Page:Völsunga Saga (1888).djvu/119

 some are of the kin of the Æsir, and some are of Elfin kin, and some there are who are daughters of Dvalin.”

Said Sigurd, “How namest thou the holm whereon Surt and the Æsir mix and mingle the water of the sword?”

“Unshapen is that holm hight,” said Fafnir.

And yet again he said, “Regin, my brother, has brought about my end, and it gladdens my heart that thine too he bringeth about; for thus will things be according to his will.”

And once again he spake, “A countenance of terror I bore up before all folk, after that I brooded over the heritage of my brother, and on every side did I spout out poison, so that none durst come anigh me, and of no weapon was I adrad, nor ever had I so many men before me, as that I deemed myself not stronger than all; for all men were sore afeard of me.”

Sigurd answered and said, “Few may have victory by means of that same countenance of terror, for whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.”

Then says Fafnir, “Such counsel I give thee, that thou take thy horse and ride away at thy speediest, for ofttimes it falls out so, that he who gets a death-wound avenges himself none the less.”

Sigurd answered, “Such as thy redes are I will nowise do after them; nay, I will ride now to thy lair and take to me that great treasure of thy kin.”

“Ride there then,” said Fafnir, “and thou shalt find gold enow to suffice thee for all thy life-days; yet shall that gold be thy bane, and the bane of every one soever who owns it.”