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Now may I show myself to King Alv and to my mother, and the gold from Fafnir's hoard will make me a great spoil." "Wait," said Regin cunningly. "Wait. Thou hast yet to do something for me. With the sword thou hast, cut through the Dragon and take out his heart for me. When thou hast taken it out, roast it that I may eat of it and become wiser than I am.
But as yet he would not go back to her, for he had sworn to give his brethren further help. One day, as he rode by himself, he heard birds talk to each other and he knew the words they were saying. One said, "There is Sigurd who wears the wondrous helmet that he took out of Fafnir's hoard."
The hot roast burned his finger, and he put it into his mouth, and tasted the life-blood of the Dragon. Then in a moment he understood the song of birds, and heard how the swallows over his head said one to the other, 'There thou sittest, Sigurd, roasting Fafnir's heart.
"What thing of great might is it that has prevailed to rend my byrny, and draw me from my sleep?" Even as sings the song: "What bit on the byrny, Why breaks my sleep away, Who has turned from me My wan tormenting?" "Ah, is it so, that here is come Sigurd Sigmundson, bearing Fafnir's helm on his head and Fafnir's bane in his hand?" Then answered Sigurd
"Will you help me to win that which is rightfully mine, and to rid the world of a horrible evil?" "Why is the hoard of Andvari more thine than Fafnir's?" "He is a monster, and he keeps the treasure but to gloat upon its glittering richness. I will use it to make myself a name upon the earth. I will not hoard it away. But I am weak, and he is strong and terrible. Will you help me?"
Next morning when he arose, he took the ring which Andvari had laid under the curse, and which was among Fafnir's treasures, and gave it to Brynhildr as a 'morning gift', and she gave him another ring as a pledge. Then Sigurd rode back to his companions and took his own shape again, and then Gunnar went and claimed Brynhildr, and carried her home as his bride.
Thorfinn opened his eyes when he saw the sword, for it was an heirloom of his family and had never been out of it. "Whence came this treasure?" he asked. Grettir then spake a verse: "Scatterer of gold! 'twas the lust of wealth that urged my hand to ravish the grave. This know; but none hereafter, I ween, will be fain to ransack Fafnir's lair."
"Go, son, behold That may under helm Whom from battle Vinskornir bore, From her may not turn The torment of sleep. Dear offspring of kings In the dread Norns' despite." Then Sigurd ate some deal of Fafnir's heart, and the remnant he kept.
Then she took from off her the ring Andvari's-loom, which he had given her aforetime, and gave it to him, but he gave her another ring out of Fafnir's hoard. Thereafter he rode away through the same fire unto his fellows, and he and Gunnar changed semblances again, and rode unto Hlymdale, and told how it had gone with them.
Then he put his finger in his mouth, and so tasted the heart of Fafnir. Then immediately he understood the language of birds, and he heard the Woodpeckers say: 'There is Sigurd roasting Fafnir's heart for another, when he should taste of it himself and learn all wisdom. The next bird said: 'There lies Regin, ready to betray Sigurd, who trusts him.
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