"Not so," replied Odd; "I have no mind to visit Othin tonight. It is all these berserks who must perish before evening comes; but you and I will be left alive." An account of their dialogue is found in these verses which Hjalmar chanted: Twelve berserks hasten onward, Inglorious warriors;-- Leaving their warships on they come; And when night's shadow lowers We two shall feast in Othin's hall, Leaving them conquerors. But Odd replied: This is the answer I give thee:-- In Othin's hall tonight, Twelve berserks shall feast, Every one as a guest, While we shall live on in the light. Hjalmar and Odd saw that Angantyr had Tyrfing in his hand, for it flashed like a sunbeam. Hjalmar said: "Will you fight against Angantyr alone, or against all his eleven brothers?" "I will fight against Angantyr," replied Odd; "He will give mighty strokes with Tyrfing; but I have more faith in the protection of my shirt than in that of your mail-coat." Then cried Hjalmar: "When did you and I ever go to battle and you took the lead of me? You want to fight Angantyr because you hold that to be the deed of greater prowess. I am the leader in this combat, however, and far other was the vow I made to the daughter of the King of the Swedes than to let you or anybody else come before me in the fight. It is I who am going to fight Angantyr." And with that he drew his sword and stepped forth to meet Angantyr and they commended one another to Valhalla[2]. Hjalmar and Angantyr then made ready for the combat, and mighty strokes fell thick and fast between them. Odd called to the berserks, saying: Man to man should a warrior fight Who would win a well-fought day,-- Unless it be that his courage fail, Or his valour has ebbed away. Then Hjˆrvarth advanced, and he and Odd had a stiff encounter; but Odd's silken shirt was so strong that no weapon could pierce it. And so good was his sword that it cut through iron as easily as cloth; and few strokes had he dealt ere Hjˆrvarth fell dead. Then Hervarth came on and the same thing happened;--then Hrani, then each of the others in turn. And with such force did Odd encounter them all that he slew every one of the eleven brothers. As for the combat between Hjalmar and Angantyr, the upshot was that Hjalmar was wounded in sixteen places, and then Angantyr fell dead. Then Odd went over to where Hjalmar lay and cried: O Hjalmar! Why has thy face grown pale As the face of men who die? Wide gape the rents in byrnie and helm, And I fear that the end draws nigh; And the strength of manhood has gone from thine arm, And the light of life from thine eye. Hjalmar made answer[3]: With sixteen wounds is my mailcoat rent, And the world is fading fast. Blindly I tread in the gathering gloom, Pierced to the heart at the last By Angantyr's sword with its pitiless point And its edges in poison cast.