Just as the sun arose, the Goddess Fricka lifted her head, and, looking behind her, saw the palace. It gave her a terrible fright, because it had not been there when she fell asleep. "Look, Wotan!" she called loudly. "What do I see?" Wotan raised himself at her call. He gazed and was spellbound with delight. "Walhall, the home of the Gods; the home of the Eternals!" he cried. "It appears as it did in my dreams." "That which enraptures thee fills me with fear," Fricka replied sadly. "Hast thou not promised to give my sister Freia to the Giants who builded it for thee? Their task is done, and now they will claim their reward. Hast thou no feeling? Thou art cold and cruel, knowing nothing of tenderness and love!" "How falsely thou accusest me," Wotan answered. "Did I not give an eye to win thee, Fricka?" He looked tenderly at her with his single, brilliant eye. "True, I have promised Freia to the Giants when they should have finished the palace, but I do not mean to keep that promise." "How wilt thou evade it?" Fricka asked scornfully. "Loge, the Spirit of Flame, shall prepare the way. He agreed to help me satisfy them in some other way and he will do it." "Loge?" Fricka cried, still more scornfully. "That trickster! He is a fine one to look to. It was a sad day for us when thou didst rescue him from the underworld, where even his own did not trust him." "He will keep his word," Wotan answered, confidently. "Then it is time he appeared," the Goddess cried, "since here comes Freia, the giants after her, to demand the reward." At that moment, Freia, their Goddess sister, ran crying to Wotan to save her from Fasolt and Fafner, the Giants, who followed her with great strides. "Save me, save me, brother," Freia cried. "I shall save thee," Wotan answered, reassuringly. "Did not Loge promise to ransom thee? He will be here presently. Have no fear." Nevertheless Wotan, himself, was not too confident, and he looked anxiously for the Spirit of Flame. Meantime the Giants were striding over the mountain. "Come now," they shouted, "while we wrought, ye slept. Give us our reward as promised and we shall be off." "Well, what do ye want? Name a suitable reward and I shall give it to ye." Wotan answered, trying to pacify them. "We want only what is promised, and we shall have it. We shall take the Goddess Freia." They struck the earth with their staves and roared loudly. "Donner! Froh!" Freia shrieked to her brothers, and immediately they rushed upon the scene. Donner, the God of Thunder, carried a great hammer with which he woke the thunders. "Save me from Fasolt and Fafner," Freia cried. "We'll save thee, sister," Froh answered, facing the Giants, while Donner menaced them with his thunders.