y, then, maid Gudruda?" said Odin.

"My life," she answered.

"Good," he said; "for a night Eric shall be thine. Then die, and let thy
death be his cause of death." And Odin sang this song:

"Now, corse-choosing Daughters, hearken
To the dread Allfather's word:
When the gale of spears' breath gathers
Count not Eric midst the slain,
Till Brighteyen once hath slumbered,
Wedded, at Gudruda's side--
Then, Maidens, scream your battle call;
Whelmed with foes, let Eric fall!"

And Gudruda awoke, but in her ears the mighty waters still seemed to
speak with Odin's voice, saying:

"Then, Maidens, scream your battle call;
Whelmed with foes, let Eric fall!"

She awoke from that fey sleep, and looked upwards, and lo! before her,
with shattered shield and all besmeared with war's red rain, stood
gold-helmed Eric. There he stood, great and beautiful to see, and she
looked on him trembling and amazed.

"Is it indeed thou, Eric, or is it yet my dream?" she said.

"I am no dream, surely," said Eric; "but why lookest thou thus on me,
Gudruda?"

She rose slowly. "Methought," she said, "methought that thou wast dead
at the hand of Skallagrim." And with a great cry she fell into his arms
and lay there sobbing.

It was a sweet sight thus to see Gudruda the Fair, her head of gold
pillowed on Eric's war-stained byrnie, her dark eyes afloat with tears
of joy; but not so thought Swanhild, watching. She shook in jealous
rage, then crept away, and hid herself where she could see no more, lest
she should be smitten with madness.

"Whence camest thou? ah! whence camest thou?" said Gudruda. "I thought
thee dead, my love; but now I dreamed that I prayed Odin, and he spared
thee to me for a little."

"Well, and that he hath, though hardly," and he told her all that had
happened, and how, as he rode with Skallagrim, who yet sat yonder on
his horse, he caught sight of a woman seated on the grass and knew the
colour of the cloak.

Then Gudruda kissed him for very joy, and they were happy each with
each--for of all things that are sweet on earth, there is nothing more
sweet that this: to find him we loved, and thought dead and cold, alive
and at our side.

And so they talked and were very glad with the gladness of youth and
love, till Eric said he must on to Middalhof before the light failed,
for he could not come on horseback the way that Gudruda took, but must
ride round the shoulder