"
Now are they both together loose in the barrow, and soon they cut
both through stone and through iron, and bring themselves out
thereof. Then they go home to the hall, whenas all men slept
there, and bear wood to the hall, and lay fire therein; and
withal the folk therein are waked by the smoke, and by the hall
burning over their heads.
Then the king cries out, "Who kindled this fire, I burn withal?"
"Here am I," says Sigmund, "with Sinfjotli, my sister's son; and
we are minded that thou shalt wot well that all the Volsungs are
not yet dead."
Then he bade his sister come out, and take all good things at his
hands, and great honour, and fair atonement in that wise, for all
her griefs.
But she answered, "Take heed now, and consider, if I have kept
King Siggeir in memory, and his slaying of Volsung the king! I
let slay both my children, whom I deemed worthless for the
revenging of our father, and I went into the wood to thee in a
witch-wife's shape; and now behold, Sinfjotli is the son of thee
and of me both! And therefore has he this so great hardihood
and fierceness, in that he is the son both of Volsung's son and
Volsung's daughter; and for this, and for naught else, have I so
wrought, that Siggeir might get his bane at last; and all these
things have I done that vengeance might fall on him, and that I
too might not live long; and merrily now will I die with King
Siggeir, though I was naught merry to wed him.
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