So when men had drunk their fill, they fared
to sleep; then falls Kostbera to beholding the runes, and spelling over
the letters, and sees that beneath were other things cut, and that the
runes are guileful, yet because of her wisdom she had skill to read them
aright. So then she goes to bed by her husband; but when they awoke, she
spake unto Hogni --
"Thou art minded to wend away from home -- ill-counselled
is that; abide till another time! Scarce a keen reader of runes art
thou, if thou deemest thou hast beheld in them the bidding of thy sister
to this journey: lo, I read them the runes, and had marvel of so wise
a woman as Gudrun is, that she should have miscut them; but that which
lieth underneath beareth your bane with it, -- yea, either she lacked
a letter, or others have dealt guilefully with the runes.
"And now hearken to my dream; for therein methought
there fell in upon us here a river exceeding strong, and brake up the
timbers of the hall."
He answered, "Full oft are ye evil of mind, ye women,
but for me, I was not made in such wise as to meet men with evil who
deserve no evil; belike he will give us good welcome."
She answered, "Well, the thing must ye yourselves prove,
but no friendship follows this bidding: -- but yet again I dreamed that
another river fell in here with a great and grimly rush, and tore up
the dais of the hall, and brake the legs of both you brethren; surely
that betokeneth somewhat."
He answers, "Meadows along our way, whereas thou didst
dream of the river; for when we go through the meadows, plentifully
doth the seeds of the hay hang about our legs."
"Again I dreamed," she says, "that thy cloak was afire,
and that the flame blazed up above the hall."
Says he, "Well, I wot what that shall betoken; here
lieth my fair-dyed raiment, and it shall burn and blaze, whereas thou
dreamedst of the cloak."
"Methought a bear came in," she says, "and brake up
the king's high-seat, and shook his paws in such a wise that we were
all adrad thereat, and he gat us all together into the mouth of him,
so that we might avail us naught, and thereof fell great horror on us."
He answered, "Some great storm will befall, whereas
thou hadst a white bear in thy mind."
"An erne methought came in," she says, "and swept adown
the hall, and drenched me and all of us with blood, and ill shall that
betoken, for methought it was the double of King Atli."
He answered, "Full oft do we slaughter beasts freely,
and smite down great neat for our cheer, and the dream of the erne has
but to do with oxen; yea, Atli is heart-whole toward us."
And therewithal they cease this talk.