Night after night, my sister, this befell, till I was left
alone with our brother Sigi to await the wood-beasts. Then came
midnight, and one of the wolves fell upon Sigi and the other turned
on me. But I met it with snarling like its own, and my teeth gripped
its throat, and my hands strove with the fetters till they burst. So
I slew the beast with my irons, but when I looked, Sigi lay dead, and
the other wolf had fled again to the thicket. Then I lay hid till
Siggeir's woodmen had looked on the place and departed with their
tidings, and as I beheld them I knew that pity was killed in my
heart, and that henceforward I should live but to avenge me on him
who hath so set the gods at nought." Then Signy spake noble words of
comfort, saying: "I wot well that Siggeir shall pay the due price of
his deeds, though the vengeance may tarry long, and I wot also that
thy life shall yet know gladness. Bear a stout heart, therefore, to
meet the waiting time, and make thee a lair in the woods whence thou
mayest fall on men of the Goth-folk, and win what thy life needeth.
As for me, I will see thy face once again ere many days are past to
wot where thou dwellest and then must we meet no more."
And so saying, she kissed him and departed, but Sigmund turned in the
dawn-light, and sought a wood-lair as she had bidden him.
Pages:
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45