"
And even therewithal life left the King; but Gudrun moaned and
drew a weary breath, and Brynhild heard it and laughed when she
heard her moaning.
Then said Gunnar, "Thou laughest not because thy heart-roots are
gladdened, or else why doth thy visage wax so wan? Sure an evil
creature thou art; most like thou art nigh to thy death! Lo now,
how meet would it be for thee to behold thy brother Atli slain
before thine eyes, and that thou shouldst stand over him dead;
whereas we must needs now stand over our brother-in-law in such a
case our brother-in-law and our brother's bane."
She answered, "None need mock at the measure of slaughter being
unfulfilled; yet heedeth not Atli your wrath or your threats;
yea, he shall live longer than ye, and be a mightier man."
Hogni spake and said, "Now hath come to pass the soothsaying of
Brynhild; an ill work not to be atoned for."
And Gudrun said, "My kinsmen have slain my husband; but ye, when
ye next ride to the war and are come into the battle, then shall
ye look about and see that Sigurd is neither on the fight hand
nor the left, and ye shall know that he was your good-hap and
your strength; and if he had lived and had sons, then should ye
have been strengthened by his offspring and his kin.
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