So there dwelt Sigurd long in great honour holden; and tidings of that deed of fame spread wide through all lands, of how he had slain that hideous and fearful dragon. So good joyance had they there together, and each was leal to other; and their sport was in the arraying of their weapons, and the shafting of their arrows, and the flying of their falcons. CHAPTER XXIV. Sigurd sees Brynhild at Hlymdale. In those days came home to Heimir, Brynhild, his foster-daughter, and she sat in her bower with her maidens, and could more skill in handycraft than other women; she sat, overlaying cloth with gold, and sewing therein the great deeds which Sigurd had wrought, the slaying of the Worm, and the taking of the wealth of him, and the death of Regin withal. Now tells the tale, that on a day Sigurd rode into the wood with hawk, and hound, and men thronging; and whenas he came home his hawk flew up to a high tower, and sat him down on a certain window. Then fared Sigurd after his hawk, and he saw where sat a fair woman, and knew that it was Brynhild, and he deems all things he sees there to be worthy together, both her fairness, and the fair things she wrought: and therewith he goes into the hall, but has no more joyance in the games of the men folk. Then spake Alswid, "Why art thou so bare of bliss? this manner of thine grieveth us thy friends; why then wilt thou not hold to thy gleesome ways? Lo, thy hawks pine now, and thy horse Grani droops; and long will it be ere we are booted thereof?" Sigurd answered, "Good friend, hearken to what lies on my mind; for my hawk flew up into a certain tower; and when I came thereto and took him, lo there I saw a fair woman, and she sat by a needlework of gold, and did thereon my deeds that are passed, and my deeds that are to come." Then said Alswid, "Thou has seen Brynhild, Budli's daughter, the greatest of great women." "Yea, verily," said Sigurd; "but how came she hither?" Aswid answered, "Short space there was betwixt the coming hither of the twain of you." Says Sigurd, "Yea, but a few days agone I knew her for the best of the world's women." Alswid said, "Give not all thine heed to one woman, being such a man as thou art; ill life to sit lamenting for what we may not have." "I shall go meet her," says Sigurd, "and get from her love like my love, and give her a gold ring in token thereof." Alswid answered, "None has ever yet been known whom she would let sit beside her, or to whom she would give drink; for ever will she hold to warfare and to the winning of all kinds of fame." Sigurd said, "We know not for sure whether she will give us answer or not, or grant us a seat beside her." So the next day after, Sigurd went to the bower, but Alswid stood outside the bower door, fitting shafts to his arrows. Now Sigurd spake, "Abide, fair and hale lady,--how farest thou?" She answered, "Well it fares; my kin and my friends live yet: but who shall say what goodhap folk may bear to their life's end?"