land. Through the windows the
stately women saw how Siegfried led a horse out on the sand, whereby
King Gunther felt himself much honored. By the bridle he held the steed,
so stately, good and fair, and large and strong, until King Gunther had
sat him in the saddle. Thus Siegfried served him, the which he later
quite forgot. Such service he had seldom done afore, that he should
stand at any here's stirrup. Then he led his own steed from the ship.
All this the comely dames of noble birth saw through the casements. The
steeds and garments, too, of the lusty knights, of snow-white hue, were
right well matched and all alike; the bucklers, fashioned well, gleamed
in the hands of the stately men. In lordly wise they rode to Brunhild's
hall, their saddles set with precious stones, with narrow martingales,
from which hung bells of bright and ruddy gold. So they came to the
land, as well befit their prowess, with newly sharpened spears, with
well-wrought swords, the which hung down to the spurs of these stately
men. The swords the bold men bore were sharp and broad. All this
Brunhild, the high-born maid, espied.

With the king came Dankwart and Hagen, too. We have heard tales told of
how the knights wore costly raiment, raven black of hue. Fair were their
bucklers, mickle, good and broad. Jewels they wore from the land of
India, the which gleamed gloriously upon their weeds. By the flood they
left their skiff without a guard. Thus the brave knights and good
rode to the castle. Six and eighty towers they saw within, three broad
palaces, (1) and one hall well wrought of costly marble, green as
grass, wherein Brunhild herself sate with her courtiers. The castle was
unlocked and the gates flung wide. Then ran Brunhild's men to meet them
and welcomed the strangers into their mistress' land. One bade relieve
them of their steeds an