"
Now Sigurd stood upright on the hall floor, and leaning on the
hilt of his sword, and he spake to Brynhild --
"In reward thereof, shall I pay thee a great dower in gold and
goodly things?"
She answered in heavy mood from her seat, whereas she sat like
unto swan on billow, having a sword in her hand and a helm on her
head, and being clad in a byrny, "O Gunnar," she says, "speak not
to me of such things unless thou be the first and best of all
men; for then shall thou slay those my wooers, if thou hast heart
thereto; I have been in battles with the king of the Greeks, and
weapons were stained with red blood, and for such things still I
yearn."
He answered, "Yea, certes many great deeds hast thou done; but
yet call thou to mind thine oath, concerning the riding through
of this fire, wherein thou didst swear that thou wouldst go with
the man who should do this deed."
So she found that he spoke but the sooth, and she paid heed to
his words, and arose, and greeted him meetly, and he abode there
three nights, and they lay in one bed together; but he took the
sword Gram and laid it betwixt them: then she asked him why he
laid it there; and he answered, that in that wise must he needs
wed his wife or else get his bane.
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