Then they rode unto the king's hall, and King
Atli arrayed his host for battle, and the ranks were so set forth that
a certain wall there was betwixt them and the brethren.
"Welcome hither," said he. "Deliver unto me that plenteous
gold which is mine of right; even the wealth which Sigurd once owned,
and which is now Gudrun's of right."
Gunnar answered, "Never gettest thou that wealth; and
men of might must thou meet here, or ever we lay by life if thou wilt
deal with us in battle; ah, belike thou settest forth this feast like
a great man, and wouldst not hold thine hand from erne and wolf!"
"Long ago I had it in my mind," said Atli, to take the
lives of you, and be lord of the gold, and reward you for that deed
of shame, wherein ye beguiled the best of all your affinity; but now
shall I revenge him."
Hogni answered, "Little will it avail to lie long brooding
over that rede, leaving the work undone."
And therewith they fell to hard fighting, at the first
brunt with shot.
But therewithal came the tidings to Gudrun, and when
she heard thereof she grew exceeding wroth, and cast her mantle from
her, and ran out and greeted those new-comers, and kissed her brethren,
and showed them all love, -- and the last of all greetings was that
betwixt them.
Then said she, "I thought I had set forth counsel whereby
ye should not come hither, but none may deal with his shapen fate."
And withal she said, "Will it avail aught to seek for peace?"
But stoutly and grimly they said nay thereto. So she
sees that the game goeth sorely against her brethren, and she gathers
to her great stoutness of heart, and does on her a mail-coat and takes
to her a sword, and fights by her brethren, and goes as far forward
as the bravest of man-folk; and all spoke in one wise that never saw
any fairer defence than in her.
Now the men fell thick, and far before all others was
the fighting of those brethren, and the battle endured a long while
unto midday; Gunnar and Hogni went right through the folk of Atli, and
so tells the tale that all the mead ran red with blood; the sons of
Hogni withal set on stoutly.
Then spake Atli the king, "A fair host and a great have
we, and mighty champions withal, and yet have many of us fallen, and
but evil am I apaid in that nineteen of my champions are slain, and
but left six alive."
And therewithal was there a lull in the battle.
Then spake Atli the king, "Four brethren were we, and
now am I left alone; great affinity I gat to me, and deemed my fortune
well sped thereby; a wife I had, fair and wise, high of mind, and great
of heart; but no joyance may I have of her wisdom, for little peace
is betwixt us, -- but ye -- ye have slain many of my kin, and beguiled
me of realm and riches, and for the greatest of all woes have slain
my sister withal."
Quoth Hogni, "Why babblest thou thus? Thou wert the
first to break the peace. Thou didst take my kinswoman and pine her
to death by hunger, and didst murder her, and take her wealth; an ugly
deed for a king! -- meet for mocking and laughter I deem it, that thou
must needs make long tale of thy woes; rather will I give thanks to
the Gods that thou fallest into ill."