Gudrun to Gunnar, "Go and see her," she says, "and bid her
know that I am grieved with her grief."

"Nay," says Gunnar, "I am forbid to go see her or to share her weal."

Nevertheless he went unto her, and strives in many wise to have speech
of her, but gets no answer whatsoever; therefore he gets him gone and
finds Hogni, and bids him go see her: he said he was loth thereto, but
went, and gat no more of her.

Then they go and find Sigurd, and pray him to visit her; he answered
naught thereto, and so matters abode for that night.

But the next day, when he came home from hunting, Sigurd went to Gudrun,
and spake--

"In such wise do matters show to me, as though great and evil things
will betide from this trouble and upheaving; and that Brynhild will
surely die."

Gudrun answers, "O my lord, by great wonders is she encompassed, seven
days and seven nights has she slept, and none has dared wake her."

"Nay, she sleeps not," said Sigurd, "her heart is dealing rather with
dreadful intent against me."

Then said Gudrun, weeping, "Woe worth the while for thy death! Go and
see her; and wot if her fury may not be abated; give her gold, and
smother up her grief and anger therewith!"

Then Sigurd went out, and found the door of Brynhild's chamber open; he
deemed she slept, and drew the clothes from off her, and said--

"Awake, Brynhild! The sun shineth now over all the house, and thou hast
slept enough; cast off grief from thee, and take up gladness!"

She said, "And how then hast thou dared to come to me? in this treason
none was worse to me than thou."

Said Sigurd, "Why wilt thou not speak to folk? for what cause sorrowest
thou?"

Brynhild answers, "Ah, to thee will I tell of my wrath!"

Sigurd said, "As one under a spell art thou, if thou deemest that there
is aught cruel in my heart against thee; but thou hast him for husband
whom thou didst choose."

"Ah, nay," she said, "never did Gunnar ride through the fire to me, nor
did he give me to dower the host of the slain: I wondered at the man
who came into my hall; for I deemed indeed that I knew thine eyes; but I
might not see clearly, or divide the good from the evil, because of the
veil that lay heavy on my fortune."

Says Sigurd, "No nobler men are there than the sons of Giuki, they slew
the king of the Danes, and that great chief, the brother of King Budli."

Brynhild answered, "Surely for many an ill-deed must I reward them; mind
me not of my griefs