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To Gudruda it seemed like that of Eric when he was angered. "Am I nigh to Gudruda the Fair, Asmund's daughter?" asked Saevuna. "Methinks I hear her breathe." "I am here, mother," said Gudruda. "What is thy will with me?" "Set down, carles, and begone!" quoth Saevuna; "that which I have to say I would say alone. When I summon you, come." The carles set down the chair upon the floor and went.
"Between now and a while," said Freydis, "you must be capturing Bellegarde and cutting off Duke Asmund's ugly head, because by right and by King Ferdinand's own handwriting all Poictesme belongs to you."
Gudruda stood foremost, and Groa was next to her. Now Koll filled as before, and it was a great cup of gold that he filled. Asmund rose to call the toast, and with him all who were in the hall. Koll brought up the cup, and handed it, not to Asmund, but to Groa; but there were few who noted this, for all were listening to Asmund's toast and most of the guests were somewhat drunken.
Then Eric took back the war-sword and spoke thus: "I swear that I will love thee, and thee only, Gudruda the Fair, Asmund's daughter, whom I have desired all my days; and, if I fail of this my oath, then our troth is at an end, and thou mayst wed whom thou wilt," and in turn he put his lips upon the sword, while Swanhild watched them do the oath.
Now as he thought, he saw men and horses draw near, and one man, whose helm gleamed in the moonlight, bore something in his arms. "Who passes?" he called. "Eric Brighteyes, Skallagrim Lambstail, and Gudruda, Asmund's daughter," answered a voice; "who art thou?" Then Asmund the Priest sprang forward, most glad at heart, for he never thought to see Eric again.
A man's voice answered: "Who passes there?" "I, Gudruda, Asmund's daughter." The form came nearer; now Swanhild could hear the snorting of a horse, and now a man leapt from it, and that man was Eric Brighteyes. "Is it thou indeed, Gudruda!" he said with a laugh, and his great shape showed darkly on the snow mist. "Oh, is it thou, Eric?" she answered.
Then he went down, and, going to the Earl, bowed before him: "What wouldst thou, fellow, and who art thou?" asked Atli. "I am a man from Iceland; perchance, lord, thou sawest me in Asmund's hall at Middalhof. I am sent here by the Lady Swanhild to say that she desires speech with thee, and that at once." Then, seeing Skallagrim, Koll fled back to the house, for he feared Skallagrim.
Thorvald Asgeirsson dwelt in Ass in Vatnsdal and was a great chief. He was the father of Dalla who married Isleif, afterwards bishop in Skalaholt. Asmund had great support from Thorvald in legal suits and in other matters. There grew up in Asmund's household a youth named Thorgils Maksson, a near kinsman of his.
"Is the voice I hear the voice of Björn, Asmund's son?" "It is my voice, truly," said Björn, "and I would know this and this would Ospakar, who stands at my side, know also why thou comest here, carline? and why Gudruda weeps?" "Gudruda weeps because she has good cause to weep, Björn.
Atli is dead at my hand; Ospakar is dead at my hand; Björn the Priest, Asmund's son, is dead at my hand, and with them many another man. Nor may the matter stay here, for Gizur, Blacktooth's son, yet lives, and Björn has kin in the south, and Swanhild will buy friends with gold, and all of these will set on me to slay me, so that at the last I die by the sword."
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