To this Sir Dietrich answered in wrath: "'Tis I, that hath warned the
noble and mighty princes and the bold Hagen, the Burgundian liegeman. Go
to, thou she-devil, thou durst not make me suffer for the deed."
Sore abashed was King Etzel's wife, for bitterly she feared Sir
Dietrich. At once she left him, not a word she spake, but gazed with
furious glance upon her foes. Two warriors then grasped each other
quickly by the hand, the one was Sir Dietrich, the other Hagen. With
gentle breeding the lusty hero spake: "Forsooth I rue your coming to the
Huns, because of what the queen hath said."
Quoth Hagen: "There will be help for that."
Thus the two brave men talked together. King Etzel saw this, and
therefore he began to query: "Fain would I know," spake the mighty
king, "who yonder warrior be, whom Sir Dietrich greeteth there in such
friendly wise. He carrieth high his head; whoever be his father, he is
sure a doughty knight."
A liegeman of Kriemhild made answer to the king: "By birth he is from
Troneg, his father hight Aldrian; however blithe he bear him here, a
grim man is he. I'll let you see full well that I have told no lie."
"How shall I know that he be so fierce?" replied the king. As yet he
wist not the many evil tricks that the queen should later play upon her
kin, so that she let none escape from the Huns alive.
"Well know I Aldrian, for he was my vassal (5) and here at my court
gained mickle praise and honor. I dubbed him knight and gave hint of my
gold. The faithful Helca loved him inly. Therefore I have since known
Hagen every whit. Two stately youths became my hostages, he and Walther
of Spain. (6) Here they grew to manhood; Hagen I sent home again,
Walther ran away with Hildegund."
He bethought him of many tales that had happed of yore. He had spied
aright his friend of Troneg, who in his youth had given him yeoman
service. Later in his old age he did him many a dear friend to death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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